Flood Disaster Mitigation Strategy in Kuala Lumpur
DOI:
10.29303/jppipa.v12i4.14202Published:
2026-04-25Downloads
Abstract
In Malaysia, flash floods or major floods often occur in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, flooding is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the volume of water flowing in rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water overflows onto land. The purpose of this study is to determine the level of flood vulnerability and determine flood mitigation strategies. This research is descriptive quantitative, which describes the phenomenon of flood disasters through mapping results. To produce a map of flood-prone areas, mapping was carried out using ArcGIS with a scoring method to see flood hazard vulnerability. The results of the flood vulnerability mapping study in Kuala Lumpur show critical conditions with almost 90% of the total area of 27.195.47 hectares categorized as vulnerable to very vulnerable to flooding. Analysis using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method identified three priority mitigation strategies, namely Regulation (57.7%) as the highest priority which includes policy enforcement and implementation of MSMA, followed by Education (25.8%) to increase public awareness and preparedness, and Conservation (16.5%) through ecological rehabilitation and green infrastructure. The integration of these three strategies is necessary to create a comprehensive and sustainable flood mitigation framework, taking into account the high urbanization and climate change that continue to increase flood risks in the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area.
Keywords:
Analytic hierarchy process Flood disaster Mitigation strategyReferences
Abegaz, R., Xu, J., & Wang, F. (2026). Flood Impacts on Civil Infrastructure Systems: A Comprehensive Review of Impacts, Modeling Tools, Emerging Technologies, and Mitigation Strategies. Natural Hazards Review, 27(1), 03125002. https://doi.org/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-2477
Akram, S., & Mushtaq, S. (2024). Environmental Change and Floods: The Long-Ignored Effects of Displacement on Mental Health. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1434123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1434123
Ahmed, F., Al-Amin, A. Q., & Mohamad, Z. F. (2021). Climate Change and Adaptation for Food Sustainability. Springer International Publishing.
Ahmad, A. J., & Ayob, M. F. (2023). Flood Mitigation Management Practice: A Comparison between Stormwater Management Road Tunnel (SMART) and Sponge City Methods. Journal of Project Management Practice (JPMP), 3(2), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.22452/jpmp.vol3no2.1
Arrighi, C., Pregnolato, M., Dawson, R. J., & Castelli, F. (2019). Preparedness Against Mobility Disruption by Floods. Science of the Total Environment, 654, 1010-1022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.191
Bhuiyan, T. R., Er, A. C., Muhamad, N., & Pereira, J. J. (2022). Evaluating the Cumulative Costs of Small-Scale Flash Floods in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Journal of Hydrology, 612, 128181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.128181
Boogaard, F. C., Venvik, G., & Roest, A. H. (2024). Stormwater Quality and Long-Term Efficiency Capturing Potential Toxic Elements in Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems—Is the Soil Quality of Bio-Swales After 10–20 Years Still Acceptable?. Sustainability, 16(7), 2618. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072618
Barrocu, G., & Eslamian, S. (2022). Geomorphology and Flooding. In Flood Handbook (pp. 23-54). CRC Press.
Bahari, N., Mohammad, S. A., Esa, M. R. M., Ahmad, M. R., Ahmad, N. A., & Malek, Z. A. (2023). Analysis of Lightning Flash Rate with the Occurrence of Flash Floods and Hailstorms in Peninsular Malaysia. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, 250, 106121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2023.106121
Citaristi, I. (2022). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees—UNHCR. In The European Directory of International Organizations 2022 (pp. 220-240). Routledge.
