PETALING JAYA: With Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stressing that the floods currently affecting Kelantan and Terengganu are expected to be worse than the 2014 disaster, an academic has called for stricter laws to regulate development in flood-prone areas to minimise flood risks and protect communities.
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Faculty of Earth Science Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Faiz Mohd Amin said it is crucial to have clear zoning regulations that categorise high-risk areas as non-developable.
“Such regulations should be enforced to prevent construction that could worsen flooding. Environmental impact assessments must be strengthened to ensure that all development projects consider flood risks and incorporate mitigation measures.
“Laws could also mandate the inclusion of sustainable urban planning features, such as green infrastructure, permeable surfaces, and natural flood retention areas to reduce runoff and enhance water absorption,” he said.
The Social Welfare Department’s Info Banjir portal said the number of flood evacuees nationwide has reached 85,652 as of press time.
Mohamad Faiz said the increasing intensity of floods in Malaysia is strongly linked to climate change, and that sea levels have been rising at rates of 3.2mm/year in Peninsular Malaysia, and 2.9mm/year in Sabah and Sarawak since the 1980s.
Projections indicate a rise of up to 0.25m by 2050, significantly heightening the risk of coastal inundation.
“Additionally, increased rainfall intensity during the northeast monsoon is expected to expand flood-prone areas from 6.5% to 8.9% of Malaysia’s land area by 2100, exposing more communities and infrastructure to severe flooding.
“These changes, compounded by urbanisation and deforestation, exacerbate the vulnerability of urban and coastal regions to flooding, and underline the urgent need for robust mitigation and adaptation strategies.”
Mohamad Faiz said Malaysia’s drainage systems and flood barriers, while functional under normal conditions, are often inadequate to handle the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events driven by climate change.
“Many existing systems were designed decades ago, based on historic rainfall patterns, which do not account for the current increase in extreme precipitation.”
He said recent flood mitigation measures included the implementation of retention basins and upgraded river embankments under the RM11.8 billion allocated in Budget 2024, but the pace of upgrading infrastructure may not fully match the rapid escalation of weather extremes.
Mohamad Faiz said in certain areas, particularly in rapidly urbanising or rural regions, the complete absence of proper drainage systems leaves communities entirely exposed to floodwaters, with no mechanisms to channel or manage excess rainwater.
“Additionally, infrastructure designed based on outdated rainfall data fails to account for current climate variability, leaving these regions even more vulnerable.”
He suggested that Malaysia could learn from successful flood mitigation projects in other countries.
For example, the Netherlands’ “Room for the River” programme, which creates space for rivers to overflow by relocating dykes and expanding floodplains.
“The strategy could be applied to river basins like Sungai Kelantan, where flood plains could be restored to manage overflow during heavy rainfall.
Tokyo’s G-Cans Project, which uses underground tanks and tunnels to redirect floodwater, could also be adopted in cities like Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru to manage flash floods from rapid urbanisation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia president Mohd Yusaimi Yusof urged policymakers to focus on enforcing existing policies effectively to prevent floods from worsening.
“Existing regulations may fall short in effectively reducing flood risks, highlighting the need for stricter enforcement to ensure compliance and better coordination among agencies involved in environmental management. All levels of society must understand and take action to address these effects,” he said.
