MALAYSIA: FLOODS

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia,

USA USA 

MALAYSIA: KUALA LUMPUR IS THE FEDERAL CAPITAL

MALAYSIA

• Population: 23,522,482 • Area: 329,750 km2 • Coastline: 4675 km • GDP: $207.8 billion • GDP Per Capita: $9,000

WESTERN MALAYSIA, WHERE KUALA LAMPUR IS LOCATED, IS AT GREATER

RISK FROM NATURAL HAZARDS THAN EASTERN

MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR

KUALA LUMPUR AND PUTRAJAVA

• Kuala Lumpur is the cultural, financial, and economic center of Malaysia, and also the seat of Malaysia’s Parliament and the official residence of the King.

• Putrajava is the location of the executive and judicial branches of the federal government, which were relocated from Kuala Lumpur in 1999.

KUALA LUMPUR• The city covers an area of 243 km2

(94 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2010.

• Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, was an urban agglomeration of 6.9 million in 2010 and one of the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Malaysia.

Floods and landslides from cyclones are the primary hazards

affecting Malaysia. Effects from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are usually

from distant sources. Droughts also occur.

MALAYSIA’S PRIMARY NATURAL HAZARDS

• CYCLONES• FLOODS

(especially during cyclone season)

• LANDSLIDES (TRIGGERED BY TOO MUCH RAIN OR EARTHQUAKE GROUND SHAKING )

WIND AND WATER PENETRATE BUILDING ENVELOPE

CYCLONES

UPLIFT OF ROOF SYSTEM

FLYING DEBRIS PENETRATES WINDOWS

STORM SURGE

HEAVY PRECIPITATION IN A SHORT TIME

FLASH FLOODING (MUDFLOWS)

LANDSLIDES (MUDFLOWS)

CAUSES OF RISK

GLOBALDISASTER

LABORATORIES

LOSS OF FUNCTION OF STRUCTURES IN FLOODPLAIN

FLOODS

INUNDATION

INTERACTION WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

STRUCTURAL/CONTENTS DAMAGE FROM WATER

WATER BORNE DISEASES (HEALTH PROBLEMS)

EROSION AND MUDFLOWS

CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATER

CAUSES OF RISK

FLOOD DISASTER LABORATORIES

SITING AND BUILDING ON UNSTABLE SLOPES

LANDSLIDES

SOIL AND ROCK SUCEPTIBLE TO FALLS

SOIL AND ROCK SUCEPTIBLE TO TOPPLES

SOIL AND ROCK SUCEPTIBLE TO LATERAL SPREADS

SOIL AND ROCK SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLOWS

PRECIPITATION THAT TRIGGERS SLOPE FAILURE SHAKINGGROUND SHAKING THAT

TRIGGERS SLOPE FAILURE

CAUSES OF DAMAGE

GLOBAL DISASTER LABORATORIES

MALAYSIA: FLOODING IN 2014

MALAYSIA: FLOODING IN 2014

MALAYSIA: FLOODING IN 2014

TOWARDS DISASTER RESILIENCE

IN MALAYSIA A Paradigm Shift

From Disaster Proneness Will Improve the Quality of Life in Malaysia

CONTINUATION OF THE STATUS QUO WHEN MALAYSIA IS AT RISK

AND DISASTER PRONE - - -

Will result in new and more complex HEALTH PROBLEMS

WILL result in unnecessary DEATHS AND INJURIES

WILL result in longer and more costly RECOVERY and RECONSTRUCTION

TOWARDS FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT

AND RISK REDUCTION

Officials: We have to stop flood disasters from happening again

GOAL: MINIMIZE THE “DOMINO EFECTS” OF THE NEXT DISASTER

PHYSICALPHYSICAL

EFFECTSEFFECTS

ELEMENTS OF RISKELEMENTS OF RISK

EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY LOCATIONLOCATION

RISKRISK

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF FLOODS

INUNDATION, HIGH-VELOCITY FLOW, HIGH-VOLUME DISCHARGE, EROSION, AND SCOUR

DAMAGE FROM DAMAGE FROM INUNCATIONINUNCATION

AN ASSESSMENT INTEGRATES PHYSICAL EFFECTS AN ASSESSMENT INTEGRATES PHYSICAL EFFECTS AND SOCIETAL IMPACTS TO DETERMINE RISKAND SOCIETAL IMPACTS TO DETERMINE RISK

