Increasing flood risk in Malaysia: causes and solutions.

Discusses flood risk in Malaysia, which has increased alarmingly in recent decades largely due to changing physical characteristics of the hydrological system caused by human activities: continued development of already densely populated flood plains, encroachment on flood-prone areas, destruction of forests and hill slopes development. Flood losses are high but disastrous flood events which occurred in the past as a consequence of rapid development and environmental degradation are forgotten quickly, people choosing to see only the positive benefits of a booming economy while turning a blind eye to their negative effects. Suggests that, within a climate of sustained economic boom, policy makers as well as Malaysians from all walks of life are understandably less concerned about floods than they are about the financial gains that can be reaped from a booming economy. States that official solutions for flood control are largely engineering based and are ineffective to combat extensive monsoon floods.