KOTA BHARU, Aug 15 – The Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), together with the Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Water Security (IPASA), has embarked on a national research initiative to evaluate the effectiveness of flood early warning systems in Malaysia, with Kelantan as the case study.
The research, funded under the Geran Penyelidikan Kajian Banjir Monsun 2024 worth RM1 million by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), is managed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in collaboration with UTM, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN). The special grant supports multiple solutions to address flood-related challenges in Kelantan and Terengganu.
The project, focusing on early warning effectiveness and climate change impacts, is led by Ir. Dr. Nor Eliza Alias and Dr. Zulfaqar Sa’adi. Their research aims to strengthen Malaysia’s flood preparedness and climate resilience through evidence-based community engagement and inter-university collaboration.
Fieldwork was carried out on 14–15 August 2025 across four districts in Kelantan most severely affected by the 2024 floods: Tumpat, Kota Bharu, Pasir Mas, and Pasir Puteh. A team of 20 enumerators—including UTM staff from UTM Prihatin, students from the UTM Civil Defense Students Corps (SISPA), UTM undergraduates and postgraduates, alongside local students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and UMK, and representatives from the National Disaster Management Association Malaysia (NADIM)—engaged directly with communities through a large-scale survey.
A total of 400 respondents were interviewed to assess public awareness of the flood early warning system, sources and channels of information dissemination, and community responses to official alerts. The study also examined adaptation mapping, local experiences, priorities, and the level of knowledge regarding online flood adaptation tools.
“Community perspectives are vital in ensuring that early warning systems are not only effective, but also trusted and acted upon. By capturing these voices, we are able to design solutions that are more inclusive, practical, and impactful,” said Ir. Dr. Nor Eliza Alias, Project Leader.
“The fieldwork in Kelantan provides an opportunity to strengthen research on climate change-induced flood adaptation by linking local realities with scientific understanding. This effort aims to generate knowledge on community preparedness, adaptive capacity, and practical solutions, while engaging stakeholders to inform long-term resilience strategies,” added Dr. Zulfaqar Sa’adi, Project Leader.
The study is expected to contribute significantly to the development of community-based flood early warning systems, enhance public preparedness, and produce effective bottom-up adaptation maps. Findings will also provide critical data for national flood risk management strategies and inform policy briefs, community training modules, and digital adaptation tools.
Ultimately, the project not only strengthens collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and local communities, but also reinforces Malaysia’s broader agenda to address climate change and improve the resilience of East Coast communities against recurrent flooding.
