Guidelines for floodplain development – a Malaysian case study

Recognition that unplanned and uncontrolled development can increase the risk to life and damage to property is fundamental to successful floodplain management. Awareness of this issue is not just the responsibility of local authorities but all stakeholders, covering both public and private sectors. Whilst the land developer has the leading social responsibility for flood compatible development, the approving agencies share that responsibility through provision of relevant guidelines and information on floods, and adequate assessment of each development application in a transparent, impartial manner. In rural areas where informal approval processes are common, it is the combined responsibility of the community, respective community leaders and the local council to ensure that dwellings are not constructed on unsuitable land or in an unsuitable manner. The traditional approach to flood mitigation has primarily involved a structural approach to modify flood characteristics. Contingency measures, such as flood sirens, are also used to alert communities of impending floods. Whilst structural mitigation measures can reduce flood levels and extents, without adequate floodplain planning, the benefit from the structural works is lost due to increased flooding from unplanned development. The result is no net benefit, at a substantial financial cost to the community. The monetary benefit of improved planning through reduction of flood damages offers far greater cost-benefit measure than most structural approaches. This paper describes the principles used and development of a simple set of guidelines for controlling floodplain development in Malaysia. The guidelines have been prepared and recommended for implementation across three districts in Sabah. In time, it is expected that the principles used in the guidelines are incorporated into a national policy for floodplain development.