Environment 01 report

50 Excellent Personal Projects
A Work of Art Portraying the Environmental Problems Facing Bangkok

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2009


Aman Agarwal Personal Statement Personal Project

Table of Contents

Introduction Pg 3

The Process Pg 4

Research and Sources Pg 6

Area of Interaction Pg 8

Conclusion Pg 9

Bibliography Pg 11

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Introduction

The goal of my personal project is to investigate the various environmental problems that Bangkok faces
and to create awareness of these problems. Environmental problems have become a major issue in
today’s world, especially where global warming is concerned. The importance of taking action in order
to resolve this issue, as well as my personal interest in the environment that I am living in today, drove
me to choose this personal project. Furthermore, as the final product will be a piece of visual art, I will
get a chance to use and enhance my artistic skills.

In order to achieve this goal, I will firstly have to conduct intensive research. I will require information of
the different environmental problems in Bangkok, the causes of these problems, and where in Bangkok
are they most prominent. I will also need to research whether there are any existing materials used to
create the awareness of these problems as well as different techniques of raising awareness. I will find
this information using the internet as well as by visiting organizations that deal with this issue. I will also
visit the areas where pollution is most prominent to take photographs that will help me in the designing
and creation stage. Once my research is complete I will move onto designing. I will make several feasible
designs and then chose the best one. Next, I will gather the materials needed to create the painting such
as paints and an easel and I will begin the creation. These steps are going to be recorded in my Process
Journal in addition to the details concerning the challenges I will face during the process and how I
overcame them.

Clearly, the central AOI for my personal project is the Environment. This is because I will be conducting
thorough research of how the environment in Bangkok is being impacted. In addition, I will be looking at
the causes and the effects of these issues and the steps people have taken in trying to solve them. It is
evident that my entire project lies within the Environment AOI. Creating a painting relates to
Homofaber, however, as the basis of the work and research that leads to the product will be entirely
based on the Environment, and would suit the environment AOI best.

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The Process

Throughout the process I followed the steps of the design cycle: investigate, design, plan, create, and
evaluate.  I began by brainstorming possible ideas for my personal project and I came up with a number
of interesting, feasible ideas. The idea concerning investigating the environmental issues in Bangkok
appealed to me the most, and I was sure that it would hold my interest as it concerned the community I
live in. Since my final product was going to be an artistic presentation, I decided that following the
design cycle chronologically was most sensible.

Firstly, I came up with a range of guiding questions that I aimed to answer through this investigation.
Using these guiding questions and considering the amount of time that would be needed to complete
the different stages of the cycle, I created a timeline for myself to follow. Its purpose was to keep me
focused and aware of what I am doing, and to assure that I would not leave the work till the last minute.
The timeline was well detailed, describing exactly what had to be done at each stage of the design cycle
and the amount of time I have to do so.

Secondly, I began my investigation keeping in mind the guiding questions. I started by researching the
environmental problems that are facing the world in general, and gradually narrowed my search down
to Bangkok.  This gave me an idea of how Bangkok stands with environmental problem when compared
to the rest of world. My main sources at this point were internet websites and I needed additional
sources. While exploring through web pages, I eventually came upon an organization located in Bangkok
called the ‘Pollution Control Department’. I became interested in this organization as it would likely be a
reliable source. I then found the contact information available on their homepage and contacted them.
They permitted me to visit their department and without further ado I was able to meet with the
experts in the field of pollution who explained to me the problems Bangkok is facing (see appendix A). It
was a enjoyable yet a highly educational experience that also led me to find out about another
organization known as the ONEP (Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning).
ONEP measures the various pollution levels in Bangkok, and works towards reducing them. I decided
that visiting this organization would benefit my investigation; however contacting it was a difficult
process.  Instead, I was provided with information about a lecture that was going to take place for
university students, which I thought would benefit my project. I attended this lecture and extracted a lot
of valuable information (see appendix B). I followed my timeline well and completed this part during the
summer vacation. The next part of my investigation included internet research on the questions
concerning awareness and existing products, as well as visiting places affected by pollution and taking
photographs (see appendix E). This process was very interesting as I learn a lot about my community,
and it led me to a complete and solid investigation.

