The fifth Malaysia Urban Forum (2023), scheduled from 4th to 8th November in Kuching, Sarawak bringing together a diverse array of stakeholders, policymakers, experts, academia and practitioners to deliberate on urban issues and sustainable development. This annual gathering is an inclusive national-level platform that brings multiple stakeholders together around for dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration aimed at addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by urban areas in Malaysia that aligns with the National Urban Agenda (NUA) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

It’s also a great pleasure that Dr. Khamarrul Azahari, the director of the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Center at Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, has been invited as a panelist for a series dialogue session as follows:

1. Women’s Assembly – Fostering Change: Women, Gender & Development
2. Children’s Assembly – Eating Healthy and Playing Smart: Empowering Children’s Voices
3. Resilience and Richness: Harnessing Cultural Capital for Sustainable Development
4. Special Session 10: Impact Climate Change to Marginalized Group

In conjunction with Malaysia Urban Forum (MUF) 2023, DPPC had an opportunity to explore smart partnerships in disaster risk management and gain firsthand insights into the strategies, challenges and innovations from related stakeholders. Here’s a breakdown of the new opportunities and partnerships in future between DPPC and DRR Stakeholders in Sarawak during collaborative meeting:

1. YBhg. Datu Dr Chai Khin Chung, Director of Sarawak Security and Enforcement Unit Department of Premier of Sarawak
2. YS PPj (PA) Mokhtar bin Samat, Director of Civil Defence Force (APM) Sarawak State
3. YBrs. Mr Mohammad Haffizie bin Putit, Director of National Security Council (MKN) Sarawak State
4. YBhg. Datu Khiruddin bin Drahman @ Hussaini Director of Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia, Sarawak State

In conclusion, the amalgamation of the Malaysia Urban Forum 2023 with a series of courtesy visits to agencies specializing in disaster risk management in Kuching, Sarawak, marks a significant step toward holistic sustainable urban development. This combined initiative offers a unique platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the formulation of resilient strategies necessary to safeguard urban areas from multi-hazard disasters. By leveraging the insights garnered from these engagements, stakeholders can pave the way for a more resilient, adaptive, and sustainable urban future in Malaysia.

As participants engage in these events, they contribute not only to the discourse on urban resilience but also to the practical implementation of strategies that can truly make a difference in ensuring the safety and well-being of urban populations in the face of adversities.

The Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (STDR3) Week 2023 was held on 3 till 6 October in Kundasang, Sabah, in conjunction with the National Preparedness Month (BKN) and the UNDRR International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2023 celebration. The STDR3 Week 2023 was hosted by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) of Malaysia, Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Center (DPPC), Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur, Sabah State Disaster Management Committee, Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), Department of Mineral and Geoscience (JMG), UNICEF Malaysia, Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Research Institute (SEADPRI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) Kobe, Japan, Natural Disaster Research Center (NDRC), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), and MERCY Malaysia. The strategic partnerships and combined efforts underscored the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in mitigating the impact of geological hazards. This is the third time that DPPC and strategic partners conducted this STDR3 week. The previous event was held back in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Duties), Our Honourable Datuk Armizan bin Mohd Ali has successfully officiated STDR3 Week. During his speech, he highlighted that this program was in line with the government’s commitment and one of the national disaster management strategic steps implemented through the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) through a whole-of-nation approach to reduce the negative impact of climate change as stated by YAB the Prime Minister in his presentation speech of the Kajian Separuh Penggal Rancangan Malaysia Ke-12 (KSP RMKe 12) in the Dewan Rakyat on 11 September 2023. Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Bin Mohd Kassim (Permanent Secretary of Ministry Science, Technology and Innovation MOSTI, Sabah) and Mr Zamakhshari bin Hanipah Deputy General Director, Development and Disaster Preparedness Section, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Prime Minister’s Department, were also present to witness this momentous event.

This high-impact program focused on the implementation of science and technology in disaster risk reduction (DRR), with an emphasis on stakeholders, local agencies, decision-makers, and vulnerable groups exposed to various hazards and disasters. In addition, various technical methods and learning modules will be discussed to identify geological hazards and take risk reduction measures and build resilience for vulnerable groups. The STDR3 Week 2023 brought together experts, scientists, government officials, and international organisations to share insights, knowledge, and technological advancements aimed at enhancing disaster preparedness and resilience.

 Empowering women and children in Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience towards equitable resilience

 In the past year, NADMA together with DPPC-MJIIT-UTM and UNICEF has collaborated on a project known as Women & Child-Centred Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience (WCDR3) with an aim to empower vulnerable women and children in disaster risk reduction for societal resilience by equipping them with knowledge and a platform to voice out their concerns as well as ideas for a more equitable decision-making process as part of a building disaster resilience community. This project is unique through its localised module which was strengthened by local strategic partners that enables each community to understand its own resilience and risk elements with science-backed evidence from the local agencies.

Being the 5th program held under the WCDR3 project, the Kundasang’s module had undergone vast improvements to ease the assimilation of knowledge for women and children. On the 3rd October 2023, a total of 81 students from SK Mesilou participated in the program, moderated by Dr. Kogila Vani a/p Annammala.  In order to accommodate all the students from Standard 4, 5 and 6 to join in the activities, eight station games were designed. By applying the principles of Play-to-Learn, common games such as Snake and Ladder, Telefon Karat, and Bingo were incorporated with Disaster Risk Reduction elements to make it educational and fun. Students gained exposure and basic knowledge about disasters and actions to be taken when it happens. Visual cue cards, interesting imagery and audio also play a major role in the game design process.

