CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

C.A.P.E. CARIBBEAN STUDIES

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT (I.A.)

YEAR OF EXAMINATION 2021

SUBJECT Caribbean Studies

CANDIDATES Eissan Boucher 1600010153

Raynard Kamal 1600010293

Avinash Loorkhoor 1600010404

Jeremy Ramlal 1600010676

NAME OF TEACHER Aruna Anderson

NAME OF SCHOOL A.S.J.A. Boys’ College, San Fernando

TITLE OF RESEARCH Flooding in the community of Guaracara Tabaquite Road,

Reform Village
 Acknowledgments

Firstly, we would like to thank god for giving us the strength and knowledge to do this Internal

Assessment as well as our parents for giving us the resources and support which helped

immensely. Most of all we would like to thank our Caribbean Studies teacher Aruna Anderson

for providing sufficient guidelines and answering every question we asked for us to do this

structured and informative Internal Assessment.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGES

Introduction 1

Literature Review 3

Data Collection Sources 5

Presentation of Data 6

Analysis of Data 9

Discussion of Findings 11

Conclusion 13

Limitations 13

Recommendations 13

Bibliography 14

Appendix 16
 INTRODUCTION

Problem Statement

What factors have contributed to the increase in flooding in the community of Guaracara

Tabaquite Road, Reform Village?

Purpose of Research

Pollution is a very large topic to talk about but this issue needs to finally be addressed. The

community of Guaracara Tabaquite Road, Reform Village has a population of approximately

700 people. Reform Village is a village situated East of Marabella. In this area there is the

Guaracara River situated very near to the village. Land and water pollution are two of the most

common forms of pollution and can translate into other types of pollution such as water pollution

when garbage from the ground washes into rivers, lakes and the sea. Land and water pollution

are a major problem countrywide and leads to natural disasters throughout the country such as

flooding. This problem is showing no sign of decreasing.

Research Questions:

1. To identify the source of pollution in the community.

2. To investigate how pollution affects the community.

3. To make recommendations to alleviate the severity of the result of pollution.

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Educational Value

This study will give an opportunity to the residents to recognize the problem of flooding and

solve it as a community. It will also enable the residents to have their voice heard so they can

express their concerns. The regional corporation of the area will be informed on how the

residents are being affected in this area. The findings of this research can be forwarded to

appropriate authorities to enlighten them of the causes and effects of pollution.

Technical Terms

Pollution the act of polluting or state of being polluted

Contaminated having been made impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or

polluting substance.

Standard of Living the level of comfort, material goods and other whims available to a person

or group

2
 LITERATURE REVIEW

“When rain occurs, the water flows over these surfaces increases and builds momentum due to

the lack of resistance and absorption by plants.” (Rogers, 2021). According to how paved the

community is contributes to the risk of flooding. The information from this journal article was

gathered from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This article was done to find out the

effects of water pollution on land. Secondary data was used to make this article. However, in this

study, primary data was utilized as well as secondary.

“Pathogen in polluted water causes serious diseases in humans.” (Chaudhry, 2017). This journal

article shows that diseases can be caused by pathogens due to water pollution. It also contains

primary data and was conducted at University of Gujrat during 2016 to 2017 as a term paper for

Master of Philosophy. This article was used to figure out the factors affecting water pollution.

However, in this study, secondary data was utilized as well as primary.

“Flooding in both urban and rural areas in Trinidad and Tobago is a frequent occurrence, leading

to substantial losses of property, crop damage, health problems and severe inconvenience of

whole communities.” (Agency, 2001). This report explains that flooding is the main natural

disaster of littering into rivers and it can have major effects. This information contains primary

data from The Water Resources Agency. The report shows the frequency of flooding and water

supply in Trinidad and Tobago. Whereas, in this study, secondary data was utilized as well as

primary.

“Rural residents perceive little about the impacts of environmental pollution on health, which

may create risks and vulnerabilities of rural environments and the livelihood of these residents.”

(Yang, 2020). According to this article, the community can have their livelihoods affected

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negatively. The article discusses the association between perceived environmental pollution and

health among urban and rural residents. This article contains primary data which was collected

through the form of a questionnaire similar to our study.

“The legal culture of society has an important role in understanding the law enforcement process,

including in the handling and management of household waste problems.” (Sutrisno, 2017). This

project also brings up the issue of handling and management of household waste problems which

can cause natural disasters such as flooding. The article discusses the significance of legal

culture to domestic waste This article contains secondary data from many sources. However, in

this study, primary data was utilized as well as secondary.

