PETRA REQUEST IMPLEMENTATION OF NBS FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) --  The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) has submitted an application under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) for the implementation of a flood mitigation project based on nature-based solutions (NBS).

Its deputy minister, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, said the initiative involves the preparation of a feasibility study and conceptual design grounded in scientific modelling, which can be used by relevant technical agencies.

He said the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM),  in collaboration with Dutch experts through the Dutch Disaster Risk Reduction and Surge Support Programme (DRRS), has carried out engagement sessions and a study on the effectiveness of NBS implementation from March to June last year.

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“This study includes river sediment management strategies and the use of the NAHRIM Environmental Dredging System (NEDS) for sediment control, modelling of the sponge city concept, the development of local sensors in line with the Water Sector Transformation Strategy (AIR 2040), as well as the implementation of rainwater harvesting,”  he said.

He told the Dewan Rakyat this during an oral question-and-answer session when responding to a question from Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian).

Tuan Ibrahim was asking about PETRA’s strategic measures to ensure that green infrastructure and natural solutions are adopted in flood mitigation projects to make them more cost-effective, resilient, and beneficial to the public.

He said the NBS approach is not new as it had long been applied in infrastructure development, such as the Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) dams, which not only functioned as flood mitigation, but also as a source of water supply and agricultural irrigation.

-- BERNAMA