New rainfall data needed to increase success of flood mitigation projects

KUALA LUMPUR: The current rainfall data can no longer be used for flood mitigation projects because the rainfall patterns have changed over the last few years, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
He said the data collected by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) and the Meteorological Department until 2014 is no longer relevant, as areas that previously never saw any flooding now gets flooded.
"New data is needed to help the ministry decide where to carry out its flood mitigation projects, this data has been collected and is now being collated, it will be ready by November.
"Flood mitigation projects cannot stop flooding, it can only help to reduce the impact of the floods because many other issues also contribute to the problem," he told reporters after launching the National Geoscience Conference and Exhibition.
He said places such as Penang, Kedah and Sarawak have never seen the volume of flooding that is being seen today.
He added that upper parts of catchment areas previously never saw such heavy rains.
Citing the flooding in Kuching last year, Wan Junaidi said the heavy rainfall in the upper parts of the Kuching River saw catchment areas flooding, thus causing parts of Kuching to be flooded three times in February 2016.
According to him, there is also a need to deal with logging and new plantations that have contributed to flooding in the country. He said more stringent regulations must be put in place to reduce the impact of floods.
The minister added that water and mud flow from logged areas into the river system causes rivers to become shallow, thus causing flooding at the lower parts of rivers.
Wan Junaidi said the first phase of the flood warning system with an accuracy above 90% in Kelantan, Terrengganu and Pahang has been completed and will be able to provide warnings two days before floods hit.
He said the second phase involving Johor, Sabah and Sarawak is waiting for approval and funding, as it will cost about RM500 million.
He said once all the phases are completed, the DID will man the system from a single location.