Now that my investigation was complete, I began designing possible products bearing in mind the
photographs I had taken at the areas affected by pollution as well as the rest of my research. I drew and
annotated a few designs, discussing their focal points, what they were going to portray, the colors that
were going to be used and who they were aimed at. I also discussed advantages and disadvantages of
each design, which led me to choose one that I particularly liked, an oil painting of the streets of

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Bangkok. I found this design more appealing and effective than the others. I developed the chosen
design and added items such as a building under construction, litter along the streets, and pedestrians
ignoring the environment. I found my final design to be pleasing; however, I was disappointed that a
canal was not included in the image, as heavily polluted canals are one of the major environmental
problems in Bangkok. Realizing that not everything could be placed into the picture, l left out the canal
and stuck to the final design. (see appendix C)

After some planning steps I was going to complete my product, I began the creation stage. This was my
favorite stage, as I enjoy getting paint on my hands in the process of creating art. Due to my thorough
planning and the time I spent on designing, the product was not too difficult to create; it was however
extremely time consuming. To create my chosen scene I worked in layers, beginning with the
background, gradually getting to the foreground, and adding the details to enhance the effect of the
picture. I highlighted the pollution with dull colors to portray a realistic view of a polluted city. The aim
was to capture the attention of the viewers and to make them aware of the disintegrating environment.
I had originally planned to use the technique of perspective in my painting. However, once I started to
draw, I realized that some of the buildings and cars on the canvas were looking awkward and unnatural
drawn in perfect perspective. I therefore decided to change the composition of the picture, and not to
adhere to a formal perspective. After much consideration I decided to take liberty with the vanishing
point of the picture and arrange the roads to make them look more natural. While adding windows to
the buildings, I realized that such details were not important and that I should rather focus on the litter
along the streets. Therefore, I decided to stop painting windows, and leave the buildings blank. To add
to the dark and depressing mood of the painting I framed the canvas in black. This not only blended with
the colors in the painting, but also helped to convey the message of a polluted city. The creation stage
took longer than I had expected even though I followed my plan closely. (see appendix D)

5




Research and Sources

Some of my research was done on the internet, which allowed me to answer the majority of my guiding
questions that I had prepared at the beginning stages of my personal project. These guiding questions
included:

a) What are the different ways we, as humans, affect the environment?
b) What are the factors that are affecting Bangkok’s environment and are causing pollution?
c) What parts of Bangkok are most heavily polluted?
d) How can awareness of the current issue of pollution be raised?

Due to the fact that the information on several websites is not reliable, I made sure to use reliable
sources such as the websites of non‐governmental organizations, government agencies, universities and
news services. Some of these include the BBC, the United Nations University, the Pollution Control
Department (Thailand) and the Wall Street Journal. I made sure that these sources were recently
created or updated existing websites to ensure that the information was based on recent facts. A
problem that rose repeatedly in some of the websites was that the information given was too general
and was often unrelated to the topic I was researching, especially when environmental problems in
Thailand as a whole were addressed. Another problem was that some of the information was extremely
difficult to understand due to its highly technical language; however, with the help of a dictionary I was
able to extract and understand the important information from these websites. The main environmental
problems in Bangkok that I had extracted from these websites were; large construction projects,
pollution in the Chao Phraya River and the canals (khlongs), inappropriate sewage and waste disposal
and air pollution due to the large number of cars on the streets Bangkok. Furthermore, I was
disappointed that the few existing websites that focused on the environment and pollution within
Bangkok did not give specific locations within the city, but only mentioned general areas, which made
my onsite research and taking photographs very difficult

