Stakeholder Engagement Programme (SEP) for Dam Related Disasters (DRD)

The Stakeholder Engagement Programme (SEP) for Dam Related Disaster (DRD) is a collaboration between Tenaga Nasional Berhad Research (TNBR) and University Technology Malaysia (UTM), which started in 2020 and is expected to end by 2023. This project offers a community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) Training of Trainer (ToT) module for promoting disaster education, enhancing disaster preparedness among vulnerable communities in the dam vicinity, and developing a resilient society in Malaysia in order to avert dam-related disasters.

Dam collapses have the potential to be devastating owing to the massive amount of water contained within the reservoir. Catastrophic flooding happens when a dam breaks and the impounded water flows through the breach, killing and destroying people and properties in the downstream valley. Being the main player of the Malaysian Electricity Supply Industry, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has been proactively setting up hydropower schemes in its endeavour to support the global need for renewable energy and diversify Malaysia’s power supply. Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has taken greater responsibility in the aftermath of the Bertam Valley event on 23 October 2013, by working with lead agencies and non-governmental organizations to develop a holistic strategy to reduce flood hazards linked with dam collapse. According to surveys, following the Integrated Community Based Disaster Management (ICBDM) programmes there has been an increase in awareness and preparedness for dam-related disasters among the vulnerable community and relevant stakeholders.