“For better and healthy environment, the land should be well prevented from any form of

pollution.” (Abdul Christopher Ileanwa, 2020). This article agrees to say that most pollution

takes place on land and water and air pollution has a connection to land. The research was

carried out by using descriptive survey method and questionnaires as a tool to collect primary

data. A total number of eighty residents in Minna metropolis participated in the survey. The

purpose of this article is to find solutions for pollution in Nigeria. Whereas, in this study,

secondary data was utilized as well as primary.

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 DATA COLLECTION SOURCES

The researchers utilized the questionnaire method to gather the relevant primary data across the

targeted community. The main advantages of the usage of a questionnaire are that it is an

efficient way to gather results, inexpensive and it is easy to analyze (see appendix). 20 questions

were used in the questionnaire of which 17 was closed and 3 was open ended. Open-ended

questions allowed for the capture of qualitative data while closed-ended questions facilitated the

capture of quantitative data. The type of sampling used was probability sampling. Probability

sampling is a sampling technique where a researcher sets a selection of a few criteria and

chooses members of a population randomly. The sources used to collect data were primary and

secondary sources. The primary data was collected through a questionnaire and the secondary

data was collected through a textbook, website, report and journal articles.

How the sources contributed to a better understanding of the area being studied

Documented secondary data for the research came from websites and journal articles from

primary or original sources that was accessed from the internet. The sources collected related

heavily to the area being investigated, highlighting the problems occurring and giving

recommendations on how it can be addressed.

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 PRESENTATION OF DATA

What residents believe is the main cause

of land pollution

7% A lack of disposal bins

23%
Ignorance

70% The common person is

uninfromed of the consequences

Figure 1 Showing what residents believe is the main cause of land pollution

What residents believe is the main cause of water pollution in their area

Options Number of responses by residents

Garbage dumping 28 residents (93%)

Sewage spills 2 residents (7%)

Figure 2 Showing what residents believe is the main cause of water pollution in their area

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 How water pollution has mainly affected residents of the
community

THE CONTRACTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES 3

Options

LOSS OF CROPS 7

FLOODING 20

0 5 10 15 20 25

Number of responses by residents

Responses

Figure 3 Showing how water pollution has mainly affected residents of the community

Key

= One response from a resident

How often the residents believe flooding occurs in the area

Never
Options

Rarely

Very often

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Responses

Figure 4 Showing how often the residents say flooding occurs in their area

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 What the residents believe is the best way they can
NUMBER OF RESPONSES BY RESIDENTS raise awareness
20

15 16

10
9

5 5

0
Word of mouth awareness Flyers Occasional Community meetings
OPTIONS

Responses

Figure 5 Showing what the residents believe is the best way they can raise awareness

What residents believe the government can

NUMBER OF RESPONSES BY RESIDENTS

implement to alleviate flooding in Trinidad and

Tobago
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Host events to spread awareness Enforce anti-pollution laws that Incresasing the amont of waste
of the issue are already in place disposal bins as well as recycling
bins in residential areas
Options

Responses

Figure 6 Showing what residents believe the government can implement to alleviate flooding in

Trinidad and Tobago

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 ANALYSIS OF DATA

Question 9 deals with the main causes of land pollution in the community. The data insinuates

that citizens feel as though the government has made little to no attempts in trying to prevent

flooding in the community. Question 12 deals with the main causes of water pollution. Residents

believed it to be garbage dumping because members of the area have experienced other members

of the community dumping garbage. The low availability of disposal bins has resulted in this

unanimous decision. As seen in question 2 of the questionnaire, residents think others in the area

are not concerned about pollution.

Question 8 relates to how water pollution has affected residents personally. Most residents said

flooding. This was the main result that affected most residents which contributes to the loss of

crops. Also, when flooding affected their household, the pathogens and germs present made

residents ill. As seen in question 17. 70% of residents strongly agree that there are not enough

restrictions in place to prevent pollution in the area. Question 18 deals with the frequency of

flooding in the area. It has been proven by question 8 that flooding affects the residents very

heavily which accounts for the frequent occurrences. The residents that are not affected live on

high relief areas and are not located near the source which is the river.

Question 15 deals with the awareness of pollution by the residents. More than half of the

residents said occasional community meetings. Using this method, the community can be

directly informed about the problem at hand and think of solutions.