On the same day, activities held at Mesilau Hall were attended by 37 local community women from Kg. Mesilau. With the great enthusiasm of Sabahan, an active Focus Group Discussion was held to gain understanding on the local disaster, risk and challenges faced by the community from a women perspective. A brief knowledge sharing session was given by Dr. Sumiaty Ambran, a Sabahan herself, about the importance of women’s role in disaster, disaster risk and resilience as well.

Knowledge Empowerment and Disaster Risk Reduction Workshop held on 4^th October 2023

Knowledge Empowerment and Disaster Risk Reduction Workshop in schools was a continuation of DRR capacity building activities through the experience of Phase 1 and 2 last year by SEADPRI – UKM. This phase focuses more on primary students. Targeted students by exploring their opportunities and capacities to change the stigma of society and stakeholders about children being only passive victims when disaster strikes. Through this workshop, students foster knowledge about the basics of DRR and how to handle emergencies, in addition to be able to improve the system and delivery of information in national disaster management and increase their capacity. Children are a positive catalyst towards a resilient community, especially when provided with the knowledge to explore future resilient community opportunities.

Test Run ICT Tools and application for Community Based Disaster Risk Management held on 5^thOctober 2023 for Mesilau and Dumpiring Communities

It was the pioneer project for the Use of Latest Communication Technology for CBDRM and Disaster Emergency Management, in collaboration with the Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) under the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Disaster Management for the Asia-Pacific project through the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management in Malaysia, will be held on the third day of the STDR3 Week. The need for the implementation of this project is to further strengthen the capacity of community DRM (Disaster Risk Management) and reduce human losses through non-structural measures, such as emergency response and rapid recovery preparedness, closely related to increasing public awareness and enhancing community capacity. Comprehensive hazard and risk maps with evacuation information are crucial for the public to take appropriate and timely actions in dealing with disaster situations.

In addition to the informative sessions, the STDR3 Week also featured interactive workshops with children and women, focus group discussion with experts from agencies, and test-run using ICT Tools for earthquake scenarios in Kundasang, Sabah. These practical elements allowed participants to gain hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of the issues at hand.

Climate-induced disasters are already impacting lives and communities. The earthquake in Sabah on the 5th of June 2015 caused a series of landslides that resulted in a high number of human and economic losses. When disaster strikes, children get cut off from schooling, nutrition, and health care. They can lose critical social services and protection, while finding themselves in hazardous environments. Children whose families live in poverty are more impacted by disasters and the consequences of climate change.

The increasing frequency and severity of disaster events means that communities need immediate action to build resilience. The Science & Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Week aims to empower children, young people and women with the knowledge and tools to contribute towards community resilience.

The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders and communities, emphasising the need for a comprehensive, holistic approach to disaster risk reduction and resilience. The knowledge and insights gained during the STDR3 Week 2023 will undoubtedly contribute to the global efforts in reducing the impact of disasters and building more resilient communities.

In a significant of our regional commitments and national aspiration to the global agenda on disaster risk reduction and resilience (DRR), a distinguished expert from United Kingdom has embarked on a collaborative effort with Technology Enhanced Stakeholder Collaboration for Supporting Risk-Sensitive Urban Development (TRANSCEND), involving the multi-project partners from the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. TRANSCEND Project aimed at investigating the nature of a socio-technical system, enabled by a collaborative foresight and consensus-building virtual workspace, which can promote an adaptive governance approach across relevant stakeholders to analyse, forecast, visualize, and debate disaster risk trade-offs and development plans that ensure sustainability and equitable resilience considering climate change adaptations.

The expert is also a TRANSCEND Project leader, Professor Terrence, University of Salford, United Kingdom, renowned for his extensive experience in disaster management and DRR Strategies, arrived in Kuala Lumpur on 26th July 2023 (Wednesday). Dr Khamarrul Azahari Razak, Director Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Center (DPPC), Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Univerisiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Kuala Lumpur one of TRANSCEND Project Team  co-design and organised the benchmarking and high-impact visit as part of the ongoing efforts under the TRANSCEND Projects, which seeks to reflect our achievements and progress to achieve global agenda and re-strategize our action and prospective views as aligned to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

The TRANSCEND Project, funded by Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) to investigate processes, governance structures, policies and technology that can enable a transition towards a more risk-sensitive and transformative urban development approach. UTM has signed a collaborative agreement with Salford University in 2019 on the TRANSCEND project in Malaysia for research and to establish Living Labs in various disaster prone areas. Therefore investigation had been done in Bukit Antarabangsa and Hulu Langat as disaster case studies in Selangor and presented the report to the local council and also explored the integration of MOBILISE system. Reporting results to THINKLab, University of Salford, United Kingdom networking on MOBILISE Training and field study. The TRANSCEND international workshop held on 31st July 2023 at UTM Kuala Lumpur demonstrated its contribution towards the development planning process and disaster management context.

Professor Terrence expressed his enthusiasm for the collaborative effort stating “I am honoured to see the progress of the TRANSCEND Project last for three years and work alongside dedicated professionals in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). By Sharing our knowledge and experiences, we are working as a team to create a more resilient future for this community”.

The high-impact visits with various activities aimed at furthering the project’s objective through experience exchange from the United Kingdom as well as various local stakeholders that ensure that the best practices, benchmarking and local actions are shared in order to prevent future disaster risk.

Local project partners have welcomed Professor Terrence’s high-impact visit, recognizing the value of international expertise in addressing the unique challenges faced by the region. The collaboration between UTM and Salford University is seen as a crucial step toward our action and prospective views as aligned to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). As Professor Terrence begins his work on the ground and expands to Malaysia, hopes are high for a brighter and more secure future for the people of Malaysia.

The visit is scheduled to last until 3rd August 2023, with various activities such as international seminar, international workshop and courtesy visit to agencies with initiatives planned throughout the Professor Terrence stay.

For updates on TRANSCEND Project’s work and the progress, please visit https://transcend-project.org.uk/