During 14-15 November, series of coordination meeting, workshop and field visits related to Integrated Flood Hazard Map and Water-related Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) was organized by MJIIT’s Disaster Program (DPPC), Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Department of Irrigation & Drainage (DID). This program was implemented as part of MMJD1133 Control Measures and Mitigation Planning (https://mjiit.utm.my/dppc/2019/11/21/control-measures-and-mitigation-planning-2/) course of the MDRM Program.

Hosted by Mayor Yew Tung Seang and City Secretary Addnan Mohd Razali, chaired by Dato’ Ir. Sabri bin Abdul Mulok, Deputy Director General (Specialist Sector) of DID, key DRRM stakeholders in Penang gathered to discuss the way forward to cope better with increasing and unprecedented natural hazards experienced in recent years.

Three presentations were given by UTM on “Integrated Flood Hazard Map for Water Related Disaster in Strengthening Urban Resilience in Georgetown, Penang” by Ms. Haslinda Mohamad Hamran, DID officer and MDRM student, “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Development Planning & Investment” by Dr. Khamarrul Azahari Razak, Senior Lecturer and DPPC member, UTM and “Hazard Risk Maps and Issues in Risk Communication: Experiences from Japan” by Dr. Shohei Matsuura, JICA Expert. These presentations were followed by a presentation on “Flood and Landslide Management in Penang” by MBPP’s technical officer.

The coordination meeting was followed by site visits related to flood control such as MBPP CCTV Control Centre, Pinang River Information Center and inundation area in Pinang River and coastal flood control pond (S18). During the visit, some of the technical background information was provided by Dr. Faizah Che Ros, Senior Lecturer and DPPC fellow.

On the second day, a workshop that invited over 60 participants from the local governmental departments was held to implement the Climate and Disaster Resilience Initiative (CDRI). The CDRI exercise was facilitated by the MDRM students with intensions to get them exposed to working with various DRRM stakeholders. The results from CDRI will be compiled, analyzed and presented to the workshop participants to further discuss the way forward to further strengthen the coping mechanisms of the local government and communities towards future flood disasters.

“There is no such thing as a Natural Disasters, only Natural Hazards”

Gradually, many disaster practitioners and researcher are starting to understand and embrace the concept that there is no such thing as a “Natural Disaster.” This is one of the first things that our disaster program teaches our students when they start learning or doing research about environmental and disaster risk management. Still, many students (and even some faculty members) get confused in the beginning, not understanding this idea well.

“But aren’t floods and landslides natural disasters? And fires and chemical spills are human-made disasters.”

Perhaps this is only a matter of having a common definition of the term “disasters” The best way I can help them understand this concept is to let them think about the definition of the word “disaster.”

“If there is a huge flood or landslide in middle of nowhere that didn’t affect anyone or destroy any property, can we call that a disaster? We can probably call that a natural phenomenon.”

In many cases, most remain unconvinced with this explanation. Yes, we can explain about disasters being a combined result of exposure, vulnerability and coping capacity, but there is much more behind the meaning.

I’ve once talked to a farmer living in a flood-prone area in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, that experiences annual flooding and was central during the historical Eastern Peninsular flooding in 2014. When I asked the farmer the reason why he and his family do not evacuate when the local authorities give out the flood early warnings, he replied, “Because the burglars often come when there is flood. I have to stay home to protect my properties for my family.”

Disaster managers and often overlook these kinds of realities on the field and continue to wonder why people do not listen to their advisories and warnings. What they might be missing is capturing the underlying factors that make disaster system dysfunctional. Of course, science and technology can forecast bad weather or earthquake proof critical infrastructures, but there are also human elements or our own actions that are equally important and greatly influence the level of disaster risks that our society face.

Ever since we moved on from thinking that disasters are God given and that humans have no control over them, we are now talking about how disaster risks can be reduced and/or managed (thus the word, “Disaster Risk Reduction and Management”). If we say that all disasters are human induced in one way or another and not “natural”, then it would mean that we do have at least some control over them.

Although natural hazards instigated by Mother Nature cannot be controlled, our advancement in science and technology and better understanding about disaster risks and how they can be managed, disaster managers, policy makers, scientists and communities should have a sense that our work can somehow determine our own future – in another words, we have a choice to keep ourselves safer and secure from natural hazards.

In this light, we, as educators and researchers who are conscious of contributing to our society through science, should stop using the word, “natural” disasters. There are still many things we can do as scientists to help local governments, communities and other interested groups to prevent or reduce the effects of disasters.

*DPPC Blog is a series of thoughts written about environmental and disaster management arising from our education, research and field activities.

On 12 and 13 October 2019, a group of researchers from MJIIT/UTM Disaster Program and its partner members organized a series of community based DRR event in Pasir Gudang, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Some of these partners included, Johor Bahru State Government, National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA), Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA), Civil Defense Force (APM), Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety & Health (MSOSH), MERCY Malaysia and District Office of Johor Bahru & Pasir Gudang Municipal Council.

On the 12th, DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL TRAINING was organized by MSOSH as a result of the courtesy call to the Director General of Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Human Resources, YBhg. Dato’ Ir. Mohtar Bin Musri (https://mjiit.utm.my/dppc/2019/10/04/courtesy-call-to-department-of-occupational-safety-and-health-malaysia/). The training was participated by around 50 representatives of the regional industry as well as experts from UTM, JICA, BOMBA, UiTM and local NGOs. From UTM, Dr. Shohei Matsuura of JICA/DPPC/MJIIT delivered a talk on the Japanese experiences in industrial/technological disasters and Natech, while Dr Khamarul Azahari Razak provided some insights and way forward to take enhanced measures to DRR and OSH issues in Malaysia.