Question 16 deals with the main prevention methods that the government can implement. 50%

believe the government should host events to spread awareness of the issue. Similarly, as seen in

question 15 the same goal would be achieved. This will inform many members of the

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community. 40% believe in increasing the amount of waste disposal bins as well as recycling

bins in residential areas. A majority of people believe this as seen in question 9 which proved

that there is a lack of disposal bins in the community.

A major factor causing flooding in this area is the lack of attention from government officials

which resulted in limited facilities to dispose of waste and the failure to bring awareness to the

issue. Due to the high frequency of flooding, there is a higher chance of residents contracting

diseases due to the pathogens and germs present in the contaminated water. The livelihoods of

residents who depend on agriculture for income as well as for food have been compromised by

erosion and soil displacement caused by flooding. Residents believe they can organize meetings

to enlighten other members of the community about the problem.

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 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

According to (Rogers, 2021),“When rain occurs, the water flows over these surfaces increases

and builds momentum due to the lack of resistance and absorption by plants.” Similarly, in our

study, large amounts of garbage dumping into the nearby river caused the water levels to

increase and also when there is heavy rainfall due to the paved roads there isn’t enough soil to

absorb the water. Due to the flood water being mixed in with litter on the ground due to a lack of

disposal bins, it was contaminated which causes residents of the community to be infected by

pathogens and other diseases. The primary research of the researchers agrees with the secondary

research done.

Flooding is a major problem as it occurs very often in this area. According to the (Agency,

2001), “Flooding in both urban and rural areas in Trinidad and Tobago is a frequent occurrence,

leading to substantial losses of property, crop damage, health problems and severe inconvenience

of whole communities.” Residents such as farmers are affected more so than others as they make

a living selling crops. Due to the frequent flooding, the crops are destroyed. The primary

research of the researchers agrees with the secondary research done.

According to (Sutrisno, 2017), “The legal culture of society has an important role in

understanding the law enforcement process, including in the handling and management of

household waste problems.” The secondary resources found that the best way to alleviate the

problem is to enforce laws which prevent the improper disposal of garbage. On the other hand,

the researchers found that 53.3% of the residents believe that occasional community meeting can

raise awareness the best and they also found that the community believes that the best thing the

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government can do to raise awareness is to host events. The primary resources found by the

researchers disagrees with the secondary resources found.

Significance for research and policy

This research is worthy of attention because it highlights the causes of flooding and the effects

that come with it. It also gives information on how flooding can be prevented and also ease the

problem faced by the community. This information is useful to government agencies who aim to

tackle the problem of flooding.

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 CONCLUSION

It is concluded that flooding is a major issue in Reform Village and government officials should

be contacted and informed of the problem and take greater interest in alleviating it. This issue is

caused by the dumping of large amounts of waste into the nearby river.

Limitations

Many residents of Reform Village did not have access to consistent internet. This meant that

many residents of the community were not able to access the online questionnaire or respond to

it. Some residents may not have answered truthfully because the responses were anonymous.

There was little to no rainfall experienced during this season which means the problem of

flooding would not be fresh in the residents’ minds which creates altered results.

Recommendations

Grants should be given by the government to households which have been affected by the

problem of flooding. The representative in parliament for this constituency should be contacted

and informed of the situation occurring in this community. If a resident is caught polluting the

nearby river, there should be a fine in place as a penalty for doing so.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOK

Mohammed, J. (2015). Caribbean Studies For Cape Examination. London: A Division of

Macmillan Publishers Limited .

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Abdul Christopher Ileanwa, E. M. (2020). Impact of Land Pollution on The Wellbeing of

Neighbourhoods in Minna, Nigeria. Central Asian Journal of Environmental Science and

Technology Innovation 3, 7.

Chaudhry, M. a. (2017). Factors Affecting Water Pollution: A Review. Journal of Ecosystem &

Ecography, 3.

Hooper, M. (2021, January 12). Primary Sources: Definition & Examples. Retrieved from

libguides.apsu.edu: https://libguides.apsu.edu/primary_sources

NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY. (2021, March 3rd). Research Process. Retrieved

from ncu.libguides.com: https://ncu.libguides.com/researchprocess/primaryandsecondary

Peng, Y. (2017). Study on Sources, Causes and Countermeasures of Water Pollution in Rural

Areas of Guangxi in China. An International Quarterly Scientific Journal, 6.

