Flooding in Malaysia

Flooding has been a major problem in Malaysia and every year the local newspapers have been religiously publishing articles and what the government intends to do about it.

We may have some measure of successes in the past, but we are really beyond having any clear cut solution for the near future disaster that will come as a result of global warming and other environmental issues. Warmer temperatures are going to increase the energy of the climatic system and will definitely lead to more intense rainfall. The melting of polar ice caps (just look at the breaking of the Ice Caps at the Antartica - it is scary) also increases sea levels. This is causing extreme flooding in coastal areas and river estuaries. We in the tropics are not immune. Development in some floodplain areas also increases the risk of flooding. The damage will no longer reversible.









Some local councils lament that people and the residents in flood prone zones have not done enough to alleviate this problem but really is it a man on the street problem or is it the authorities' cue.

Given a choice, most people would not want to live in flooded areas. Of course, there are the exceptions where we hear of households profiting from the generousity of the welfare of the government and compassionate readers.

One of the ways that some councils have done in other countries is to improve their flood defences and to have a proper warning system. An automatic phone/communication system can be set up to warn people of an impending disaster that is about to or has occured. With our modern telecommunication infrastructure, there is no reason that warning cannot be issued to everyone in the paths of disaster.









Councils can engage consultants to draw up proper action plans for flood defences instead of reacting to it only after it happens. Previous data based on extrapolation of 100 year flood levels seems to fall way short of expectations in view of the floodings that have happened recently especially in the north of the Peninsular.

Federal or Central government can propose Flood Prevention Order for national policy instead of letting each state fend for itself.