FLOOD PROBLEMS AFFECTING THE COUNTRY

INTRODUCTION

Each country will not be able to avoid a disaster. Disaster is an event that causes disruption

to the business activities of the society and the State, involving the loss of life, property

damage, economic losses and environmental damage that goes beyond the ability of people

to overcome and require extensive resource mobilization action. Particularly natural

disasters such as floods, landslides, hurricanes or tsunami occurs without planned although

its presence can be predictive.

Malaysia was also not spared from disaster. The most common disaster is flooding. There is

no special category for flooding in Malaysia but often categorized as seasonal, flash floods

or tidal flooding. Moreover, flooding is also described by location, characteristics, cause, the

time when it occurs and its duration. The floods that hit the country early this year, especially

in the state of Kelantan is the worst flood ever happened. The victims not only loss of

properties but also the loss of loved ones. The country also suffered heavy losses in terms of

damage to infrastructure and property of others.

If a few years ago flooding only occurs in the eastern and northern coastal areas only, since

the last few years, practically almost all the states in Malaysia are experiencing flooding

problems. Thus, the statistic of victims increased quite dramatically. The Government also

has incurred higher loss to solve this problem.

Factors Causing Flooding

The primary factor occurs generally because natural weather. In view of Malaysia's

geographical location, most of the rainfalls, a result of natural cycles of Northeastern

Monsoon winds during the tropical rainy season, a local characteristic by heavy rain and

frequent from around October to March every year. Continuous heavy rainfall and

overflowing water from the result areas of reservoirs and rivers also water streams drain.

The tide phenomenon or Supermoon phenomenon is also becoming one of the huge factors

to cause floods. This phenomenon results in the position of the moon be closer to Earth than

usual. Months actually spinning in its axis oval shaped instead of round. There is a fall month

will lie close to the Earth and this incident will provoke supermoon phenomenon.

Undoubtedly, the Moon being the cause of the tide due to gravitational interactions between

the powerful and Earth month. Arisen issue say this phenomenon will trigger an even greater

disaster. This question has its currency because a stronger gravitational attraction due to the

alignment of Earth and the moon. As a result, sea water levels are expected to increase and

the tide will happen. Nevertheless, this is not something that should concern because it will

not trigger a disaster. Collisions between large tide from the sea and river water will cause

overflow occurred. An example of a flood to occur due to high tide flooding is occurring in

Selangor recently involving more than 500 people had to be transferred to the victims while

flood victims.

The problem of flooding that occurred also due to the problem of uncontrolled urbanization.

Urbanization resulted in a lot of areas that are developed. Lowland areas have been

converted into use by taking land from the hills. There are also streams that covered to build

a city. Activities such as these are factors the causes of floods. If before the streams and the

Valley are there for the flow of water, now the area has been covered with soil. Insufficient

drainage in many urban areas also increases the effect of heavy rain, despite ongoing efforts

to resolve this. When it rains, the water will flow down from the hills to the low area and then

stagnate. Over time water will increase and flash floods will occur. Flash floods that occur in

urban areas like Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Johor Bharu recently causing big losses to

the flood victims when the property such as vehicles and also equipment and furniture at

their residents badly damaged. Not only that, this also caused flash floods mainly local

student-SPM candidates virtually unable to sit for the examination when they are trapped

and is unable to be present at the examination Center. The problem of flooding as a result of

the municipal process can be seen when the water rises dramatically in area of

development.

Examples that can be seen are the development of I-City Section 7 Shah Alam, Selangor.

Practically every time a heavy rain, the water will rise and swamped the federal highway that

reach Kuala Lumpur and Klang. The situation became even more worse because the area is

the Sungai Rasau toll plaza area. As a result of the development of the area was carried out

which forms the water drainage ditch becomes increasingly narrow cause water overflow up

every time a heavy rain.

In addition, human activities such as dumping waste into the River, sediments from land

clearing and construction areas, improvements in the area of impermeable and obstacles in

the river is also the cause of the problem of flooding and landslides. Human activities that

are not controlled and selfish not only cause hardship on themselves but also people. Solid

waste such as waste materials daily use such as plastic, bottles or any thing involving daily

use into rivers or drainage water causes the water could not flow smoothly. When the heavy

rain downpour, the water will swamped surroundings. Refuse to be a barrier to water

movement and when the water rises, the water will bring the garbage to the mainland.

The forest is an area which houses a wide variety of plants and animals. The forest can also

be used as the real world by lowering the rate of ecosystem temperature. Forests absorb

water rain down to Earth's surface with rates ranging from two percent to 20%. Then the

water will flow to the absorbed seedlings through the root. There is also the process of

condensation done with the release of the drip-drip of water into the air. This occurs with the

water cycle naturally. Rain forest destruction cause directly down to Earth without being

absorbed by the plants. Heavy rainfall caused the water to flow into the River with lots.

Rivers didn't get the rain water. At this time river water overflow will occur resulting in

flooding.

