Building Community and Supply Chain Resilience Against El Niño and La Niña Disruptions in Malaysia: Insights from a Qualitative Study

Climate variability associated with El Niño and La Niña continues to generate significant challenges for communities, infrastructure, transportation systems, and economic activities in Malaysia. While previous research has focused primarily on environmental impacts, limited attention has been given to public experiences and their implications for resilience planning. This study investigates how Malaysians experience the impacts of El Niño and La Niña and identifies strategies that may strengthen community and supply chain resilience. A qualitative research design was adopted, and thematic analysis was performed on responses collected from 102 participants. Four key themes emerged: health and well-being impacts, disruption to daily activities and workplace operations, economic and resource-related pressures, and shared responsibility for climate adaptation. Participants described experiences of extreme heat, flooding, water shortages, transportation disruptions, and increased household expenses. Respondents also recommended improvements in drainage infrastructure, flood management, climate-risk communication, emergency preparedness, and environmental sustainability initiatives. The findings suggest that resilience to climate-related disruptions requires coordinated actions involving government agencies, communities, businesses, and individuals. This study contributes to the climate adaptation and supply chain resilience literature by providing empirical evidence of how Malaysians experience and respond to El Niño and La Niña disruptions, an area that has received limited attention in existing ENSO-related research. It further extends understanding of the link between community-level climate experiences and broader supply chain resilience planning within the Malaysian context The study further highlights the importance of proactive planning to minimise disruptions to infrastructure, transportation systems, organisational operations, and supply chain activities. These findings offer practical implications for policymakers, infrastructure planners, and supply chain managers seeking to improve climate resilience in Malaysia.