4. on Flood Risk Management

4. ON FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT

4.1 GENERAL

Flood risk is defined as a combination of the probability of a flood event happening and the consequences (impact) if it were to occur and can be quantified in financial terms. When determining the effect of a measure, it can be assessed by comparing the investment costs with the reduction in risk. See also Figure 14. The challenge is to find the optimum. Paragraph 6.4 explains in short what is needed to come to such an optimum. At first the current flood risk is to be calculated. Then, with a set of measures determine the investment needed to stay at that level in the future, or set a protection level of 25, 50 and 100 years and assess what the costs are. The optimum is not only defined in financial terms, as other elements as reducing casualties, improving health and creating a liveable and prosperous city are all to be taken into account.

4.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA

The area on which the DRR team focused was the Sungai Pinang catchment and the historic city centre of George Town. These are two very different systems. The Sungai Pinang catchment originates in the Penang hills, and through several rivers, creeks and drains ends in the Sungai Pinang which discharges into the Malacca Strait. The catchment as well as the length of the rivers is small. Downstream, the system is in a highly urbanized area. Where the upstream catchment is in a hilly forest, there are also a number of retention ponds, drinking water reservoirs and bypasses. In the urban area of George Town, rainfall is collected in a drainage systems (mostly underground) and discharges through a number of outlets directly into the sea. The catchment and characteristics of the Sungai Pinang is shown in Figure 15.

Figure 14: Risk versus investment

Figure 15: Catchment and characteristics of Sungai Pinang • 37 • Figure 15: Some pictures of the area

• 38 • JULY 10, 2018 DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 39 • Figure 17: Flooding in the Sungai Pinang catchment

18a 18b

Figure 18: Drainage system in the historic centre

18a Map with the location of the outlets 18b Example of one of the outlets

• 40 • JULY 10, 2018 Figure 16 show some pictures taken by the DRR team. The picture on the lower right is in George Town, the other pictures are in the Sungai Pinang catchment. The picture of George Town is typical for the area: concrete, asphalt and no room to store water, only underground. The pictures from the river show that a significant part of the river is aligned, with concrete, to allow the water to discharge as soon as possible. It also shows that the city has turned its back to the river. Access to areas close to the river is blocked or very difficult. In the lower stretch of the Sungai Hitam (before it becomes the Sungai Pinang), suddenly a green area with trees and a natural river appears.

DID in Penang has made an overview of areas frequently flooded by the Sungai Pinang, see Figure 17. The green dotted line is the boundary of the catchment of Sungai Pinang

In the upstream part of the catchment, some retention ponds are built. For such a retention to be effective, strategic operation is needed: these ponds are most effective when used during the peak of an event. If they are used prior to or after an event, the impact is not optimal. During a field visit it was noticed that there is a fixed weir between the river and the pond. As a result, the operation of these ponds cannot be adjusted. Further upstream, two water supply reservoirs are constructed as well. Their operation is only focused on optimizing the water supply to the city. Also their capacity could be used during a flood event.

As mentioned before, the area outside that boundary, in the historic city centre, drains directly into the sea, through a network of drains and outlets.

During the meetings and discussions it became clear that many plans and projects exist, focussing on drainage, pumping stations, works and construction, barrages and collector drains and valves for the outlets. Most seem to focus on solutions on the spot, and not necessarily look for solution on catchment scale.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 41 • Figure 19: Example of bottlenecks

• 42 • JULY 10, 2018 Bottlenecks During several site visits, it was noticed that in some locations construction of bridges and pipelines resulted in bottlenecks for the river. According to the representatives of DID, at these locations flooding occurs as well. The challenge here is that construction of the bridges is carried out by the city council, whereas river management is a task for DID. The pipelines are typically owned by a utility company such as the water supplier.

4.3 OVERALL FINDINGS ON FLOOD MANAGEMENT PRACTICE IN PENANG

• Retention ponds are not managed optimally yet. There may be room to fine- tune their operations to mitigate the impact of flooding. • A similar observation is valid for the Water supply reservoirs upstream of Sungai Air Hitam and Sungai Air Terjun. As this is a different stakeholder, discussions are needed to find out whether the effective use of ponds is an option. • Bottlenecks in the system need to be removed. A number of bridges are too low or make the cross sections too narrow. As a result, they may act as a weir during higher water levels.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 43 • • 44 • JULY 10, 2018 5. TOWARDS AN ADAPTIVE DESIGN OF THE WATER SYSTEM

5.1 INTRODUCTION

In order to get as many ideas (and involvement) from various stakeholders a charrette was organised.

Method used: a charrette

A charrette is a condensed design workshop in which, in this case, Dutch experience is combined with local knowledge, with the aim to achieve new shared discoveries and to learn from each other’s experiences. In this workshop drawing is used as connecting language between participants from different disciplines and with different backgrounds. In order to be effective a workshop like this should take 4 days. The Penang workshop lasted only 3 hours and was, obviously, very limited in time. Three hours is too short to develop a balanced vision but it helps to identify the main issues. More than 40 people attended the meeting in Penang

Motive for this charrette Pulau Penang is frequently struck by floods, causing lots of damage. Without intervention this will even get worse in the future. Flash floods and storm events will occur more frequently and infrastructure and urbanization are changing rapidly The city of George Town uses a lot of cement and offers too little room for the water; there is hardly any space to store the water. Also the water cannot sink into the soil. Conditions are changing! This is true for the natural (climate) conditions as well as for the man made conditions. Main questions are: how can we deal with the increase of precipitation and how can we protect Pulau Penang better against flooding and reduce damage?

