COVID-19 has caused significant health, economic, and social issues, particularly for Malaysia’s B40 cluster. Approximately 580,000 homes that were formerly in the M40 category have shifted to the B40 cluster. Consequently, the absolute poverty rate in Malaysia has risen from 5.6% in 2019 to 8.4% in 2020, according to the Statistics Department in 2021.

Alongside the pandemic, eight Malaysian states recently suffered floods. Selangor was the worst hit, with 18,119 victims evacuated to temporary relief centres. The unexpected floods and pandemic have severely impacted livelihoods, particularly in Selangor, whose population is highly dense.

It is essential to address and prioritise this issue by adopting a novel framework to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 and floods.

This can be achieved through community-based adaptation (CBA), which takes into account characteristics that foster inter and intra-community resilience. CBA can identify, support, and facilitate the implementation of development programmes that help people adjust to a riskier and less predictable climate.

But to achieve and improve community-based resilience in Malaysia, we need a comprehensive flood risk management system.

CBA aims to make climate change adaptation more sensitive to the requirements and risks that poorer, more vulnerable groups face. It is frequently associated with underdeveloped countries, and is based on the assumption that community members have the necessary skills, experience, local expertise, and networks to carry out locally appropriate activities to increase resilience and reduce vulnerability to a variety of circumstances, including climate change.

Flooding is responsible for over 50% of all natural disaster fatalities and one-third of all economic losses today. Effective catastrophe management interventions are required, and this necessitates the adoption of local communities’ ideal perceptions and understandings of flood-affected areas.

Modern flood risk management (FRM) conceptualisations include citizens’ active participation in the assessment of flood hazards and other resilient organisation alternatives. When considering potential flood hazards and management issues, policymakers take into account the combined and collaborative initiatives of participants, which includes residents.

Citizens’ contributions to decision-making are undeniably important. When information on local communities’ perceptions and behavioural assessments of flood hazards is brought into the decision-making process, risk management gaps can be easily addressed.

Social interactions and traditional understanding of necessary procedures are critical components of any flood mitigation or adaptation strategy. This ensures the community’s future efforts can be gathered when assessing flood risk variables and other expected social and economic consequences.

As a result, some specialists have integrated citizen involvement in flood issues, and it appears the impending ambiguity of likely flood occurrences, as well as the different connected impacts, would boost the efficacy of flood risk verdicts.

Community-based climate resilience can be achieved by integrating psychosocial development, good governance, cultural development, cutting-edge technology, human capital development and technological advancements to mitigate climate impacts on local communities. 

The assessment of community vulnerability based on components set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has further momentum now as Malaysia is exposed to climate-driven destruction caused by floods, which impedes development of Malaysian households, especially the B40.

To recover and establish safeguards from such calamities in Malaysia, households can adapt to climate change by reducing their vulnerability to its impacts. To do so, CBA that considers cultural, political, economic, and ecological factors, inducing resilience within and between communities, can be executed. 

It is critical to empower local communities and consider their needs and goals. Locals’ active participation is critical for managing local resources and improving their economic well-being. This framework will assist policymakers in Malaysia in preserving, conserving, and protecting natural resources, as well as improving the socio-economic status of local communities.

The development of a resilience index will increase the capabilities of local communities to mitigate adverse effects of climate change. – May 5, 2023.

* Rulia Akhtar reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.