WHEN FLOODS STRIKE

When floods strike, many agencies mobilize at once. High-level action committees, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia, Civil Defense, the Malaysian Armed Forces , PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) , Tenaga Nasional Berhad, utility providers, the media, and weather services all play critical roles in keeping people safe. On the prevention and construction front (flood mitigation), Public Works Department Malaysia [Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia], local councils, and the Land Office managing reserves, right of way etc. Also not forgetting CIDB Malaysia, DOSH and even DOE (JABATAN ALAM SEKITAR MALAYSIA)

But the true unsung hero in flood mitigation is the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) (and the fabulous team in National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) They are the technical backbone providing hydrology and rainfall data, flood modelling and forecasting, drainage and mitigation design, urban and rural drainage standards, river and coastal management, and even ensuring road profiles are engineered to channel water efficiently during heavy storms. I’ve had the honour of working with them and their excellent engineering consulting teams many times. (for the record : their Hydrological Procedure No1- Estimation of Design Rainstorm in Peninsular Malaysia (HP 1) still amazed me) 

Their work is rarely visible to the public, yet it is crucial in preventing disasters long before they reach the surface. DID remains the core technical and engineering force behind effective flood management. 

Less but not least - my hats off to consultants, contractors and even my friends in AMIOSH RESOURCES SDN. BHD. The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia (IEM) and PAM for their valuable inputs during my assignment with DID.