To achieve this, three complementary strategies are needed (and being discussed in this report): 1. Improved forecasting resulting in a better early warning (chapter 3) 2. Effective disaster management (chapter 4) 3. Adaptive (re)design of the water system and the urban area

The charrette was about this last strategy: • How can we realize a more robust and adaptive water system? • How can we develop the urban area in such a way that it becomes less sensitive to flooding?

The ‘storyline’ used during the charrette is given in Annex E.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 45 • Figure 20: Charrette in Penang, 4th of June 2018

• 46 • JULY 10, 2018 5.2 OBSERVATIONS IN PULAU PENANG

On Pulau Penang lots of projects are under construction or in preparation. The administration is eager to solve all problems as soon as possible. There are lots of individual projects but an integrated and holistic approach seems to be missing.

In the present situation most solutions are: • found ‘on the spot’, • based on increased drainage capacity • realized as ‘concrete’ constructions.

The rivers are an almost hidden quality in the urban fabric. They are hard to find, but when you have found them, you discover an overwhelming green area that really could add spatial, ecological and social value to the city, that could strengthen Penang’s identity. And along these rivers often still a lot of space is available. Space that can be used to increase storage capacity or to retain the water.

As mentioned earlier, in the North East of Pulau Penang two systems are relevant: • the natural river-based system, the Sungai Pinang catchment area • the man-made system within the old colonial inner city of George Town These two systems are totally different, but they both require a system-based approach.

In the natural based river system there are still many bottlenecks. Sometimes the river bed is too narrow and on other places the bridges are too low. During high water levels these low bridges hinder the run off and worsen the flooding.

In the man-made system, the UNESCO heritage inner-city, there is hardly any space available. There you have to develop another kind of measures.

5.3 RESULTS OF THE CHARRETTE

The participants shared the conclusion that solutions for the different assignments within a river system must be embedded in an integrated vision on the future development for that system as a whole. In what direction does Penang want to develop its river system, what should be its main characteristics and qualities? That integrated, holistic long-term perspective offers guidelines for the development of the individual projects in the mid- and short term.

In the upstream area of the natural, river-based system there seem to be possibilities to enlarge the capacity for water storage and to increase water retention. Additional water storage can for example be found at the large sporting facilities near schools – soccer fields or the Penang Turf Club Batu Gantong Equestrian Centre can be used to store water during peak events for example. This strategy can include the development of water ponds and retention basins, but also the re-profiling of the riverbed.In the midstream additional measures as the construction of levees might be necessary.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 47 • Figure 21: Concepts of the linear park

• 48 • JULY 10, 2018 For the whole system bottlenecks should be taken away. That seems a relatively simple executable measure, that can be carried out in the short term and that results a major effect.

For the long term the Sungai Pinang can be developed as a connecting linear park which runs from the colonial town to Suffolk House, former residence of Francis Light, the first British governor. Here, water safety can be combined with nature and leisure. Here, people find a refreshing green and cool surrounding. Here, they can watch birds, walk along the water, where runners can run, children can play and golf-players exercise their swing. This Francis Light Park is almost there! All you have to do is to add connecting footpaths, play grounds and create space for water storage and retention, see also Figure 21. In the Netherlands the city of Rotterdam is frontrunner in the development of climate adaptive solutions, especially in water-based solutions. Rotterdam has developed a broad range of water-based innovations, varying from water squares to water retention under parking garages to the development of multifunctional levees. Examples are available at https:// www.rotterdam.nl/wonen-leven/waterberging-museumparkgarage/ or more information at https://www.rotterdam.nl/wonen-leven/water-in-rotterdam/.

In the downstream area there is currently not much available along the river. But that can change in the next decades, knowing that this is George Town’s most dynamic area. A long-term perspective helps to take advantage of the dynamics, to make use of the opportunities that may arise in future developments.

For the heritage city centre it was mentioned that there is some colonial water infrastructure that is now hidden. It is worth to further research the presence and state of this, and to assess the possibilities of renovating this infrastructure as it may enhance the retention capacity of the area. The location is indicated in Figure 22.

Figure 22: Estimated location of hidden historic water infrastructure

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 49 • Figure 23: Concept of underground water storage

• 50 • JULY 10, 2018 In the inner city the lack of water storage can be addressed by the re-introduction of permeable pavements and in the development of underground water storage. Under public roads, playgrounds and temple squares you can develop a significant storage capacity, making use of plastic crates. After realization these streets and squares can simply function in the same way as they are used at the moment. The stored water seeps slowly away into the soil. An examples are available at https://www.rainproof.nl/toolbox/maatregelen/infiltratiekratten (only in Dutch unfortunately).

This measure can be implemented step by step, you don’t have to redesign the entire public space of George Town immediately. Every time when in the public domain projects are carried out you can combine that with the development of underground water storage. That makes this a more feasible measure. The impact of the measure largely depends on the scale of it. A few crates do not make a difference, but if you can deploy it on a large scale (say 10 % of a catchment), it could store in the order of 30 – 40 mm of rain.

5.4 HOW TO COME TO DECISION-MAKING?

Evidence based decision making is needed to decide where to invest, and what measures to take. This is achieved by making an objective assessment of the hazards, vulnerabilities and exposures. This assessment results in an overview of potential investments for mitigating these risks, some already mentioned earlier. In order to come to such decision, the following steps are needed: • Data collection. Data is needed on the elevation (LIDAR), land use, bathymetry, damage, meteo, hydro, structures & dimension, maintenance, tidal data. • Modelling framework. This data is input for a modelling framework, used for simulating rainfall runoff process, propagation of the flood wave, inundation patterns, damage, scenario´s. • Measures. Assess effectiveness and attractiveness of measures. This include measures such as the plans for the barrage, smart usage of upstream retention, but also the impact of other measures such as the linear park.

