Flood Resilience of Temerloh Municipal Council: an Empirical Analysis of Kampung Level Variations

Despite improvements in preparedness, response, and recovery, the intensity of floods is increasing on a global scale. There is no way to fully prevent or mitigate against floods. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the flood resilience of communities around the world. Due to differences in the location, topography, and socio-economic characteristics of communities, flood risk and resilience are not the same for all communities. This study analyzes flood resilience and its variations in different parts of Temerloh Municipal Council, Malaysia. Temerloh is located in the center of peninsular Malaysia. It is a growing town and a hub of tourism, transportation, and trade. However, due to its location in the Pahang River basin, the town is highly vulnerable to flood. The huge damage caused by a devastating flood in 2014, for example, illustrated a lack of resilience in various parts of the town. This research has developed a methodological approach and formulated a Flood Resilience Index (FRI) for different kampungs (villages located within a urban setting) within the Temerloh Municipal Council. By addressing physical, social, economic, and institutional dimensions of resilience, it explores the principal factors that are playing a role in flood resilience in Temerloh’s kampungs. The FRI of various kampungs indicates that housing, garbage disposal, community preparedness, and institutional preparedness are playing important roles in flood resilience.