Proposed Framework for the Flood Disaster Management Cycle in Malaysia

Abstract

Floods have been reported to be an important disaster in any country and Malaysia has faced similar disasters in the past, resulting in disturbance in daily community routine issues, financial losses, infrastructure damage including railway tracks, bridges, roads, vehicles, properties, and the worst is the loss of lives. The Sarawak region of Malaysia also witnesses yearly disasters in rainy seasons. The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible challenges to manage the flood disaster in Sarawak and to identify the possible solutions to manage floods. In this research, secondary data was used for qualitative assessment. The newspaper articles were collected from the year 2015 until 2019. Targeted interviews were conducted with experts working in flood management disaster schemes to rank and validate the most important factors after content analysis from the past news reports. It is concluded that poor drainage systems, rapid development, heavy rainfall, lack of public awareness, and lack of coordination in executing the disaster management cycle among agencies are the key challenges. Thus, it is recommended that the drainage systems should be upgraded in the case study area. Proper flood management schemes should be planned and flood forecasting should be strengthened. An effective early flood warning system should be designed to activate the plans and a proper public awareness campaign should be initiated to educate and train the local community to deal with such disasters. It is also suggested to assure and maintain proper collaboration among different agencies during such disasters. In the last phase, this paper also proposes a framework for future flood disaster management. The framework will assist the stakeholders to make informed decisions to save human lives and substantial financial losses. The framework can also be used in similar terrain countries.