ASSESSING DISASTER RISK AND RESILIENCE: A CASE STUDY IN URBAN FLOOD VULNERABLE COMMUNITY IN KAMPUNG ASAHAN, KUALA SELANGOR

Abstract

The urbanization rate in Malaysia is predicted up to 85% in 2040 with a population reaching up to 46 million. Given urban development pressure, extreme climate and environmental degradation, the number of disasters is increasing with a large number of victims, casualties, and damaged infrastructures. Therefore, there is a critical need to quantify the underlying risks, strengthen disaster preparedness and build a resilient urban community in a disaster vulnerable region. This study aims to provide a new insight into the assessment of urban resilience and the development of social resilience strategy for reducing disaster risk in Malaysia. A study area is located in Kampung Asahan, Kuala Selangor district, the second biggest district in the state of Selangor. It is worth to mention that Selangor is the most economically vibrant state that contributes to 23% to the national Gross Domestic Products (GDP) with a population of 6.38 million residents. This study analyses a series of historical floods, the potential for future occurrence and socio-economic impact for supporting risk-informed development and investment. A questionnaire survey was organized to establish the baseline data, analysed local risk profiles while preparing an action plan and flood preparedness toolkit towards strengthening urban resilience in Selangor. This study is in line with the spirits underlying the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, Urban Agenda 2030 and supporting the use of science, technology and innovation for disaster risk reduction (DRR), mainstreaming DRR into future development planning, and making our cities more resilient to future disasters in Malaysia.