CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE

SOCIAL STUDIES
SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

Candidate’s Names : Safeera Mohamed

: Chinthia Persaud

: Brianna Khan

: Amit Tekchand

: Eric Yang

: Jada Havercome

Candidate’s Number :

Name of School : St. Rose’s High School

Title of Project : An investigation to determine the effects of Land Pollution on the

residents of Vreed-en-Hoop

Territory : Guyana

Teacher’s Name : Ms. Gillion Pereira

Date of Submission :
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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statement of problem……………………………………………………………………………...4
Reason for selecting area of research…………………………………………………………......5
Method of Investigation………………………………………………………………………......6
Data Collection Instrument……………………………………………………………………….7
Procedure for Data collection……………………………………………………………………..8
Presentation of Data……………………………………………………………………………...10

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

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What are the causes, consequences and possible solution of land pollution in the community of
Vreed-En-Hoop?

REASON FOR SELECTING AREA OF RESEARCH

The area under investigation is Vreed-En-Hoop, a community which is at the mouth of THE
Demerara River on the West Bank, in the Essequibo Islands- West Demerara region of Guyana.
This community has an approximate population of 3000 residents. The research selected this area
of study because they are acquainted with the community for over a decade and has noticed over
the years, various forms of pollution with land pollution being the most concerning. Land
pollution is prevalent due to the continuous dumping of non-biodegradable materials by residents
of the community as well as other persons who visit the community and neighborhood. The

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researcher saw the need to investigate this issue since the relevant authorities and persons in the
community were unconcerned. The aim of this study is to investigate the factors that contribute
to the increase in Land pollution in the community of Vreed-En-Hoop. Furthermore, this study
will also state methods that can be implemented to mitigate the issue of Land Pollution.

METHOD OF INVESTIGATION
In order to collect information about this problem, the researcher decides to use this
questionnaire method. This method was chosen because it allows for data to be collected from a
large number of persons in a short amount of time, gives people time to think before they write
their answers, reduces interviewing bias as respondents are not influenced by the researcher and
promotes confidentiality. This questionnaire will be investigating the issues leading to land
pollution in the community of Vreed-En-Hoop.

Questionnaire
Gathering useful information from respondents is the primary purpose of a questionnaire. It is a
research tool that includes a series of questions, offering two advantages in terms of data
collection. Firstly, it allows for both quantitative and qualitative data. Secondly, it is cost-
effective, as using Google Forms eliminates the need for printing and allows for easy sharing via
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WhatsApp.

Random Sampling
To make assumptions about a population, one can use random sampling, which involves
selecting a sample of observations from the population. Two key benefits of random sampling
are that it provides an equal chance of selection and enables findings to be applied to the entire
population base.

Literature Review
Conducting a literature review involves searching and evaluating the existing literature related to
a particular subject or topic area. This process helps to document the current state of knowledge
on the subject, and has two main advantages. Firstly, it allows for synthesis of information and
drawing of conclusions about the topic. Secondly, it aids in gaining familiarity with the existing
body of knowledge on the topic.

DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

23rd May 2023

Dear Respondent, the researchers have prepared a survey which is being carried out in the
community of Vreed-en-Hoop, to find out the level of land pollution within this area. This
survey is being conducted as an assignment for our social studies School Based Assessment
(SBA). Please answer the questions as honestly as possible. There are no wrong or right answers,
all the questions can be answered by a simple tick in the box or writing in the lines where
necessary. Thank you for your assistance. All information will be kept confidential.

Yours truly,
Safeera Mohamed
Chinthia Persaud

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 Brianna Khan
Amit Tekchand
Eric Yang
Jada Havercome

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What is your gender?

