Conclusion
"The success of lake Annecy is a source of inspiration and emulation, and I will endeavor to bring it to the attention of as wide a circle as possible."
Robert Muller, UN Director General, letter to Dr Servettaz, 15 August 1973
The story of the saving of Lake Annecy is a simple one and has been told many times around the world with local variations on the theme.
A campaign by courageous, dauntless and determined citizens to save their cherished fresh water resource from degradation by the negligent dumping of sewage.
It involves the usual struggles against the inertia of a local community who didn't understand the problem or care to make the effort of doing anything about it.
And against local bureaucrats who didn't want anything to upset the booming tourist trade, such as claiming their lake was becoming an open sewer and dying.
And against property developers who were making fortunes from building thousands of new houses around a lake where everything was perfect.
Even against engineers who understood the problem but said there was no technical solution, and against local politicians who said even if there was a technical solution it would be way too expensive and politically impossible to do.
And against a government which was far to busy dealing with more important matters to get involved.
And against multinational corporations whose teams of well-paid scientists, understanding how their products polluted, worked tirelessly to deny cause, use their knowledge to sow confusion, and so help their employers evade responsibility.
So not much to distinguish it from countless stories of heroic campaigns to protect scarce and vital fresh water resources everywhere around the planet.
Which explains why the book Dr Servettaz wrote about it has never been translated into English, went out of print 30 years ago, and today is entirely unknown.
Apart from two things.
His campaign was a spectacular success.
And it was the first.
Anywhere in the world.
Anytime in history.
On 15 August 1973 Robert Muller, director general of the UN, wrote to Dr Servettaz:
“Your book (DRS 1971) reflects the three secrets of success: love, solidarity, and a clear vision of the future. If only you knew how these three precepts are also the keys to success in great affairs of international relations! The love of our planet is insufficient. Solidarity between nations is insufficient and in place of a clear vision of the future, governments have their noses fixed on their own petty minded national self-interest and their day to day quarrels… My dream would be that the United Nations would soon become in effect the “Syndicat International des Collectivités Humaines de la planete Terre”, in the image of the “Syndicat intercommunal des communes riveraines du lac d’Annecy” . We are getting there step by step but at too slow a pace to deal with the global problems with are unfolding upon us and which will end up affecting the lives of each individual. The success of lake Annecy is a source of inspiration and emulation, and I will endeavor to bring it to the attention of as wide a circle as possible.” (DR S 1991 p 206)