ABSTRACT

In 2000, people of the French West Indies (FWI) discovered, through analyses of spring water, that they had been water that contained chlordecone, an organochlorine pesticide used in banana plantations for tens of years. This was the beginning of a major environmental crisis in the FWI, leading to serious social, economic, and agronomic impacts. This book traces how a collective response emerged through the characterization of pollution, the development of awareness of this pollutant and its effects on human health and environment, and the action plan to manage this pollution. Finally, the issue questions our readiness to manage future threats arising out of human activities.