‘Integrated management, monitoring plan needed to tackle flash floods’

KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya needs to establish an integrated management and monitoring plan to effectively address the phenomenon of flash floods, ensuring the prevention of any further tragedies, environmental activist Ahmad Fauzi Shaharin said.

Suggesting mitigation measures, he recommended installing warning signs for flash flood incidents and implementing real-time prediction and alert systems.

The plan should also include the implementation of a sensor-based soil movement monitoring system and closed-circuit television cameras for early detection in critical areas.

Fauzi also emphasised the importance of a comprehensive search, rescue, and evacuation plan during flash flood incidents to prioritise the safety of tourists and local residents.

“Besides that, the government should develop a debris flow forecasting and warning system, and establish a team of officers to monitor flash floods.

“Emergency escape routes should also be constructed for visitors in areas prone to flash floods, such as rivers or waterfalls, and promoting data sharing among various agencies,” he told Getaran yesterday.  

Fauzi explained that flash floods occur when weak soil becomes saturated with water and flows downhill as a gravitational response to heavy rainfall.

“Typically, debris flow originates in mountainous areas, with high velocities of 14 to 15 metres per second, particularly in ecotourism zones, leading to significant morphological changes along riverbeds and mountain slopes,” Fauzi added.

He noted that flash floods result in property damage and loss of lives, as seen in previous incidents in recreational areas such as Jeram Mawar in Terengganu and Gunung Jerai in Kedah.

Incentivise cleanliness at eco-tourism spots

Meanwhile, he added that flash flood incidents would worsen if rivers and ecotourism areas were filled with waste.

Thus, Fauzi suggested that eco-parks, forest reserves, and eco-tourism areas refund the entrance fees of visitors who clean up and remove garbage after their activities.

In addition to enforcing laws and providing waste disposal facilities, this approach would also raise awareness among the public to clean up river areas after recreational activities.

As an example, eco-tourism areas could charge an entrance fee of RM10 per visitor and refund RM8 to those who bring back their trash and clean the river area, effectively reducing the entrance fee to RM2.

Getaran recently reported that ten individuals, nine of whom were a family from Felda Lepar Hilir, Kuantan, Pahang, and one man from Batu Pahat, Johor, were swept away by strong currents due to a flash flood incident at Jeram Air Putih.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Mazli Mazlan confirmed that the rescue team has found seven bodies so far. 

He mentioned that the search area has covered 25km out of the expected 32km radius of the search-and-rescue operation.

Mazli stated that favourable weather conditions and slowing river currents have facilitated ongoing search operations.

Sort out communication problems

Meanwhile, Professor Ahmad Ismail, an ecologist from Universiti Putra Malaysia, believed that the lack of effective communication regarding flash flood warnings to visitors contributed to the increasing tragedies.

He emphasised the need for the authorities to actively map flash flood “hotspot” areas, as such incidents frequently occur.

Regular mapping should be conducted based on trends in flash floods, as well as whether mud is present in the flash floods and other related information, which should then be disseminated to the public.

However, he also emphasised that visitors and the general public need to be responsive to the warnings provided by the authorities to prevent unwanted incidents.

Ahmad expressed disappointment with negligence and communication problems that often occur in such instances.

Despite the unpredictable weather in Malaysia, relevant agencies are still able to make reliable forecasts on whether an area is safe to visit.

In addition to heavy rainfall, changing geographical conditions in the vicinity can also contribute to subsequent disasters. – The Vibes, July 5, 2023