THE Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) concluded its River Flooding Adaptation & Resilience (RIFAR) University Challenge with a showcase celebrating youth-driven solutions designed to strengthen Malaysia’s climate resilience.
The showcase awarded RM57,000 in cash prizes to outstanding student teams that developed practical, scalable and financially viable approaches to addressing flood-related challenges.
Attended by around 250 participants, including government representatives, financial institutions, academics, climate experts and university students, the event highlighted the growing importance of climate adaptation and the role of young innovators in developing solutions for vulnerable communities.
Launched in April, the RIFAR Challenge attracted around 400 students from 46 universities locally and internationally, with participants competing across two categories — the Marathon and Sprint tracks.
Under the Marathon category, students were tasked with creating tangible flood mitigation solutions with transition benefits for Taman Sri Muda, an area highly exposed to flooding and socio-economic vulnerabilities.
Over two months, participants took part in expert-led webinars and a site visit to understand the area’s exposure to river, rainfall and tidal flooding risks.
Team BDR, comprising students from Universiti Malaya and Monash University Malaysia, emerged as champions, while Team Anak Sungai from Sunway University, Monash University Malaysia, National University of Singapore and the University of Hong Kong secured first runner-up. Team Blues Bond from Monash University Malaysia was named second runner-up.
For the Sprint category, students produced creative social media videos promoting river health in Selangor.
Team Ban Banjir, comprising students from Sunway College, the University of Nottingham Malaysia and Monash University Malaysia, won the category after competing against 21 submissions.
SC Chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said the capital market must serve as a bridge to channel financing towards resilience for the nation, businesses, communities and individuals.
“Achieving this requires not only regulators and financiers, but also the innovation and leadership of the next generation.”
“I commend the enthusiasm and creativity demonstrated by the students in this Challenge, and I hope they will continue advancing the conversation on climate adaptation and financing,” he said.
Faiz said he was hopeful that RIFAR would generate innovative and practical solutions in climate adaptation, building on the success of last year’s Coastal Flooding Adaptation & Resilience (COFAR) Challenge, which brought together industry players, policymakers and academia to address coastal flooding.
The RIFAR Showcase also featured discussions on climate resilience, focusing on the need to unlock private capital for adaptation financing in line with Malaysia’s climate priorities, while strengthening climate literacy among young people.
The initiative, conducted in partnership with ICAEW Malaysia, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor, Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd and the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development, supports the newly launched Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030.
It aligns with the plan’s sustainability pillar by strengthening the role of Malaysia’s capital market in financing climate transition, adaptation and resilience efforts.. - July 30, 2026
