Time to implement long-term flood mitigation works

AS one of the December 2021 flood victims, I still bear some apprehension whenever it begins to rain heavily.

Therefore, when Malaysia faces floods in the east coast states and Klang Valley, less than three months later, it is the time for impactful planning to be executed.

The destruction of homes, damage and loss of properties pose a test for flood victims. It is more painful if there are loss of lives.

Muslims affected should not despair of the mercy of Allah SWT as He says in the Quran, "Do people think once they say, "We believe," that they will be left without being put to the test?" (Al-Ankabut, 29: 2).

In the Quran, Allah SWT has commanded believers to seek help from Him by being patient and to continue performing their prayers because Allah SWT is always with those who are patient (Al-Baqarah, 2: 153).

Patience will guide an individual's rationality. This is because emotional tension can occur when a person is overwhelmed by trials or tribulations.

During the flood events, seeing one's properties destroyed and the loss of all necessities can cause anxiety or panic.

Panicking flood victims may rush to get their daily necessities wherever possible after losing everything in the blink of an eye. This is one of the reasons we might come across incidents of scrambling for aid distribution among the desperate victims.

They are merely driven by fear of losing their possessions again and they also want to ensure that the basic needs of their loved ones are fulfilled.

Let us not be easily prejudiced against the victims or be emotional when dealing with them. Instead, we should bear a high degree of empathy for them.

In other words, the flood disaster is not only a test for those who experienced it directly, but it is also a test for everyone. Actually Allah's command for us to be patient also applies to those who handle individuals who are afflicted with such a calamity.

Examples of those who have to deal with victims are rescue workers, medical teams, aid distribution workers, temporary flood transfer centre workers, volunteers and others.

We have already seen several exemplary individuals in the floods last year.

Those who manage the distribution of aid must ensure that all distributions are given to the right people.

This also applies to the flood victims who have to be honest in reporting their losses or conditions. There should not be any favouritism or mismanaging of aid.

The next stage is about post-flood coordination plans. The plans must have both short- and long-term objectives.

At the moment, it can be said that the short-term plans such as cash aid, house cleaning, providing household items, school aid and others are distributed almost immediately.

However, the long-term plans have to involve different stakeholders since they take time and also incur high costs.

The long-term plan is not just about repairing or rebuilding damaged structures, but it must also focus on retrieving the sources of livelihood of the affected.

Any aid will not last long, therefore it is important that we should also consider rebuilding any orchards, farms or ponds affected, planning people's mobility to go to work, creating demand for local products and offering joint-venture projects since the victims have lost their creditworthiness after their huge losses.

A good mitigation plan can reduce the impact of damage and loss of lives in the flood event.

Apart from the appropriate infrastructure and equipment, the plan should also take into account the needs of trained local volunteers who can be the first responders in preventing any situation from becoming worse before proper help arrives.

Facing the flood should strengthen the spirit of the "Keluarga Malaysia."

Differences in religion, race and culture should never hinder us from rebuilding lives for those affected.