Cea, L., & Costabile, P. (2022). Flood Risk in Urban Areas: Modelling, Management and Adaptation to Climate Change: A Review. Hydrology, 9(3), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9030050
D'Ayala, D., Wang, K., Yan, Y., Smith, H., Massam, A., Filipova, V., & Pereira, J. J. (2020). Flood Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Urban Traditional Buildings in a Heritage District of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 20(8), 2221-2241. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-2221-2020
Dong, W., Huang, H., Zhong, M., Wang, H., & Hua, F. (2024). Monitoring and Early Warning Mechanism of Flood Invasion into Subway Tunnels Based on the Experimental Study of Flooding Patterns. Journal of Intelligent Construction, 2(2), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.26599/JIC.2024.9180011
Fulop, G., & Avvisati, F. (2022). The Analytical Value of Non-Probability Samples in the Context of TALIS: A Review of Current Practices in the Use of Non-Probability Samples in Comparative, Cross-National Research. OECD Education Working Papers, (272), 0_1-42. https://doi.org/10.1787/75fbc0ff-en
Ghalehteimouri, K. J., Ros, F. C., & Rambat, S. (2024). Flood Risk Assessment Through Rapid Urbanization LULC Change with Destruction of Urban Green Infrastructures Based on NASA Landsat Time Series Data: A Case of Study Kuala Lumpur between 1990–2021. Ecological Frontiers, 44(2), 289-306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chnaes.2023.06.007
Green, D., O'Donnell, E., Johnson, M., Slater, L., Thorne, C., Zheng, S., ... & Boothroyd, R. J. (2021). Green Infrastructure: The Future of Urban Flood Risk Management?. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 8(6), e1560. https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1560
Guo, Q. (2023). Strategies for a Resilient, Sustainable, and Equitable Mississippi River Basin. River, 2(3), 336-349. https://doi.org/10.1002/rvr2.60
Ibrahim, M., Huo, A., Ullah, W., Ullah, S., Ahmad, A., & Zhong, F. (2024). Flood Vulnerability Assessment in the Flood Prone Area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1303976. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1303976
Juiani, S. F, Zakaria, N. A., Ghani, A. A., Ayub, K. R., Chang, C. K., Yusof, M. F., ... & Kasim, M. Z. M. (2022). Bio-Ecological Drainage System (BIOECODS): A Sustainable Green University Drainage System. In Handbook of Best Practices in Sustainable Development at University Level (pp. 207-231). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04764-0_12
Kozlowski, M., Azlan, A., Bakar, N. A. A., & Aziz, F. A. (2022). Socio-Economic and Political Dimensions and Their Impact on the Urban Form of the Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Region. In Urban and Transit Planning: Towards Liveable Communities: Urban places and Design Spaces (pp. 225-235). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-97046-8_18
Kaiser, Z. A., & Akter, F. (2025). From Risk to Resilience and Sustainability: Addressing Urban Flash Floods and Waterlogging. Risk Sciences, 1, 100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.risk.2025.100011
Kalfas, D., Kalogiannidis, S., Chatzitheodoridis, F., & Toska, E. (2023). Urbanization and Land Use Planning for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Case Study of Greece. Urban Science, 7(2), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci7020043
Kurata, Y. B., Ong, A. K. S., Ang, R. Y. B., Angeles, J. K. F., Bornilla, B. D. C., & Fabia, J. L. P. (2023). Factors Affecting Flood Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation in Flood-Prone Areas in the Philippines: An Integration of Protection Motivation Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior. Sustainability, 15(8), 6657. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086657
Luo, P., Mu, Y., Wang, S., Zhu, W., Mishra, B.K., Huo, A., ... & Nover, D. (2022). Exploring Sustainable Solutions for the Water Environment in Chinese and Southeast Asian Cities. Ambio, 51(5), 1199-1218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01654-3
Mishra, A., Mukherjee, S., Merz, B., Singh, V. P., Wright, D. B., Villarini, G., ... & Stedinger, J. R. (2022). An Overview of Flood Concepts, Challenges, and Future Directions. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 27(6), 03122001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0002164
Mitra, R., Saha, P., & Das, J. (2022). Assessment of the Performance of GIS-Based Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) Approach for Flood Modeling in Uttar Dinajpur District of West Bengal, India. Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk, 13(1), 2183-2226. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2022.2112094
Nguyen, T. T., Ngo, H. H., Guo, W., & Wang, X. C. (2020). A New Model Framework for Sponge City Implementation: Emerging Challenges and Future Developments. Journal of Environmental Management, 253, 109689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109689
