Mitigating flood risk at Shah Alam, Malaysia for sustainable development

Abstract

Abstract The natural environment and infrastructure are severely damaged by floods, which are becoming frequent occurrences. It may not be able to stop floods given the impending climate change and variability of the weather. Yet mapping flood risk can help with both mitigation and prevention of flooding. The Shah Alam experiences flash floods yearly, which is why it was chosen. An interactive approach to decision-making under multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), is used. The flood risk zone is divided into five categories very low-risk (32.38%), low-risk (22.25%), moderate-risk (23.17%), high-risk (18.87%), and very high-risk (3.33%) respectively. Based on the data gathered for this study, the economic losses are identified, low-risk areas (RM 2091), moderate-risk areas (RM 2343), and high-risk areas (RM 2728). The historical flood events occur in the Seksyen 36, 18, 17, and most of the southern part of Shah Alam, Malaysia. Rainfall and the Klang River have the biggest effects on these regions, with water drainage systems being critical in the Shah Alam area to reduce the risk of floods. When analysing flood risks in the Shah Alam region and throughout the nation, important stakeholders both state and non-state actors can benefit greatly from the flood susceptibility map provided by this study.

Keywords

• Flood risk
• Disaster management
• Sustainable development goals
• Decision-making process
• Remote Sensing