Much my research was also based on interviews with experts from environmentally focused
organizations. While browsing through websites, I found the contact addresses of two organizations
which turned out to be quite helpful. These are The Pollution Control Department (PCD) and The Office
of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP). After contacting the PCD, I visited
its headquarters in Bangkok, and discussed the issue of environmental problems in the city. The experts
there provided me with valuable information that greatly helped me in the process ahead. The
information was mainly based on the causes of the environmental problems in Bangkok which included;
pollution in the rivers and canals due to wastes and the release of substances from households, factories
and agriculture, air pollution due to small particles from construction projects and diesel engine cars,
noise pollution from heavy construction and vehicles, as well as untreated solid waste being placed in
landfills. Visiting these organizations was an interesting and education experience where I learnt a lot
more about the various environmental problems in Bangkok than I did from the internet. My contact at
ONEP sent me to a lecture on environmental issues in Bangkok, including pollution, given to university
students at the PCD headquarters (see appendix B). After the lecture I was given the opportunity to

6




interview the lecturer from whom I obtained valuable information, even though some of it was
information I had already received from my first visit to the PCD. I found both these sources to be
reliable as they are considered primary sources. These experts have been studying the environmental
problems of Bangkok for several years, and are more reliable than the sources from the internet, which
made the information in my personal project accurate and trustworthy.

While I was at the PCD, I was given two books with references to facts concerning environmental
problems. Both of these books were published by the Pollution Control Department and therefore they
serve as a reliable source from which I got most of my statistical information. These books consisted of
data tables that described the kind of pollution most prevalent in the different parts of Bangkok. The
fact that the exact locations were given, made enabled me to visit and photograph these places.

The last source I used was an article from The Wall Street Journal. While browsing through the
newspaper, I found a full page article referring to what it called “ghost” structures that haunt Bangkok’s
skylines. It discussed the abandoned construction sites in the city, calling them eyesores and citing their
exact locations, making them easy for me to visit and study them first hand. Seeing these sites
confirmed what I already knew that these structures are a major environmental hazard. (see appendix F)

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Area of Interaction
Environment
The subject of my research and personal project was the Environment. Focusing on the Environment I
was able to investigate the various environmental problems in Bangkok. I was always interested in the
Environment, an interest that allowed me to stay with my original choice of topic and stay through with
it to the end. Through my research I found out the importance of creating awareness concerning the
environmental problems and dealing with them before they are irreversible. The increasing amount of
pollution in Bangkok’s canals, the growing number of construction projects and licensed car registrations
can only add to the already existing environmental problems. To be able to take any action, the public
needs to be aware of these problems. I have tried with this project to create renewed awareness of
deteriorating health of Bangkok’s environment.

Having the environment as my central AOI helped me understand the impact that people and their
actions have on the environment and their consequences. We must realize that each individual is
responsible for the environment, and any action, such as throwing rubbish in the canals, can be
damaging to the environment greatly, and that one action leads to a chain of events. It is important that
people change their habits and take action against polluting the environment. Knowledge and
awareness of these issues in what takes to have people change their habits and start acting responsible
to the environment.

My personal project can be linked to various AOIs, one of them being Homofaber. This is expressed
through the oil painting that I have composed, drawn and painted on my own. All of the research and
content of the painting are based on the Environment AOI, but can also be linked to the Health and
Social AOI or that of Community and Service as I am trying to make a difference in my community and
the people surrounding me. Although my project can link to various Areas of Interaction, its focus is the
Environment AOI.

8




Conclusion and Evaluation

For the past ten months, I have been working on a project that I have constantly been interested in.
Completing this project has changed my views of the environment as well as myself. I have always
wanted to make a difference in my community as an individual; however I did not have the opportunity
to do so until now. Choosing the topic, “Investigating and creating awareness of the environmental
problems facing Bangkok” has given me an opportunity to succeed in my aim. Through the message that
has been portrayed in my painting, I hope that people realize and gain awareness of their actions that is
harming the environment of Bangkok. I believe that my aim in creating a painting to portray the
environmental problems has been achieved; however the aim of creating environmental awareness is
still pending as the painting has not yet been placed for public viewing. This could possibly be achieved
in the near future. I plan to display the painting in a public location, perhaps in school where many
children and adults could view it and hopefully be affected by it.