Olsen, M., Oskarsson, P. A., Hallberg, N., Granåsen, M., & Nordström, J. (2023). Exploring Collaborative Crisis Management: A Model of Essential Capabilities. Safety Science, 162, 106092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106092
Pereira, J. J., Fatt, N. T., Muhamad, N., Affandi, E., & Hunt, J. (2024). Susceptibility Modeling for Building Climate Resilience in Cities: The Kuala Lumpur Multi-Hazard Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. In Surface Environments and Human Interactions: Reflections from Asia (pp. 177-194). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0112-4_10
Pangesti, D. T., Syah, N., Dewata, I., & Sholichin, M. (2024). The Influence of Family Leadership Style in Encouraging Awareness and Action on Household Waste Management. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, 10(Special Issue), 166-172. 10.29303/jppipa.v10iSpecialIssue.7622
Piyumi, M. M. M., Abenayake, C., Jayasinghe, A., & Wijegunarathna, E. (2021). Urban Flood Modeling Application: Assess the Effectiveness of Building Regulation in Coping with Urban Flooding Under Precipitation Uncertainty. Sustainable Cities and Society, 75, 103294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103294
Que, T., Wu, Y., Hu, S., Cai, J., Jiang, N., & Xing, H. (2022). Factors Influencing Public Participation in Community Disaster Mitigation Activities: A Comparison of Model and Non-Model Disaster Mitigation Communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12278. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912278
Sarmah, T., Das, S., Narendr, A., & Aithal, B. H. (2020). Assessing Human Vulnerability to Urban Flood Hazard Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Geographic Information System. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 50, 101659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101659
Saad, M. S. H., Ali, M. I., Razi, P. Z., Ramli, N. I., & Bawono, A. S. (2024a). Integrated Approach to Flood Risk Management: A Comprehensive Thematic Review in the Malaysian Context. International Journal of Engineering Technology and Natural Sciences, 6(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.46923/ijets.v6i1.337
Saad, M. S. H., Ali, M. I., Razi, P. Z., & Ramli, N. I. (2024b). Flood Risk Management in Development Projects: A Review of Malaysian Perspective within the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Construction, 4(2), 103-117. https://doi.org/10.15282/construction.v4i2.10592
Thammaboribal, P., Triapthti, N. K., & Lipiloet, S. (2025). Using of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Disaster Management: A Review of Flooding and Landslide Susceptibility Mapping. International Journal of Geoinformatics, 21(4), 177-196. https://doi.org/10.52939/ijg.v21i4.4091
Thomas, M., Prakash, A., Dhyani, S., & Pujari, P. R. (2024). Governing Green Change to Improve Resilience by Assessing Urban Risks for Localizing Nature Based Solutions in Fast Sprawling Dehradun, India. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 111, 104684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104684
Uddin, K., & Matin, M. A. (2021). Potential Flood Hazard Zoning and Flood Shelter Suitability Mapping for Disaster Risk Mitigation in Bangladesh Using Geospatial Technology. Progress in disaster science, 11, 100185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdisas.2021.100185
Wight, N., Harris, J., Andrade, A. A., & Kemp, D. (2025). What Remains: Disaster Risk and Emergency Preparedness in a Chilean Mining Town. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 105811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105811
Wu, W., Jamali, B., Zhang, K., Marshall, L., & Deletic, A. (2023). Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Spatial Prioritization Through Global Sensitivity Analysis for Effective Urban Pluvial Flood Mitigation. Water Research, 235, 119888. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.119888
Zhou, Q., Su, J., Arnbjerg-Nielsen, K., Ren, Y., Luo, J., Ye, Z., & Feng, J. (2021). A GIS-Based Hydrological Modeling Approach for Rapid Urban Flood Hazard Assessment. Water, 13(11), 1483. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13111483
Zhao, G., Bates, P. D., Neal, J., & Yamazaki, D. (2023). Flood Defense Standard Estimation Using Machine Learning and Its Representation in Large‐Scale Flood Hazard Modeling. Water Resources Research, 59(5), e2022WR032395. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022WR032395
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Puti Tiara Dewi, Iswandi Umar, Dedi Hermon, Febriandi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA, agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY License). This license allows authors to use all articles, data sets, graphics, and appendices in data mining applications, search engines, web sites, blogs, and other platforms by providing an appropriate reference. The journal allows the author(s) to hold the copyright without restrictions and will retain publishing rights without restrictions.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