Apart from the fact that with this approach, Pulau Penang, including the historic city centre of George Town becomes a safer and even nicer place to be, it can also act as a frontrunner for other urban flood prone areas in Malaysia. As an example of how a different approach can lead to nice sustainable results.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 51 • • 52 • JULY 10, 2018 6. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSED FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

6.1 METEOROLOGY

1. Use probabilities in the warning system: they are the best way to communicate (un)certainty. Don’t wait until you are 100% certain because then you will be too late. With probabilities an indication of a severe event can be given as much as a week in advance, maybe not to the public yet, but certainly to the emergency response organisations. 2. Decide at what level you convert the probability into an action: in the Netherlands an early warning is issued by KNMI at a probability of > 60% . However for code red KNMI waits until the probability is > 90%. Discuss this conversion level with the experts on impact. If the user want no false alarms you have to wait until you are very certain. However if the user does not want a miss he has to accept that he will get some false alarms (better safe than sorry). 3. Use Cost-Loss theory to convert probability in decision: it is determined the balance between the costs you make when taking precautionary measures vs the loss you incur when the event happens and causes damages. 4. Don’t hesitate to communicate that you don’t know what is going to happen in case your weather models give conflicting forecasts. That is better and more realistic that just choosing.

For the short term we recommend to take the following actions:

5. Implement the medium range GFS (USA) ensembles (download via ftp, 4 times per day ) and make simple forecast products like precipitation “plumes” for various places in Malaysia ( test them on the November case). They are freely available on the web. If possible use the ECMWF ensemble (but for that a license is needed). 6. Organize joint training courses for forecasters and stakeholders together to explain about ensembles, probabilities and particularly on how to deal with probabilities and convert a probability in a decision. 7. Continue the development of the mesoscale ensembles. There has been an excellent start in the MetMalaysia Research team with experimentation (test them on the November case).

6.2 DISASTER MANAGEMENT

1. Establish a pro-active response Pro-active implies for the disaster management organisation the deployment of assets to the scene before the flooding starts, if needed evacuating people and properties before the flooding and informing people on the actions to be taken before during and after the flooding. This required a planned approach/flood response plan based on flood risk information. Drafting of a response plan should be done as collaborative work with the different stakeholders.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 53 • 2. Introduce a citizens based approach To be able to act themselves citizens need to be empowered to do so. If citizens are informed on what they need to do in a certain situation they will by a vast majority act accordingly if the advice is reasonable and a justified. In other words empowerment makes the society more disaster resilient. Apps are a good tool to inform the public. There should be one app with relevant info. Not one for weather, one for floods, one for disasters, but one app only. MyCuaca, developed by MetMalaysia is a good basis for this. 3. Develop an improved information management A digital GIS based information system should be developed. A system containing the flood risk and hazard maps and other preparatory information. A system which all the actors active in the disaster response can feed with their information and which produces an overview of the situation based on this information (in order to realise a common operational picture).

6.3 FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT

1. Rather than only drain, store and retain the water in upstream areas. Measures should not only mitigate flood impact, but also add value to the city. 2. Increase and manage upstream retention. Retention ponds are not managed optimal yet. There os room to fine-tune their operations to mitigate the impact of flooding more optimal. A similar observation is valid for the Water supply reservoirs upstream Sungai Air Hitam and Sungai Air Terjun. In the upstream part of the catchment, additional retention can be created for example at sporting grounds near schools. 3. Bottlenecks in the system need to be removed. A number of bridges or other utilities are too low or make the cross sections to little. As a result, they can act as a weir during higher water levels.Combine nature, leisure and enhance safety by developing a linear park. 4. Combine nature, leisure and enhance safety by developing a linear park 5. Develop a decision support framework, to allow evidence-based decision making and make objective assessments of different strategies.

6.4 REMOVE SILOS

The DRR team did not make a thorough assessment of the institutional setting in Malaysia. However during the meetings it became clear that the different institutes and organizations could benefit more from each other knowledge and experience. DID, MetMalaysia, NADMA, city council have all capable expertise and experience. Working more together (e.g. by drafting contingency plans, table top exercise to enhance disaster management, develop apps for citizens together) would strengthen the cooperation. A good starting point are the OECD Water Government Principles , with special attention for the “trust and engagement”.

• 54 • JULY 10, 2018 6.5 FRAMEWORK OF FUNDING

The majority of the projects in the field of flood mitigation in Malaysia are funded from federal, state or city budget. The local drainages for example are all managed by the city council, whereas large scale infrastructure projects are funded centrally. The World Bank Group’s current partnership with Malaysia is focused on knowledge- sharing. It is centred on support for Malaysia’s vision to join the ranks of high income economies by 2020 through inclusive and sustainable growth, and to share its lessons with developing countries. The Asian Development Bank has no operations in the country any more. Malaysia is member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, so could be eligible to apply for funding from them. Further, it is recommended to engage with initiatives as the C40 Cities (according to the website, KL is a member) or “100 resilient cities”. Through exchange of knowledge and lessons learnt on technical and governance issues, Malaysia can continue building their expertise.

