THE Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has awarded RM57,000 in cash prizes to university students who developed innovative and financially viable solutions to address flood risks, marking the conclusion of the River Flooding Adaptation & Resilience (RIFAR) University Challenge.
The RIFAR Showcase brought together government representatives, financial institutions, academics, climate experts and students to demonstrate how youth-led innovation can contribute practical and scalable solutions to Malaysia's growing climate adaptation needs.
Around 250 participants attended the event, which also highlighted the importance of mobilising private capital to strengthen the country's resilience against increasingly frequent flood events.
Launched in April, the competition attracted approximately 400 students from 46 local and international universities, who competed across two categories focused on flood mitigation and environmental awareness.
In the Marathon category, participants were challenged to develop tangible, financially viable flood mitigation proposals for Taman Sri Muda, a flood-prone community with significant socio-economic vulnerabilities.
The challenge included expert-led webinars and site visits, enabling students to assess the area's exposure to fluvial, pluvial and tidal flooding before formulating their proposals.
Team BDR, representing Universiti Malaya and Monash University Malaysia, won the championship title.
Team Blues Bond from Monash University Malaysia finished as first runner-up, while Team Anak Sungai, comprising students from Sunway University, the National University of Singapore and the University of Hong Kong, secured second runner-up honours.
The Sprint category focused on public awareness, with participants producing creative social media videos promoting river conservation and healthy waterways in Selangor.
Team Ban Banjir, comprising students from Sunway College, the University of Nottingham Malaysia and Monash University Malaysia, emerged as champions from 21 submissions.
SC Chairman Datuk Mohammad Faiz Azmi said strengthening Malaysia's climate resilience would require greater collaboration between regulators, financiers and the next generation of innovators.
“The capital market must be a bridge that channels finance towards resilience for the nation, businesses, communities and people.
“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 hoped the RIFAR initiative would produce more practical climate adaptation solutions, building on the momentum of last year's Coastal Flooding Adaptation & Resilience (COFAR) Challenge, which strengthened collaboration between industry, policymakers and academia in addressing coastal flooding.
The showcase also featured discussions on climate resilience, with participants emphasising the need to unlock private-sector financing for adaptation projects aligned with Malaysia's national priorities, while improving climate literacy among young people.
RIFAR is organised in partnership with ICAEW Malaysia, Lembaga Urus Air Selangor, Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd and the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development.
The initiative also supports the Capital Market Masterplan 2026–2030, particularly its sustainability pillar, which seeks to strengthen the capital market's role in financing climate transition, adaptation and long-term resilience. - July 30, 2026
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