KUALA LUMPUR: Community empowerment must be at the heart of a holistic flood management system to enable quick mitigation actions during flash floods.
Global Environment Centre River Care Programme Manager Dr Kalithasan Kailasam said local communities must be informed on evacuation safe routes and emergency actions to safeguard themselves during flooding.
"There is no point of developing town watching maps and then leave them idle at district offices. The maps should be made available to every household.
"Everyone must participate in this process. Although your area has never been flooded, you cannot be complacent as climate change has significantly altered rainfall distribution and flooding patterns," he said, during a webinar organised by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) on Monday.
Kalithasan said, flood management and mitigation plans comprise measures that should be taken before, during and after flooding.
Those living in flood-prone areas, he said, should be prepared with a grab bag and a 72-hour kit to ensure their temporary survival while waiting for assistance.
"The grab bag should contain a document kit (comprising birth certificates, identification card, passport, car grant, etc.), an emergency kit and medicine supply, personal hygiene kit and other essential items, such as canned food, mineral water, flashlight and whistle.
"Besides the grab bag, every individual should also carry along a 72-hour kit to provide basic needs for them before they transit to a safer area.
"The government must also develop town watching maps, specific to each locality, to ease evacuation process," he said.
During the flooding, Kalithasan said the public should be taught on the important measures to follow if they are inside or outside their houses, trapped inside their vehicles, during relocation, as well as on electrical safety.
"Once floodwater recedes, people should not rush to enter into their houses. They must be aware of other dangerous or venomous animals and insects in the waters.
"They must stay away from electrical cables and drainage areas and use sticks to remove any obstructions inside the house," he said.
Besides that, Kalithasan said urban communities must regard boats as critical assets and local authorities should, therefore, purchase and prepare boats for emergency purposes.
Describing drains as "arteries" to our river basins, Kalithasan also urged households to regularly clean and protect their drains.
"Water is a living entity that require space. If natural spaces for water are destroyed, then water has no choice but to encroach into our homes and facilities," he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Renard Siew, a climate change expert at the Centre for Governance and Political Studies (Cent- GPS), advised multinational companies to conduct a climate risk assessment on their own assets and operations to improve their flood resilience.