A joint DRR event with Johor Bahru State Government and the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) on the occasion of the International Day for DRR (13th October) was held with over 800 participants from local government department/agencies, universities/research institutes, NGOs, community leaders, schoolteachers and students. The event was officiated by Dr. Sahruddin bin Jamal, Chief Minister, Azmi Rohani, State Secretary, Dato’ Mohtar Bin Mohd Abd Rahman, Director General of NaDMA, Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid bin Omar, Vice-Chancellor of UTM and Colonel Mat Zin Bujang, Director of Civil Defense Force (APM).

After the officiating by the Chief Minister, Director General Mohtar gave an opening statement to encourage reducing risks instead of waiting to respond to disaster, providing the example from Japan that was affected by mega typhoon Hagisis just the night before the event. BOMBA officer, PgB Lokman Hakim Sulaiman, who headed the HAZMAT team during the Kim Kim River pollution supported the note by mentioning “Prevention is better than cure.”

Dr. Shohei Matsuura, in front of 100 schoolteachers and students, shared an example of school-based DRR from Japan in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture where about 3,000 students were able to save their own lives from the 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami through DRR education, evacuation drills and strong community linkages that had been established before the disaster event. In addition, a survey for Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI), developed by Kyoto University was conducted with 100 residents of Pasir Gudang for future research and activities.

On 17 September, the 4th year of Master of Disaster Risk Management (MDRM) Program started with introductory lecture from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shohei Matsuura, JICA Expert on the short history of MJIIT’s DRM program and MDRM. This was followed by a series of lectures by Prof. Emeritus of Yamanashi University and Founding Director of ICHARM, Kuniyoshi Takeuchi on the basic concepts of disaster risk and global trends in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).

The MDRM program is suitable for working professionals in the field of environmental and disaster management who wants to further develop their professional knowledge and skills in DRRM as well as aspiring students who wish to become future leaders in the field of DRRM. The program offers lectures and activities offered by prominent Malaysian and Japanese experts, together with all-sponsored 2-week Japan Attachment program.

• Why choose MDRM?

-Transdisciplinary approach to DRRM

MDRM offers a comprehensive and unique set of academic and practical knowledge and skills in DRRM that is not available elsewhere; similar programs only offer contents that are confined in a single discipline (e.g. civil engineering, social science, medical). MDRM program is offered in a module courses that includes both technical (e.g. flood modeling and forecasting) and policy (e.g. CBDRR, recovery planning) issues. Program like MDRM can only be implemented by a team comprised of experts from various fields that understands the importance of transdisciplinary approach for DRRM.

-We do not teach professionals what they already know

MDRM does not attempt to teach professionals with knowledge that they already know. Instead, we provide tools and knowledge with good balance of academic and practical contents to enhance their technical and analytical skills so that graduates will be able to make evidence-based decision-making and planning once they return to their work. For example, we require professionals in emergency response to learn about developing flood hazard maps with GIS and flood modeling and for geotechnical engineers to be exposed to community-based DRR.

-Learning from Japan – a shopping mall of disasters

Japan is known for being a “shopping mall” of disasters that has experienced and recovered from some of the world’s most costly and devastating disasters. Through this experience, Japan had established itself as the leader in disaster prevention and preparedness. Japan has hosted all of the world conferences for DRR (Yokohama, Kobe, Sendai) and contributed significantly to the global DRR frameworks that are helping the world to become a safer place from disasters. In this spirit, the program aim to bring some of the key knowledge and experiences from Japan to be shared in MDRM.   

-Learning and networking with fellow DRRM professionals 

One of the significant characteristics of MDRM program is that the students are all experienced DRRM professionals from various backgrounds. Because lectures are conducted in an interactive environment, the students can freely start a discussion with his/her lecturers and fellow students. As such, MDRM students are able to learn not only from their lecturers, but also from their classmates. In addition, the linkage established during MDRM often leads to collaborations among department and agencies after students go back to work after graduation.

-It is not just about getting a degree

If you are seeking only to get a degree to write on your resume, perhaps there are easier options elsewhere. MDRM is an intense program with lectures, fieldwork, assignments and masters project. We also challenge students to explore outside of their “comfort zones” because that is the only way to strengthen knowledge and skills that could bring a societal change for disaster resilience. The MDRM team welcomes those who seek to become a true expert and leaders in the area of disaster risk reduction and management.

From 27 to 31 August 2019, group of researchers from MJIIT/UTM’s DRM program, led by Dr. Faizah Che Ros and researchers from Kansai University, Kyoto University, Tottori University and Ritsumeikan University visited Kundasang, Sabah to conduct their first activity together for the joint research project, “Study on Debris Flow Modeling and Water Quality Implications after the 2015 Earthquake in Mesilau River, Kundasang, Sabah.

This research project has 2 parts with the objectives below:

1. Debris Flow Modeling

• Remotely sensed data analysis to understand the cause and impacts of the earthquake.
• Fieldwork and visit to understand the causes, impacts of earthquakes and its cascading geohazards and, to do the diameter investigation for debris flow modeling.
• Rainfall data analysis to design the scenario of rainfall to be the input of numerical modeling.
• Debris flow modeling using Kanako-2D.
• Develop an integrated framework of low-cost early warning system based on numerical modeling, stakeholder’s engagement.

2. Water Quality Analysis

• Desktop study on understanding the acid rock drainage due to debris flow and methods improve the water quality
• Fieldwork for water quality sampling at identified sampling station that will be covered up, mid and downstream of Mesilau River
• Lab work for water quality analysis – The various parameters of interest present in water are broadly placed in four categories, namely physical parameters, metals, inorganic non-metallic contents or chemical compounds and organic parameters.
• Lab/field testing on the possible method to improve water quality.

The research project is expected to last until 2021 in which some of the Malaysian lecturers will find similar case studies in Japan to bring back to Malaysia for application.