Guadeloupe in murky waters: French islands hit by wastewater treatment scandal

France in focus

Located in the heart of the French Caribbean, Guadeloupe is best known for its beaches, rivers and waterfalls. But beyond the postcard image, more than 70 percent of wastewater treatment plants in the island are out of order – or nearly – despite significant funding, particularly from the European Union. The result is a health and environmental catastrophe that threatens all the bathing waters in this French overseas archipelago. FRANCE 24's Karina Chabour investigated years of poor management.