6.6 KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN THE NETHERLANDS

In the Netherlands we are living with the water for over two thousand years. During those two thousand years we developed a broad range of possible solutions. Solutions that not only work, but also make the area more attractive to live, to work, to stay and strengthen its ecological resilience. And during those two thousand years we also made mistakes. Mistakes where we have learned from and today also other countries as Malaysia can benefit from those lessons learned.

The Netherlands can offer extensive knowledge and experience in the field of urban water resiliency. Knowledge of design and technology, but also knowledge with regard to approach and administrative implementation /governance.

More information about resilient urban water management can be found on https:// www.helpdeskwater.nl/secundaire-navigatie/english/.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 55 • ANNEX A: DRR-TEAM

Dutch Risk Reduction Team: reducing the risk of water related disasters Many countries around the world face severe water threats. Often, these countries are in urgent need of expert advice on how to prevent a disaster or how to recover from a calamity. For instance, when a country has been struck by severe floodings and the first emergency relief workers have gone, the need for advice on how to build a sustainable and safer water future arises. To meet these needs with a swift response, the Dutch government has initiated the Dutch Risk Reduction Team (DRR Team). This team of experts advises governments on how to resolve urgent water issues related to flood risks, water pollution and water supply, to prevent disasters or to rebuild after water related disasters. With climate change and a fast growing world population, water issues are becoming more urgent. As a country renowned for its’ expertise on water and delta management, the Netherlands feels a responsibility to share its’ knowledge worldwide. That is just what the DRR team does; sharing expertise with governments to come up with the best possible approach/solutions for tackling urgent water issues. Because of the unique cooperation between government and sector, the best experts can be fielded quickly. The Dutch government offers a specific number of advisory missions each year.

Advice for all water issues The Netherlands has brought its best water experts together in the Dutch Risk Reduction Team. It consists of high level advisors supported by a broad base of technical experts who can provide top quality and tailor made expertise to governments that are confronted with severe and urgent water challenges. The Dutch are experts in adapting to water in a changing world; from delta management to water technology, from urban planning to governance, public private partnerships and financial engineering.

How does the DRR team work? Governments that have to deal with an urgent water issue are encouraged to contact the Dutch embassy in their region. The embassy will liaise quickly with the Dutch government. Interventions will only take place after a request from a central government has been received by the Dutch government, and after a recent calamity or to prevent a threatening disaster. The DRR team does not focus on emergency relief, but on sustainable solutions. If the decision to respond to the request is made, relevant Dutch experts will be rapidly fielded to the area that is under pressure. Together with the government and local experts, the situation will be assessed and analysed after which the team will come up with a set of recommendations. For example advice on technical interventions including immediate measures and long term sustainable solutions, advice on governance and advice on financing options. The DRR team enables a foreign government to take action on the basis of sound advice and expertise.

• 56 • JULY 10, 2018 ANNEX B: TEAM MEMBERS

Marco Hartman: Team leader DRR Marco Hartman is advisor on Flood Risk Management and project leader at HKV Consultants, a leading Dutch firm for consultancy and research on water and safety. Marco Hartman studied Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology. After his study he worked for an engineering consultant in Jakarta before he joined HKV Consultants in 1998. His field of expertise is water management, modelling and GIS. Marco Hartman has developed as an experienced project leader and has ample experience in the implementation and management of Flood Risk Assessment studies, in the Netherlands and a number of countries in Asia and Africa. Marco was involved in several DRR missions prior to this one.

Pieter Glerum: Flood Disaster Manager Pieter Glerum is an Independent Disaster Management Consultant. Pieter studied Agricultural Engineering at Wageningen University and Crisis and Disaster Management at Leiden University. He is a qualified fire brigade and disaster management trainer and an expert on flooding. Pieter is qualified in EU civil protection Mechanism and has been deployed to European and African Countries as expert to flood related disasters for response coordination and preparedness missions. Pieter is co- author of the national response plan for flooding in the Netherlands and has over 25 years of professional experience in field of Disaster and Emergency Management. At the moment he is working on a project for the institutional capacity building of AFAD the Turkish national disaster management agency

Steven Slabbers: Urban planner/urban resilience expert Steven Slabbers is founding father and director Bosch Slabbers landscape + urban design, a private company. Steven is a landscape architect specialized in urban planning combined with water related issues and in infrastructure (dry as well as wet) design. He has a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Environmental Planning and Design wit as specialization in Landscape Architecture + Urban planning. In the Netherlands he designed several urban master plans, for metropolitan areas and for individual cities. Steven is an international known expert in the field of delta planning and -design. In the US, Vietnam and Ghana Steven was/is key-advisor in projects as the Urban Water management plan for greater New Orleans (2010-2013) and Climate Adaptation Strategy for Ho Chi Minh City (2012-2014). At the moment Steven is working on a robust water system for Accra, capital of Ghana.

Robert Mureau: Meteorologist Robert Mureau started working in meteorology in 1980 at the Dutch National Weather Service KNMI. Between 1987 and 1992 he worked at the European Weather Centre (ECMWF). There he helped setting up the ensemble weather forecasting system (ENS), a system which generates 50 scenarios for future weather. Such scenarios allow you to estimate risk on severe events. In 2000 he moved from the research environment to the operational department at KNMI where he developed practical tools for forecasters and introduced new methods (like probability forecasts) to the forecasters. In 2009 he moved to MeteoGroup, the largest commercial weather provider in Europe, where he became the head of the research team. He retired in the summer of 2016. His expertise is in predictability of the weather, risk forecasting, and particularly in how to communicate low probability severe events.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 57 • ANNEX C: TERMS OF REFERENCE

TERMS OF REFERENCE – DRR-TEAM SCOPING MISSION PENANG (MALAYSIA) 2018

Flood risk management, forecasting tools and emergency plans Experts Project code: DRR218MY0x Date April 25 2018

1.Introduction

Request An official request from the Chief Minister of Penang for support from the DRR-Team was sent to the Dutch Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on 5 December 2017. On 17 January 2018 a support letter from the National Disaster Management Agency, directly under coordination of the Prime Minister’s department, was received. The Water International Steering Committee agreed with the deployment of the DRR-Team on 23 January 2018.

