PETALING JAYA: Local authorities (PBT) should prioritise water flow management in sustainable urban development planning to reduce the risk of flash floods, especially in densely populated urban areas, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
He said that effective water flow management is crucial given the impact of climate change, which has led to increased rainfall and consequently, flood incidents.
“That is why planning is very important for us to approach in the context of sustainable development, looking not only at traffic flow, how pedestrian and vehicle mobility works but also water flow and future energy needs.
“This will be one of the challenges. I hope each local authority will draft urban development plans within this comprehensive context; otherwise, towns may face floods if water flow is not managed effectively,“ he said.
He said this when opening the PBT Convention 2024 here today, which was also attended by Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Fadillah said that building sustainable or smart cities must include sustainable development tools in the planning for any location.
“How do we approach it from a holistic perspective, like in terms of energy supply? Is it sufficient, and how can we ensure that green energy is used to reduce carbon emissions?
“Secondly, with water supply, both in terms of supply to local residents and how we manage water to ensure used water is treated and reused, without disrupting the water flow and causing floods across the area,“ he said.
He said that apart from this, an intelligent transport system should also be considered to facilitate movement for residents around sustainable and smart city developments.
“That way, we can plan our journeys. If we take a bus, we know when it’s coming and when we’ll reach our destination.
“These are future challenges. If we don’t manage this, it will put pressure on people’s lives. Dealing with traffic congestion will certainly add stress, and one of our current challenges is addressing mental stress among the public,“ he said.
