An Application of Rainfall Threshold for Sediment Related Disaster in Malaysia, Issues and Challenges

Abstract

Sediment related disaster is the most significant natural disaster in Malaysia and many countries in this world from the perspective of magnitude, damage and loss to human life and infrastructure as well as disruption to socio-economic activities. Debris, mud flood, landslide and cliff failure are some of the major catastrophic problems and became a history for the country especially Cameron Highlands in a state of Pahang. As rainfall is the main culprit to sediment-related disaster occurrences, therefore the rainfall data is very crucial to be used in the correlation of the occurred events. Due to that fact, several studies worldwide have been made to estimate critical rainfall conditions and this being useful to draw the benchmark to predict the occurrences of the landslide specifically for DMF and shallow landslides. This paper discussed the development of the rainfall threshold in Malaysia by compiling the framework of the threshold to determine the lesson learned as well as the way forward. As Malaysia needs to move at a faster pace towards embracing the whole aspects in determining the threshold as well to implement it into the operational threshold, therefore the first step is very important to initiate the momentum while the collaboration or networking among government agencies in National Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR) should be enhanced and strengthened.