Background Typhoon Damrey, which mainly affected Vietnam, also had severe spill over effects in Penang State in Malaysia in the weekend of 4 - 5 November. Heavy flooding due to continuous downpour and strong winds coincided with a high tide phenomenon of waves with a height of 2.7 meters. Some areas recorded water levels reaching up to 12 feet. The floods have forced 7,910 evacuees in Penang State and 3.839 evacuees in Kedah to stay in emergency centres set up by the authorities. In North Seberang Perai and Central Seberang Perai districts floods caused severe damage. In total 7 people were killed.

The average yearly rainfall in Penang is 2,500 mm. However, the continuous downpour that occurred within the span of 15 hours had an average volume of 372 mm. This caused river flooding since the runoff exceeds river water drainage capacity. The existing drainage and river systems were unable to hold the high volumes of water that flowed. Some of the utility structures built across the rivers and main drains were too low and blocked water flow during the floods. Multiple hillslope developments possibly also aggravated the situation by disrupting natural drainage and causing landslides.

Annually, Malaysia faces floods during the monsoon season between November and March. During this season, many states at the west of the Malaysian peninsular are affected by floods. Since the floods in early November 2017 in Penang State there have been other floods in several states in Malaysia. One of the worst was in the first week of January 2018 in the states of Pahang, Johor and Terengganu. These floods have a severe negative impact on the livelihood of the population, especially for the most vulnerable groups. The increasing consequences of climate change have added to the Malaysian awareness of its adverse impact on the incidence of floods in Malaysia.

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 330,803 square kilometres (127,720 sq. mi). Penang State government has its own legislature and executive council, but they have relatively limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal government.

Numerous flood mitigation projects have already been implemented under different governing agencies yet these are not sufficient in tackling the breadth of the situation. As a response to the recent tragedy the state of Penang is looking for a flood management program incorporating a holistic approach. Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Junaidi mentioned that comprehensive technical studies will be conducted before any major projects are implemented to address flood related problems in Penang. The Ministry is looking at the drainage and irrigation system, retention ponds and the seabed before developing further projects.

• 58 • JULY 10, 2018 Flood mitigation projects and allocation for such projects belong to the responsibility of the federal government. In the recent budget presentation for the year 2018, the government has decided to allocate RM 517 million (approx. € 107 million) for flood mitigation programs. The Chief Minister of Penang announced on 9 November that the state itself will allocate RM 100 m. The federal government currently implements the Sungai Penang Flood Mitigation Project. Through a Design & Build contract the capacity of the Sungai Penang will be increased. Intention is to enlarge its capacity, improve/install collector drains, create retention and detention ponds.illion for its post disaster fund called “Pulau Pinang Bangkit” (Penang to bounce back) post-disaster program.

Visit Minister Kaag and Asian Water The momentum for the DRR mission is favourable as Minister Sigrid Kaag of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation has visited Kuala Lumpur on 8 and 9 February 2018. This created an opportunity to highlight the support of the Netherlands in improving the flood resilience of Penang State. The deployment of the DRR-Team has been announced and a press bulletin has been released.

Asian Water, the regions’ leading water industry event was scheduled for 10 to 12 April 2018. The Dutch embassy organised a seminar with the Malaysian Ministry of Water and a networking event. A DRR mission could stimulate the attention for the Dutch Water Sector complementary to these events.

2.Overall Mission specifications

a. Scope and objectives

The state of Penang is looking for a flood management program incorporating a holistic approach after a series of natural disasters with an intense and unseen rate occurred in the last years. The state of Penang is already considering technical studies on how to address the flood problem. The DRR-Team could make an important contribution by offering their knowledge and expertise. The recent floods in Penang and other states as well, have made clear that existing drainage and river systems were unable to hold the high volumes of water. Utility structures built across the rivers and main drains were too low and blocked water flow during the floods. Waste (domestic, agricultural & industrial) that was thrown into the river and monsoon drains also led to the disruption in the irrigation system particularly affecting water pumps.

The scope for the DRR-Team is Flood Management in the State of Penang. The goal is to advise the State of Penang on technical interventions, governance and financing options to minimize flood risk. More specific the following topics will be part of the scoping activities:

• Flood Risk Assessment for the short- and medium term in Penang State with a focus on drainage and river systems. Flash floods and landslides are areas of particular interest. Topography, hydrogeology and physical attributes of the existing or proposed developments in flood mitigation need to be considered. • Urban flood management: secondary drainage systems in urban areas is the responsibility of the Penang State Government. what are the possibilities for water storage in inner cities in Penang? What can be learned from the Dutch experience with cities in NL and abroad? Innovative solutions should be included. This includes urban planning, structural measurements (flood protection hard and soft infrastructure). • Specific advice on meteorological and hydrological modelling and forecasting tools in for Pulau Penang. To reduce the risks of casualties and impact there is a need of a Flood Early Warning System to prepare authorities and people living in flood prone areas. Possibilities and limitations should be managed. • Awareness and resilience: Which measures and tolls can be implemented to raise awareness about flood risks and to improve resilience? Are there good practices in the