A valuable lesson that I learnt from this project is time management. Due to the fact that I did more
research than I had planned to do, the investigation stage of my product took longer than I had
expected, upsetting my project’s timeline. Initially, I had not planned to visit any organizations; however
after finding out about them while researching online I changed this decision, and visited the
organizations. It was time consuming to contact these organizations, setting dates and visiting them,
causing the second stage of my project to be postponed as were all the following stages. Consequently I
found myself rushing to complete the final product before its due date. Fortunately, I updated my plan
continuously, which led me to finish my project on time. I learnt from this project the importance of
time management, to be well organized, to plan ahead and to consider obstacles that may occur along
the way.

Reflecting on the central AOI, Environment, although my painting has yet to create environmental
awareness and impact our community, it has been an inspiring learning experience. All the sectors of
the Environment AOI have been focused on in this project, as I have thoroughly investigated the
environmental problems that Bangkok is currently facing. Hopefully, when the painting is displayed,
where the public will be affected, and be aware and take action to alleviate Bangkok’s environmental
problems.

Although I believe I succeeded in creating a product that will serve its purpose, there is always room for
improvement. If I had used my time wisely, I could have added more details to the painting, and include
additional scenarios. I miss not having a canal in my painting as it is an effective way to portray the
water pollution of Bangkok, however, lack of space dictated this decision. I could have also displayed
more traffic as the large number of vehicles is also a major problem in Bangkok.  Furthermore, I could
add more detail to the painting, such as windows in the buildings, more pedestrians ignoring the litter
and other details that make the city look more like Bangkok, such as electricity posts and street signs.

If I were to redo this project, I would have spent less time on the investigation stage, and extended the
amount of time spent on the planning and creation stage. I would do this by reducing the amount of

9




time spent on internet websites for research, as they were not as reliable as visiting the organizations or
the actual sites of pollution. By spending more time on my planning stage, I would have been able to
calculate the next step for each session, which would have kept me organized and helped me produce a
better product. By extending the time spent on creation, I would have been able to add all the details
mentioned in my suggestions for improvements. Furthermore, I would have tried to complete my
product earlier so that I would have had the chance to display it in school, and investigate its effect on
viewers through their comments.

As a subject that I value so much, I am glad to have an opportunity to produce an environmental artifact
that would impact my community. It has been a great learning experience for me, not only about the
various environmental problems in Bangkok, but also about the different methods of creating
awareness and of different painting techniques. I have also learnt much about time management and
planning, which are skills that will help me throughout life. I realized that it only take one person’s
initiative to make a difference. I can’t change people’s views, however, I can make them look at the
environmental issues from a new perspective.

Word count – 2998 words

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Thailand State of Pollution Report 2004. 2004 ed. Pollution Control Department.

Thailand State of Pollution Report 2003. 2003 ed. Pollution Control Department.

“The urbanization of Bangkok: Its prominence, problems, and prospects.” United Nations University.

June 2007 <http://www.unu.edu///ee/ee0z.htm>.

Water Pollution in Bangkok. Vol. 3. 2001. United Nations Environment Programme. Sept. 2007

<http://www.rrcap.unep.org///_water.pdf>.

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Appendix D: Creating

Photographs of me, in the
process of my painting. This
photograph was taken after
the background was
completed, and as can be seen,
the foreground is yet to be
painted

Appendix E: Photographs at the Sites

A photograph of the heavily polluted Chao A photograph of thick smoke being released
Phraya River from the exhaust pipe of a public bus.

A photograph of the heavily polluted khlong
A photograph of litter found along the streets (canal) besides the New International School
15
of Bangkok. of Thailand.




Photographs of large amounts of litter along the walk ways surrounding the khlongs (canals) of
Bangkok.

Appendix E: Eyesores

Photographs of eyesores
(abandoned construction sites)
found along the skyline of
Bangkok.

16


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