KASA identifies flood mitigation measures nationwide

BALIK PULAU: The Environment and Water Ministry (KASA) has identified several long-term and short-term mitigation measures to overcome the flood problem nationwide, its deputy minister Datuk Mansor Othman said.

He said his team had identified flood-prone areas and has proposed to construct flood mitigation projects (RTB) soon.

"After the recent floods, the government asked KASA to hold discussions and conduct a study on long-term and short-term flood mitigation, and the initial findings were to have RTBs and pump houses in flood-prone areas.

"Besides this, it also proposed to build water reservoirs or 'riverside reservoir cities', develop flood-resistant settlements such as 'sponge cities' in new housing areas and strengthen the early warning system so that immediate action can be taken by the authorities and residents," he told reporters at the Teluk Kumbar RTB Pump House handover ceremony here today.

The RTB project was completed on Dec 10 last year, costing RM10 million and benefitting 21,800 residents involving a flood protection area of seven square kilometres which had previously been affected by floods.

Meanwhile, Mansor said KASA will table the country's Climate Change Bill at the next parliamentary session and it was currently in the final stages of drafting.

He said among the contents of the bill was to ensure that climate change adaptation could be implemented to reduce the impact of floods and so on.

"Besides that, the contents of the bill include climate change mitigation and compliance mechanisms with rules and regulations," he said.

Earlier in his speech, Mansor said the federal government had channelled RM150 million to implement the Sungai Pinang RTB here, with the project starting in June and expected to be completed in four years.

According to him, the 52-square-kilometer project will benefit more than 100,000 residents in the area who previously had their housing areas frequently hit by floods due to heavy rains.

-- BERNAMA