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 59 • Netherlands that raised awareness that can be applied to Penang. • Flood Disaster Management. From meteo forecasting to emergency measures. Advice on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the event of floods. Cooperation, communication and actions to limit flood impact during flood disaster. • Inventory of funding options for the Penang and Malaysian Government, including third party and NL options.

b. Deliverables

The DRR-Team is expected to deliver the following output:

• A mission report with recommendations for the authorities of Penang State and the National Government of Malaysia including: o A management summary o Description of conducted activities (meetings, field trips, surveys etc.) o Overview of the outcomes of the Flood Risk Assessment for Penang State with observations and conclusions on: * Types of flood hazards, in particular flash floods and land slides Risks and impact of flood hazards * Factors of influence on (flash) flood impact. Sources of floods, zoning, drainage, climate change etc. o Advice on Urban Flood Management: urban planning, structural measurements (flood protection hard and soft infrastructure), including innovative solutions. o Advice on meteorological and hydrological modelling and forecasting tools and Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS) for Pulau Penang o Advice on measurements to improve awareness on flood risks and to improve resilience. o Advice on Flood Disaster Management. SOP’s and practical recommendations on cooperation, communication and actions. o Recommendations for possible follow up activities o Framework of funding, including third party and NL options related to the recommendations and follow up activities. • Each of the experts will contribute to the mission report by providing their specified contribution in agreement with the Team leader. • A presentation at the end of the mission with the preliminary results and advice of the mission for the Penang Sate and the Malaysian authorities. • A presentation on the outcome of the mission in The Netherlands to interested Dutch parties in which the following will be presented: o Opportunities on short – medium and long-term interventions o If possible indications of financial arrangements in Malaysia Time, place and venue for this presentation will be organised by NWP and RVO in close consultation with the expert team.

In addition the following is asked:

• During the mission regular posts on social media: o Regular tweets on Twitter (at least 3 per mission), using #NLDRR-Team and @RVO-Int-Ond, in which it is mentioned what you are doing and that it concerns a mission of the Dutch Risk Reduction-Team (abbreviation DRR-Team) o Other social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., in which it is mentioned what you are doing and that it concerns a mission from the Dutch Risk Reduction-Team (DRR-Team) • Minimum one short update on proceedings during the mission to the project advisor RVO (contact Jaap Kroon: [email protected]) and the NWP (contact Daniël van Dijk: [email protected]) • The findings and recommendations shall be presented in a reader friendly and professional manner and may include illustrations and photos;

• 60 • JULY 10, 2018 • An electronic version of the final report along with all the relevant annexes within 2 weeks after the mission has ended; • A summary of the visit of maximum 2 pages, which can be used for publication on websites of EKN and RVO.nl/drrteam.nl; • Representative(s) of the expert team should be available to present the findings during a (sector) meeting in the Netherlands. • Establish and explain expectation levels with the Government of the State of Penang and de national authorities of Malaysia (National Disaster Management Agency) • All reports and communication will be in English including a management summary. • Evaluation of the DRR-Team procedure and mission to enable M&E of tool. • The DRR-Team will represent the Dutch Water sector and the DRR-Team in a professional and constructive way

The Dutch embassy in Kuala Lumpur will be a close counterpart in preparation of the mission, during the mission and for follow up. The EKN (contact Fiona Burger: Fiona. [email protected]) will join and support both missions. Arranging flight tickets, visa and hotels is the responsibility of the team DRR members, although the embassy probably can assist.

3. Required expertise and tasks DRR Team

It is proposed that the DRR-Team for Penang State (Malaysia) consists of 1 Team Leader and 3 experts. The mission will be accompanied where possible by Embassy staff members. The required expertise is as follows:

• DRR-Team Leader: experience with in Integrated Water Resource Management, Flood Risk Management, Flood Risk Reduction and project management. Knowledge of the region, especially Malaysia, is preferred • Meteo expert: knowledge of tropical systems in South East Asia and hands on experience with flash flood forecasting. The expert will assess the current practice of weather forecasting in relation to floods in Malaysia on a national and local scale (Penang). Based on the assessment the Meteo expert will advise on improvements in weather forecasting for Penang island. The expert will inform on best global practices and advise on early warning for flash floods that are most suitable for the Malaysian and Penang context. • Urban planner/urban resilience expert: practical experience in designing and implementing flood mitigation measures in densely populated area. The task of the urban planner is to analyse the existing flood mitigation infrastructure in the urban areas of Penang and to advise on the possibilities to include local measures to mitigate flooding in urban areas. This will be done in collaboration with responsible officers in Penang. The urban planner will showcase how Dutch cities have implemented innovative flood mitigation measures. Assessment and advice on building codes should be included. Through field trips (e.g. with the local council or other stakeholders), or possibly workshops with the citizens in flood prone areas, the urban planner will prepare some preliminary conceptual designs and describe the effectiveness of the ‘sponge city’ concept for Penang. • (Flood) disaster manager: experience in awareness campaigns, early warning as well as Standard Operating Procedures in disaster management. The task of the disaster manager is to assess the current SOP’s and compare it with practices in the Netherlands and/or other best practices. Together with the meteo expert propose how results of the flash flood forecasting system can be linked to an early warning system can be used in the SOP. Present international best practices to enhance awareness and resilience amongst the citizens on Pulau Penang . Benchmark the SOP to current practice in the Netherlands (institutional as well as when to evacuate, etcetera). Advise on improvements.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 61 • More detailed tasks and deliverables will be discussed and planned in preparation of and during the DRR-Team mission with the DRR-Team leader and RVO.