Rogers, C. D. (2021, Febuary 17). Natural Disaster Effects. Retrieved from sciencing.com:

https://sciencing.com/about-6399940-effect-water-pollution-land.html

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Sutrisno, E. (2017). THE STUDY OF RIVER POLLUTION RELATED TO DOMESTIC

WASTE IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF COMMUNITY LEGAL CULTURE. South East

Asia Journal of Contemporary Business, Economics and Law, Vol. 12, Issue 2 (April), 7.

Yang, T. (2020). Association between perceived environmental pollution and health among

urban and rural residents-a Chinese national study. BMC Public Health, 9.

REPORT

Agency, T. W. (2001). The Management of Watersheds and Coastal Areas in Trinidad and

Tobago. Port of Spain: The Water Resources Agency.

WEBSITE

Rogers, C. D. (2021, Febuary 17). Natural Disaster Effects. Retrieved from sciencing.com:

https://sciencing.com/about-6399940-effect-water-pollution-land.htm

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 Appendix 1

Cover letter to residents

Dear Respondents,

This survey is being carried out in Guaracara Tabaquite Road, Reform Village, to investigate the

topic of water pollution and its negative effects on the community of Guaracara Tabaquite Road,

Reform Village. This study is being conducted as part of an Internal Assessment for Caribbean

Studies for Asja Boys’ College San Fernando. Please answer the following questions honestly. It

is important to note that this is NOT a test and you are NOT required to write your names

anywhere. There are no right or wrong answers. Most questions can be answered by selecting the

appropriate options provided. Space is provided for those questions which may need a detailed

answer. Thank you in advance for your co-operation. The information received from this

questionnaire will not be publicized.

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 Appendix 2

Caribbean Studies IA Questionnaire

1)You have witnessed the act of littering before.

⃝ True

⃝ False

2) On a scale of 1 to 5 how concerned do you think the community is about pollution?

⃝1 ⃝2 ⃝3 ⃝4 ⃝5

3) Explain the experience you had with littering in your community?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

4) How often do you litter?

⃝ Very often ⃝ Often ⃝ Rarely ⃝ Very rarely ⃝ Never

5) Do you believe your community is effective at hindering pollution?

⃝ Very effective ⃝ Effective ⃝ Not effective

6) Explain how the drainage system in your community functions?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

7) Your household practices recycling. Do you agree with this statement?

⃝ Strongly agree ⃝ Agree ⃝ Neutral ⃝ Disagree ⃝ Strongly disagree

8) How has water pollution mainly affected you personally?

⃝ Flooding ⃝ Loss of crops ⃝ The contraction of infectious diseases

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9)What do you believe to be the main cause of land pollution in your community?

⃝ A lack of disposal bins ⃝ Ignorance ⃝ The common person is uninformed of the

consequences ⃝ Poor road design ⃝ Poor drainage

10)How much households around you are affected by water pollution?

⃝ 1-4 ⃝ 5-10 ⃝ 11- 15

11)Explain your personal experience of being flooded if you have ever been?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

12)What is the main cause of water pollution?

⃝ Oil spillage ⃝ Garbage Dumping ⃝ Sewage Spills

13) How often do you see litter on the ground in your community?

⃝ Very often ⃝ Occasionally ⃝ Very rarely

14) How may recycle bins are there in your area?

⃝ 1-2 ⃝ 3-4 ⃝ 5-6

15) What can your community do to raise awareness to prevent the pollution of the river?

⃝ Word of mouth awareness

⃝ Flyers

⃝ Occasional community meetings

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16) What do you think the main prevention method the government can implement that will ease
the level of water pollution that is present in Trinidad and Tobago?

⃝ Host events to spread awareness of the issue

⃝ Enforce anti-pollution laws that are already in place

⃝ Increasing the amount of waste disposal bin as well as recycling bins in residential areas

17) There are not enough restrictions in place to prevent the pollution of the Guaracara river. Do
you agree with this statement?

⃝ Strongly agree

⃝ Agree

⃝ Neutral

⃝ Disagree

⃝ Strongly Disagree

18) How often does flooding occur in your area?

⃝ Very often

⃝ Rarely

⃝ Never

19) How often is garbage collected in your area?

⃝ 3 times a week

⃝ 2 times a week

⃝ 1 time a week

20) What is done with uncollected garbage?

⃝ It is burnt

⃝ It is buried

⃝ It is disposed of in the river

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