EROSION, SCOUR, AND EROSION, SCOUR, AND LANDSLIDESLANDSLIDES

LOSS OF LOSS OF FUNCTIONFUNCTION ECONOMIC LOSSECONOMIC LOSS

RISKRISK

TYPICAL IMPACTS OF FLOODS

DAMAGE TO CONTENTS, LOSS OF FUNCTION OF BUILDINGS AND

INFRASTRUCTURE, RELEASE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS,

TRANSPORTATION OF DEBRIS, AUTOS, AND HOUSES, ENVIRONMENTAL DEAD ZONES,

AND DISEASE VECTORS

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR

FLOODS

Vulnerability: A Vital Part of Risk AssessmentVulnerability: A Vital Part of Risk Assessment

FLOOD FLOOD HAZARDSHAZARDS

EVENTEVENT

VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY

PEOPLESTRUCTURESPROPERTYENVIRONMENTINFRASTRUCTURE

EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

EXPECTED EXPECTED LOSSLOSS

WHAT INCREASES VULNERABILITY

MANKIND’S ACTIONS AND NATURAL EVENTS CAN CHANGE THE

VULNERABILITY OF ELEMENTS AT RISK TO FLOODS

An element’s vulnerability (fragility) is the result of a

community’s actions or nature’s actions that change some part of

the regional water cycle (e.g., precipitation, storage, runoff, transpiration, evaporation).

MANKIND’S CONTRIBUTION

An element’s vulnerability (fragility) is the result of flaws that enter during the planning, siting, design, and construction

of a community’s buildings and infrastructure.

ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE KEY PARTS OF THE WATER CYCLE

• Urban development or industrial development in areas that were formerly wetlands.

• Locating buildings and infrastructure in a river floodplain.

MANKIND’S ACTIONS THAT CHANGE SOME PART OF THE WATER CYCLE

• Actions that increase or decrease river gradients (deforestation, dams, etc).

• Actions that change the runoff pattern or rate (e.g., the city’s concrete footprint)

NATURE’S ACTIONS THAT CAN CHANGE THE NORMAL WATER CYCLE

• A flash flood.• Ice jams/ice dams on the river• Rapid melt of snow and ice• Extreme or prolonged

precipitation caused by stalled low-pressure systems.

LOSS OF FUNCTION OF STRUCTURES IN FLOODPLAIN

FLOODS

INUNDATION

INTERACTION WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

STRUCTURE & CONTENTS: DAMAGE FROM WATER

WATER BORNE DISEASES (HEALTH PROBLEMS)

EROSION AND MUDFLOWS

CONTAMINATION OF GROUND WATER

CAUSES OF RISK

DISASTER LABORATORIES

A RISK ASSESSMENT

• A risk assessment involves the probabilistic integration of:

• The hazard (e.g., floods) and their potential disaster agents (inundation, erosion, etc) that are directly related to the location of the community and what happens in the regional water cycle.

RISK ASSESSMENT (Continued)

• The location of each element of the exposure in relation to the physical demands of the hazard (i.e., inundation, etc.)

RISK ASSESSMENT (Continued)

• The exposure (e.g., people, and elements of the community’s built environment), represents the potential loss when the natural hazard occurs.

RISK ASSESSMENT (Continued)

• The vulnerability (or fragility) of each element comprising the exposure when subjected to the potential disaster agents.

POLICY POLICY ADOPTIONADOPTION

RISK ASSESSMENT

• VULNERABILITYVULNERABILITY

• EXPOSUREEXPOSURE

• EVENTEVENT

POLICY ASSESSMENT

• COSTCOST

• BENEFITBENEFIT

•CONSEQUENCESCONSEQUENCES

FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT LEADS TO FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT LEADS TO DISASTER-RISK REDUCTIONDISASTER-RISK REDUCTION

FLOODSFLOODS EXPECTED EXPECTED LOSSLOSS

REQUIRED INFORMATION

• Physical characteristics of the regional drainage system.

• Physical characteristics of each river system and its floodplain.

• Physical characteristics of the regional water cycle.

REQUIRED INFORMATION

• Physical characteristics of catchment basins, reservoirs, and wetlands in the region.

• Physical characteristics of dikes, levees, and dams controlling water discharge and flooding in the region.

REQUIRED INFORMATION

• The hazardous materials located in the floodplain.

