Kampung (village) flood resilience: an empirical analysis in Malaysia

ABSTRACT Due to differences in the location, topography and socio-economic characteristics, flood risk and resilience are not the same for all communities. This study analysed flood resilience and its variations in different parts of the Temerloh Municipal Council area, Malaysia. Due to its location in the Pahang River basin, this town is highly vulnerable to flooding. The huge losses and damage caused by a devastating flood in 2014 illustrated the lack of resilience in different parts of the town. Therefore, this study sought answers to the following questions: (1) What methodological approach should be used to develop a Flood Resilience Index (FRI) of kampungs (villages located within an urban setting)? (2) How does the flood resilience of different kampungs vary across different dimensions? (3) What are the principal factors in determining the flood resilience of different kampungs? and (4) What are the policy implications for enhancing the flood resilience? This research formulated an FRI for 10 different kampungs within Temerloh. The results indicated that as each community’s strengths and problems varied across kampungs, the FRI also varied. Therefore, despite covering small areas, this type of FRI should usefully form the base of flood risk management policy and actions, both here and probably elsewhere.