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 didnt 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 Tunnel
2. 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-mainmenu32a/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-dikuala-selangor-1.161744#sthash.Yechydzl.dpuf