27-04-2025
Communities key to flood prevention
EMERITUS Professor Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah, a Universiti Malaya meteorology expert, said floods in Kuala Lumpur are unpredictable because the city is situated on a floodplain.
Climate change has rewritten the rules, too, with floods often striking without warning.
Flash floods now surge through cities and villages at any time, catching communities off guard and leaving destruction in their wake.
We need urgent flood mitigation strategies. We can't afford to wait for the next rainy season.
The recent flash floods in the Klang Valley hit Sungai Buloh, Puchong, Klang and Gombak.
They have once again exposed the urgent need for a more resilient and community-driven approach to flood mitigation.
Highways were paralysed, routines disrupted and critical infrastructure strained, highlighting the limitations of relying on conventional drainage systems and government-led responses.
While structural solutions like the expansion of retention ponds, reinforcement of riverbanks, and the construction of embankments along rivers are commendable, they must be accompanied by a robust and inclusive governance framework.
This is where the principles of Local Agenda 21 (LA21) become essential.
LA21 emphasises sustainable development at the local level through participation of stakeholders, especially local authorities and the community.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015 to 2030), endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, advocates for the active involvement of communities in disaster preparedness and mitigation.
Communities possess local knowledge, which includes understanding the behaviour of rivers, historical flood events and areas most at risk.
Flood-prone areas, including those in the Klang Valley, and more recently in Batu Pahat, require more than top-down engineering solutions.
They need grassroots engagement in the planning and maintenance of flood mitigation systems.
For example, in Batu Pahat, waterways like the main river in Parit Karjo, which drains into the sea in Pekan Senggarang, are filled with overgrown vegetation such as thick grass.
This might seem a minor issue but it drastically reduces water flow, exacerbating the risk of flooding.
If communities were more involved in maintenance and monitoring, such problems could be mitigated before they escalate into disasters.
Although examples of community participation in flood mitigation exist in Malaysia, these efforts need to be significantly strengthened.
One major challenge in community-based flood mitigation is limited public awareness of practical steps to reduce flood risks.
Furthermore, financial constraints pose a significant barrier.
These challenges highlight the need for increased investment in education, resources and capacity-building.
Participatory budgeting would allow residents to prioritise flood mitigation projects based on local needs, enhancing transparency and engagement.
Thus, strengthening disaster mitigation and prevention is not solely the job of government agencies or engineers.
It is a shared responsibility that must be rooted in community participation, inter-agency collaboration and long-term sustainability planning as promoted by Local Agenda 21.
Only through such an inclusive and integrated approach can we hope to protect lives, infrastructure and livelihoods from the devastating impacts of floods.