4.Timing

The main mission is planned for end of May 2018, but has to be confirmed. Including two travel days the main mission will cover 11 days in total. Expected nights in Kuala Lumpur are 5 and in Penang 4.

5.Contact

Contracting of the experts will be conducted by Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl). All documents should be sent to [email protected] with a cc to [email protected] en [email protected]

Annex A: Background information (original request from Penang State)

• 62 • JULY 10, 2018 Annex A: Request letter Penang State

Page 6 of 3

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 63 • Page 7 of 3

• 64 • JULY 10, 2018 Page 8 of 3

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 65 • ANNEX D: MISSION PROGRAMME

Day Date LOCATION DRR Team Member Activity Involved 1 To Be Con- NL ALL All: Departure Amsterdam (evening) firmed

2 To Be Con- KL ALL All: Arrival Kuala Lumpur (afternoon) firmed Check-in hotel

3 Wednesday NADMA-/MET ALL Morning Malaysia 30th May Meeting at MET

To meet with experts at NADMA, KL elaborate on SOP, exchange knowledge and best practices. discuss with other disaster organisations, such as DID, NDRF, Red Cres- cent, etcetera. Presentation of the DRR team and approach Time: 9:30 AM Venue: Cumulus Meeting Room Level 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Contact Ms Bibi Zarina (NADMA): +6019 233 3715 Afternoon Meeting at the Embassy 1.30 PM: Presentation by Bastiaan van der Zeeuw (Embassy intern) on his flood research 2 PM: Introduction of DRR team to Ambassador Mrs. Karin Mossenlech- ner Time: 1.30 PM Venue: Embassy of the Netherlands. The Ampwalk Mall, 7th floor, South Block, 218 Jalan Ampang 50450 Kuala Lumpur

* Team Leader (Mr. Marco Hartman )/ Urban Planner (Steven Slabbers): Fly to Penang (AK 6138 - 5.55 PM)

• 66 • JULY 10, 2018 Day Date LOCATION DRR Team Member Activity Involved 1 To Be Con- NL ALL All: Departure Amsterdam (evening) firmed

2 To Be Con- KL ALL All: Arrival Kuala Lumpur (afternoon) firmed Check-in hotel

3 Wednesday NADMA-/MET ALL Morning Malaysia 30th May Meeting at MET

* Team Leader (Mr. Marco Hartman )/ Urban Planner (Steven Slabbers): Fly to Penang (AK 6138 - 5.55 PM)

4 Thursday Mercy Malaysia Robert Mureau Morning Pieter Glerum Meeting with Mercy Malaysia 31st May KL Time: 10 AM Venue: Unit 19-8, 19th Floor, Menara Oval Damansara, No. 685 Jalan Dam- ansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur Day Date LOCATION DRR Team Member Activity Involved Afternoon Meeting with MET Malaysia : 1 To Be Con- NL ALL All: Departure Amsterdam (evening) MET Malaysia firmed Robert Mureau KL Time : 2.30 PM Pieter Glerum Venue : Cumulus Meeting Room Lev- 2 To Be Con- KL ALL All: Arrival Kuala Lumpur (afternoon) el 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan firmed 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Check-in hotel Contact Mr. Zaidi Zainal Abidin, Strategic Planning and International 3 Wednesday NADMA-/MET ALL Morning Division, MET Malaysia Malaysia 30th May Meeting at MET

To meet with experts at NADMA, PENANG KL elaborate on SOP, exchange knowl- Marco Hartman Team Leader / Urban Planner: edge and best practices. Steven Slabbers discuss with other disaster organisa- Morning : Meeting at city council tions, such as DID, NDRF, Red Cres- (MBPP) cent, etcetera. Time: 2 PM Presentation of the DRR team and Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- approach TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau Pinang Time: 9:30 AM Venue: Cumulus Meeting Room Level Contact : Ms Mokagathi 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Contact Ms Bibi Zarina (NADMA): +6019 233 3715 Afternoon Meeting at the Embassy 5 Friday NADMA Robert Mureau Meeting At NADMA KL Pieter Glerum 1.30 PM: Presentation by Bastiaan 1st of June Meteo expert / FDM van der Zeeuw (Embassy intern) on Preliminary presentation on observa- his flood research tions re weather forecast and SOP @ 2 PM: Introduction of DRR team to NADMA (including invitees from oth- Ambassador Mrs. Karin Mossenlech- er stakeholders, as DID, other stake- ner holders identified). Time: 1.30 PM Venue: Embassy of the Netherlands. PENANG Marco Hartman Team Leader / Urban Planner: The Ampwalk Mall, 7th floor, South Steven Slabbers Morning : Meeting at JPS Penang Block, 218 Jalan Ampang Time: 10 AM 50450 Kuala Lumpur Venue: JPS Level 55, KOMTAR, Jalan Penang Followed by Field visit Sg. Pinang Teluk Kumbar Contact : Mr. Yogen: * Team Leader (Mr. Marco Hartman )/ Urban Planner (Steven Slabbers): Ir Zainuddin Fly to Penang (AK 6138 - 5.55 PM) Ms. Nortilawati

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG * Meteo expert (Robert Mureau) / FDM (Pieter Glerum): • 67 • Fly to Penang (AK6138 - 5.55 PM) Day Date LOCATION DRR Team Member Activity Involved 1 To Be Con- NL ALL All: Departure Amsterdam (evening) firmed