DISASTER-RISK REDUCTION POLICES FOR FLOODS

MITIGATION, PREVENTION, PREPAREDNESS, FORECASTS AND

WARNING, EVACUATION, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, RECOVERY AND

RECONSTRUCTION, AND EDUCATIONAL SURGES

MITIGATION

SANDBAGS, ELEVATED BUILDINGS, ETC

PREVENTIONDAMS, STORM BARRIERS, LEVEES, SPILLWAYS, CATCHMENT BASINS,

RESERVOIRS, WETLANDS, ETC

MALAYSIA’S SECONDARY NATURAL HAZARDS

• EARTHQUAKES and VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS (usually from sources outside the country; i.e., Indonesia, not inside)

INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO HORIZONTAL GROUND SHAKING

EARTHQUAKES

SOIL AMPLIFICATION

PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT (SURFACE FAULTING & GROUND

FAILURE)

IRREGULARITIES IN ELEVATION AND PLAN

FIRE FOLLOWING RUPTURE OF UTILITIES

LACK OF DETAILING AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

INATTENTION TO NON-STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

CAUSES OF DAMAGE

GLOBAL “DISASTER

LABORATORIES”

LATERAL BLAST

VOLCANICERUPTIONS

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS

FLYING DEBRIS

VOLCANIC ASH

LAVA FLOWS

LAHARS

TOXIC GASES

CAUSES OF RISK

DISASTER LABORATORIES

A PARADIGM SHIFT TOWARDS DISASTER RESILIENCE IN

MALAYSIA - - -

Will result in fewer and less complex HEALTH PROBLEMSWILL result in fewer

DEATHS AND INJURIESWILL result in shorter and less costly RECOVERY and RECONSTRUCTION

A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM DISASTER PRONENESS TOWARDS DISASTER

RESILIENCE IS

A THREE STEP PROCESS

TOWARDS DISASTER RESILIENCE IN MALAYSIA

• Step 1: Integrate Past Experiences Into Books of Knowledge

• Step 2: From Books of Knowledge to Innovative Educational Surges to Build Professional and Technical Capacity

• Step 3: From Professional and Technical Capacity to National Disaster Resilience

Step 1: Integrate Past Experiences Into Books of

Knowledge NOTE: A book of Knowledge is

everything we know or think we know about Malaysia’s risk-causing

hazards

BOOK OFBOOK OF

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

- Perspectives

- Perspectives

On Science, Policy,

On Science, Policy, And Change

And Change

BOOKS OF KNOWLEDGE

Are “TOOLS” to facilitate a commitment by Malaysia to minimize

the likely impacts of the inevitable future cyclones, floods, landslides

earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and droughts, thereby anticipating and

preventing disasters

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

• Disaster resilience has become an urgent global goal in the 21st century as many Nations are experiencing disasters after a natural hazard strikes, and learning that their communities, institutions, and people do NOT yet have the capacity to be disaster resilient.   

Step 2: From Books of Knowledge to Innovative

Educational Surges to Build Professional and Technical

Capacity in Malaysia to Minimize Likely Impacts in the

Next Disaster

NOTE: Step 2 is a task for a Nation’s “Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine,” its

educational institutions at all levels, and its electronic and

print media that provide public information

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

• Disaster resilience does not just happen; it is the result of decision-making for a national paradigm shift from the status quo to an improved “coping capacity” that enables the country to recover quickly after a disaster.   

Step 3: From Professional and Technical Capacity to Science-based Decision-making for a

Paradigm Shift from the status quo to Disaster Resilience in

India

NOTE: Step 3 is a task for Malaysia’s “decision-makers,”

(i.e., its political leaders, stakeholders, and leading

professionals) who have a basis for deciding on the nature and scope of a

national paradigm shift

LIVING WITH NATURAL HAZARDSLIVING WITH NATURAL HAZARDS

INCREASED DEMANDS INCREASED DEMANDS ON COMMUNITYON COMMUNITY

A DISASTER:A DISASTER:

INSUFFICIENT INSUFFICIENT CAPABILITIES OF CAPABILITIES OF

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

LIVING WITH NATURAL HAZARDSLIVING WITH NATURAL HAZARDS

DEMANDS ON DEMANDS ON COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

MINIMIZE IMPACTS OF FUTURE MINIMIZE IMPACTS OF FUTURE OCCURRENCES:OCCURRENCES:

CAPABILITIES OF CAPABILITIES OF COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

MALAYSIA’SMALAYSIA’S

COMMUNITIESCOMMUNITIESDATA BASES DATA BASES AND INFORMATIONAND INFORMATION

HAZARDS: GROUND SHAKING GROUND FAILURE SURFACE FAULTING TECTONIC DEFORMATION TSUNAMI RUN UP AFTERSHOCKS

•NATURAL HAZARDS MAPS•INVENTORY•VULNERABILITY•LOCATION

RISK ASSESSMENTRISK ASSESSMENT

RISK

ACCEPTABLE RISK

UNACCEPTABLE RISK

A PARADIGM SHIFTA PARADIGM SHIFT IN MALAYSIAIN MALAYSIA

•PREPAREDNESS•PROTECTION/PREVENTION•EARLY WARNING•EMERGENCY RESPONSE•RECOVERY/RECONSTRUCT.

POLICY OPTIONSPOLICY OPTIONS