| Aggressive invasion of floating water hyacinth has always been a big problem in Tropical countries, including Thailand. The ever growing amount of water hyacinth has polluted and block the flow of water in many rivers. A current solution for this problem is removal of water hyacinth from the rivers which basically harvest the plants from the rivers and dispose them someplace else. As stated, they are just plain and temporarily solutions, so such a problem still persists as time passes. My idea is to make use of what is so called "natural waste" and turn them into marketable goods which could yield income for local villages in Thailand. Water hyacinth is known for its elastic yet tough property which could be turned into green fibers for handicrafts and artifacts, either by the water hyacinth itself or the combination with other materials. My goal is to encourage Thai local villages who have different skill sets and spare time to get together and create something valuable from such material. And design could play an important role to make that "something" special so it would stand out of the crowd. This project is conducted through collaboration with Ban-Aoy handicraft group in Thailand. I believe that a combination of my research and their local wisdom could yield something significant. Not only that I will improve the design and aesthetic of current products made from water hyacinth, but I will also develop new ways of using the natural fiber to create brand new products as well. |