The Impact of Floods

The main Effects are visible is the destruction of the property of the people and the

Government. Large floods can drown the homes and discarding and destroying other goods

such as electrical goods, cars and so on. Residents do not have time to save their

belongings because sometimes abundant water rose suddenly. This led to a major loss to

the residents. Not only the residents property damaged, but government-owned property

was also destroyed. The Government has to bear the cost of millions of dollars to repair all

the infrastructures for use by the people. Expenses incurred not only to reinstate

insfrastructures but also help people who have lost property and a shelter. The cost of

temporary coverage for flood victims is also liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Costs incurred include medicine, food and other necessities. To repair damaged

infrastructure in Kelantan due to flooding at the end of January, the Central Government

allocated a total amounting to approximately RM780 million including repairing railroads,

roads, health clinics, schools and other assistance.

n addition, the floods also wrecked the lives of the people. Overflow from the River

sometimes cause water flow striking and go up dramatically. Although be warned but

sometimes there is still a stubborn residents refused to move. There are also some that are

not able to be saved by the security. Deterioration of level of health at the time of the flood

also caused the deaths of endangered people. This is because, after the occurrence of

natural disasters, the victims are homeless and have to live together-dependent survivors of

other disasters in the uncomfortable, crowded and dirty. The victims were forced to live with

other likely victims can spread dangerous diseases such as epidemic measles, dengue

fever, skin diseases, malaria, and others have been. The victims were forced to share

whatever in the bitter conditions. In the circumstances, is undoubtedly the hospitals will be in

crowded conditions and are unable to treat all patients who come to get treatment. This will

cause this severe disease and victims will increase infectious to others and this will continue

until the cause of death if didn’t get proper treatment from the hospital. The disease is also

easily spread because of abundant water that has been polluted with rubbish and waste..

Because electricity and water cut off they are unable to take care of personal hygiene and

eat them. This will cause the cleanliness and environment they neglected. As a result of

overflowing river golok December last year, a lot of dikelantan external links hunbungan

district with the outside world. Due to the constraints of weather does not permit, medical aid

could not be distributed. There are victims who had to berlapar because there is no food.

Other effects that can be seen is the economic downturn and the country locals. When the

flood happened, all plants which is a source of income of the local people will be destroyed.

The country has to spend expenses on higher cost for food to fulfil the people needs. The

results of the country's exports were also affected because residents can not harvest their

crops. For tourist areas, tourism activities were also suspended because tourists are not

allowed to visit the flooded areas as dangerous. The tourists who want to come will also

cancel their intentions because the area was flooded. Damage in tourist areas are flooded

sometimes take up to millions. All this damage affected tourist attraction thereby affecting

the sources of national income. Government should overhaul all infrastructures and also the

facility to attract tourists to the area.

How To Solve The Problem Of Flooding

The Government views seriously the problem of flooding that occurred in this country.

Various measures were taken to overcome the problem. In 1972, the Government has

established a disaster relief Committee whose function is to Center align flood relief

operations at both national, State and district with the purpose of preventing loss of life and

reduce flood damage. JPS is a member of the Committee and this organization was based

on Procedure No. 29 published by the National Security Council. In addition, JPS also

publishes Circular No. 2/2003-"Guidelines for Management of Flood Disaster during the

Monsoon Season and Flash Floods" for coordinating the preparation of flood operations at

the Federal, State and district levels.

Solutions that taken is divided into two, namely, structural measures and non-structural

measures. Among the structures that were:

1) Pump House

2) Diversion

3) Pond

4) Deepening And Widening The River

5) Infrastructure Works

6) Dam

7) Ampang Jajar

8) Barricates Or Ban

While non-structural measures is

1) Flood Management Master Plan Study

2) Compliance With Laws, Acts And Guidelines

3) Awareness Campaigns And Educational Programmes And

4) Forecast Flood Warning

5) Insulation Flood

6) Resettlement

7) Flood Hazard Map

Of the 8 step structures, 3 steps more easily applied is

1) Provides Drainage system.

The trenches that have shallow as a result of materials excretions should always

cleaned. With this overflow of rain water can drain properly. Local authorities in particular

should always keep an eye on drains and drainage ditches to drain water to function

properly. Implementation of legislation needs to be tightened so as to give rise to a sense of

responsibility among the laity themselves.

2) Remote Projects Most Of River

Most flooding occurs due to shallow rivers. If formerly the river is able to drain a total of

large amounts of water in a given time, now the flows have decreased. This is because the

process of deposition and removal of waste materials. A measure to tackle this problem is to

run remote process with river dredge all mud and impurities found in the river. When the

process is done, not only the river becomes deeper but also able to drain the amount of

rainwater.

3) Control The Human Activities

Flash floods which occurred mainly in the city due to the disposal of waste and industrial

waste into rivers and drains.To address this problem, the community must be exposed so

that this does not continue negative activities carried out as campaign Love River and so on.

Certain bodies should also be responsible for determining the River clean and not used as

dumps. Flooding is a catastrophe is inevitable especially when involving heavy rain.

However, efforts should be made to reduce the consequences of floods. Humans should

also be vigilant with this incident. Logging activities in areas where exploration riverbank

favored cause of land eroded and collapsed into the river. The same condition also occurs

when logging activities that actively done at the slopes of the Hill. Therefore the preservation

of the forests is a good way to solve the problem of flooding. The forest can be used as

catchment areas which can absorb rainwater from flowing directly to the Earth.

Some of the project was done by government to reduced flood was:

1. SMART - 'Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel2. Batu Jinjang Ponds & Related Diversions Project

3. Sungai Muda Flood Mitigation Project

4. Sungai Perai Flood Mitigation Project

5. Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Flood Mitigation Project

6. Bertam - Kepala Batas Flood Mitigation Project

REFERENCE

1. www.water.gov.my/our-services-mainmenu-252/flood-mitigation-mainmenu-32a/

programme-aamp-activities-mainmenu-199?lang=my

2. Arahan Majlis Keselamatan Negara No. 20: Dasar dan Mekanisme Pengurusan

Bencana - Semakan 2012

3. http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/nahas-bencana/gelombang-kedua-8232-banjir-di- kuala-selangor-1.161744#sthash.Yechydzl.dpuf