Male Female

2. What is your age range?

15-20 21-26
27-31 32 and above

3. Are you a resident of the community, Vreed-En-Hoop?

Yes No

4. How long have you been a resident of Vreed-en-Hoop?

_________________________________________________

5. Are you affected by land pollution?

Yes No

6. What form of land pollution are you affected by?

Solid waste
Deforestation
Pesticides and fertilizers

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Other__________________

7. What are the major contributors of land pollution in your community?

Home
Factories
Construction
Agriculture

8. How does land pollution affect your community and residents?

Contaminated of waterways
Polluted soil
Increase in human health issues
Other_______________________

9. How regular have you been disturbed by land pollution?

Daily
Weekly
Once a fort night
Monthly

10. What are some solutions/prevention methods that can help to stop/reduce land pollution?
Use of manure for agriculture
Creating awareness
Reuse materials
Other_____________________

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 PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION
A total of 25 questionnaires were distributed to various residents in the community of Vreed-en-
Hoop. The questionnaires were distributed on the 11th of November, 2023and a period of 48
hours was given to complete the questionnaires, hence the questionnaires were collected on the
13th November, 2023.The questionnaires were distributed using random sampling method, and
that is, 30 residents from different lots living in the community of Vreed-en-Hoop were selected
randomly and given questionnaires to answer. A total of 25 questionnaires were collected from
the respondents.

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 PRESENTATION OF DATA

BAR GRAPH SHOWING THE FORMS OF LAND POLLUTION

MOST PROMINENT IN
VREED-EN-HOOP

Other 4%

Pesticides and Fertilisers 9%

Deforestation 13%

Solid Waste 91%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

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 Figure 1: Forms of Land Pollution most prominent in the Community of Vreed-en-Hoop

According to the bar graph displayed above, 91.3% of the 27 respondents in Vreed-en-Hoop
believe that solid waste is the most prominent form of land pollution. 8.7% of the respondents
agreed that pesticides and fertilizers are the most prominent, while 13% agreed that deforestation
is the most common. Only 4.3% of the respondents agreed that other forms of land pollution are
most prominent.

PIE CHART SHOWING THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS OF

LAND POLLUTION IN
VREED-EN-HOOP

Construction
29%

Home
50%

Factories
9%

Agriculture
12%

Construction Factories Agriculture Home

Figure 2: Major Contributors of Land Pollution in Vreed-en-Hoop

Displayed in the pie chart above are the main factors responsible for land pollution in Vreed-en-
Hoop. Out of a total of 24 individuals, it can be seen that 50% of them identified home as the

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primary contributor to land pollution, 29% of them attributed the cause to construction, 12% of
them pointed at agriculture, and 9% of them agreed that factories are the main culprits.

BAR GRAPH SHOWING HOW THE POPULATION IS

AFFECTED BY THE EFFECTS OF LAND POLLUTION IN
VREED-EN-HOOP

Increase in Human health issues 32.4%

Polluted soil 16.2%

Contamination of waterways 51.4%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

Figure 3: Effects of Land Pollution in Vreed-en-Hoop

According to the pie chart presented above, there are four major contributors to land pollution in
Vreed-en-Hoop. Out of the total of 24 persons, 50% of them identified home as the primary
source of pollution, while 29% identified construction, 12% identified agriculture, and 9%
identified factories.

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 PIE CHART SHOWING HOW REGULAR RESIDENTS OF
VREED-EN-HOOP ARE AFFECTED BY LAND POLLU-
TION

21% 21%

4%

54%

Daily Weekly Once a fort night Monthly

Figure 4: How regular Residents of Vreed-en-Hoop are affected by Land Pollution

The data presented in the pie chart pertains to the impact of land pollution on regular residents in
Vreed-en-Hoop. Out of a total of 24 individuals, 54% are affected on a weekly basis, 21% are
affected daily, 21% are affected monthly, and 4% experience the negative effects once every
fortnight.

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 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Figure 1 depicts the forms of Land Pollution most prominent in the community of Vreed-en-
Hoop. It can be seen that out of 25 residents in Vreed-en-Hoop, 23 residents agreed that solid
waste is the most prominent form of Land Pollution.

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