PETALING JAYA: In the face of climate-related disasters such as floods, droughts, landslides and wildfires, Malaysia needs to urgently increase its use of advanced technologies in disaster preparedness.
In a special report, the Statistics Department said last year, Malaysia suffered RM622.4 million in losses due to floods.
Terengganu and Kelantan accounted for nearly 60% of the losses, which was equivalent to 0.03% of the country’s gross domestic product.
The department also said the figure was a significant decrease compared with the RM6.1 billion in losses suffered in 2021.
A drone technology developer at an international company, Wan Ainul Nazirah Wan Abdul Rashid, said technology has become an indispensable option in disaster preparedness and response efforts.
“It has proven to be invaluable in identifying vulnerable areas and minimising casualties in many developed countries.
“From data analytics to remote sensing, Malaysia has made technological advances in many fields, including disaster preparedness and management.
“One example is the Survey and Mapping Malaysia Department, which has put a lot of effort into collecting Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data from 2016 to 2019.”
Wan Ainul said utilising LiDAR technology and high-resolution satellite imagery has allowed for detailed slope profiling and hazard maps.
The survey department is now able to identify high-risk areas and implement protective measures such as reinforced barriers and stabilisation techniques.
Big Data solutions provider Statista Q reported Malaysia’s risk index scores for natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods, epidemics, drought, tropical cyclones and earthquakes in March 2023.
According to the company, the risk index for tsunami was 7.1/10, flooding 6.6/10 and epidemics 5.6/10, while those for drought, tropical cyclones and earthquakes were 3.3/10, 2.9/10 and 2.3/10 respectively.
On the National Disaster Management Agency, Wan Ainul said it has budgeted a total of RM174 million this year for the potential year-end floods.
She said investing more in various advanced technologies for disaster prediction and monitoring would allow the authorities to mobilise resources more effectively, with accurate predictions.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration and investment from the public and private sectors, Wan Ainul said integrating technology with human expertise would help build more resilient communities.
A Civil Defence Department operational disaster management division officer, Ashraf Farizan, said in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Pahang, landslides and floods were the most frequent compared with other disasters.
“Forest fires are now becoming more frequent and intense in Terengganu, Sarawak and some districts in Selangor.
“Over the past two years, slash and burn incidents have caused significant environmental problems and health hazards due to fires that were started. They also contributed to the haze.”
Ashraf said by utilising advanced technology to reduce the risk of disasters, mitigation and rescue efforts would become easier for police, civil defence and fire and rescue departments.
“Malaysian cities are beginning to deploy smart and sustainable technology through their respective local authorities. Several urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Cyberjaya and Putrajaya would be developed into smart cities.”