2 To Be Con- KL ALL All: Arrival Kuala Lumpur (afternoon) firmed Check-in hotel

3 Wednesday NADMA-/MET ALL Morning Malaysia 30th May Meeting at MET

* Team Leader (Mr. Marco Hartman )/ Urban Planner (Steven Slabbers): Fly to Penang (AK 6138 - 5.55 PM)

Afternoon MET Malaysia Meeting with MET Malaysia : Robert Mureau KL Time : 2.30 PM Pieter Glerum Venue : Cumulus Meeting Room Lev- el 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact Mr. Zaidi Zainal Abidin, Strategic Planning and International Division, MET Malaysia Team Leader / Urban Planner:

PENANG Morning : Meeting at city council Marco Hartman (MBPP) Steven Slabbers Time: 2 PM Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau Pinang Contact : Ms Mokagathi ( +6016 490 2904)

5 Friday NADMA Robert Mureau Meeting At NADMA - TBC KL Pieter Glerum 1st of June Meteo expert / FDM Preliminary presentation on observations re weather forecast and SOP @ NADMA (including invitees from other stakeholders, as DID, other stakeholders identified).

PENANG Marco Hartman Team Leader / Urban Planner: Steven Slabbers Morning : Meeting at JPS Penang Time: 10 AM Venue: JPS Level 55, KOMTAR, Jalan Penang Followed by Field visit Sg. Pinang Teluk Kumbar Contact : Mr. Yogen: +60194647883 Ir Zainuddin(+60194001377) Ms. Nortilawati ( +6019 464 7883)

* Meteo expert (Robert Mureau) / FDM (Pieter Glerum): Fly to Penang (AK6138 - 5.55 PM) 6 Saturday PENANG ALL Field visit to Air Terjung 2nd June

7 Monday PENANG ALL Morning 4th June Meeting with Meteo – Penang Time: 9:30 AM Venue: Meeting Room, Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang, Gate 16,11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang. Contact : Mr. Ibrahim Johari

ALL Afternoon Workshop with city council execu- tives (MBPP), community members, other stakeholders Work out concept on early warning, urban planning, disaster management together with city council, stakeholders. Time: 2 PM Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau Pinang Contact : Ms Mokagathi 8 Tuesday PENANG ALL Morning 5th June (MET Penang) Meeting with Meteo - Penang * Location near NADMA & MBPP Penang Airport

Meteo / FDM : present preliminary presentation on observations re weather forecast and SOP to the city council (MBPP)- MBPP to send representative Discuss SOP and early warning practice in Penang with local reps from METEO (PENANG) Time: 10 AM Venue: Meeting Room, Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang, Gate 16,11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang. Contact : Mr. Ibrahim Johari

• 68 • JULY 10, 2018 Day Date LOCATION DRR Team Member Activity Involved 1 To Be Con- NL ALL All: Departure Amsterdam (evening) firmed

2 To Be Con- KL ALL All: Arrival Kuala Lumpur (afternoon) firmed Check-in hotel

3 Wednesday NADMA-/MET ALL Morning Malaysia 30th May Meeting at MET

* Team Leader (Mr. Marco Hartman )/ Urban Planner (Steven Slabbers): Fly to Penang (AK 6138 - 5.55 PM)

Day Date LOCATION DRR Team Member Activity Involved 4 Thursday Mercy Malaysia Robert Mureau Morning Pieter Glerum Meeting with Mercy Malaysia 1 To Be Con- NL ALL All: Departure Amsterdam (evening) 31st May KL Time: 10 AM firmed Venue: Unit 19-8, 19th Floor, Menara Oval Damansara, No. 685 Jalan Dam- 2 To Be Con- KL ALL All: Arrival Kuala Lumpur (afternoon) ansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur firmed Check-in hotel Afternoon MET Malaysia Meeting with MET Malaysia : 3 Wednesday NADMA-/MET ALL Morning Robert Mureau KL Time : 2.30 PM Malaysia Venue : Cumulus Meeting Room Lev- 30th May Pieter Glerum Meeting at MET el 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan

To meet with experts at NADMA, 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

KL elaborate on SOP, exchange knowl- Contact Mr. Zaidi Zainal Abidin, edge and best practices. Strategic Planning and International discuss with other disaster organisa- Division, MET Malaysia tions, such as DID, NDRF, Red Cres- Team Leader / Urban Planner: cent, etcetera. PENANG Morning : Meeting at city council Presentation of the DRR team and (MBPP) approach Marco Hartman Steven Slabbers Time: 2 PM Time: 9:30 AM Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- Venue: Cumulus Meeting Room Level TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan Pinang 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Contact : Ms Mokagathi ( +6016 490 Contact Ms Bibi Zarina (NADMA): 2904) +6019 233 3715 Afternoon Meeting at the Embassy 1.30 PM: Presentation by Bastiaan van der Zeeuw (Embassy intern) on his flood research 2 PM: Introduction of DRR team to Ambassador Mrs. Karin Mossenlech- ner 5 Friday NADMA Robert Mureau Meeting At NADMA - TBC KL Pieter Glerum Time: 1.30 PM 1st of June Meteo expert / FDM Venue: Embassy of the Netherlands. Preliminary presentation on observa- The Ampwalk Mall, 7th floor, South tions re weather forecast and SOP @ Block, 218 Jalan Ampang NADMA (including invitees from oth- 50450 Kuala Lumpur er stakeholders, as DID, other stakeholders identified).

PENANG Marco Hartman Team Leader / Urban Planner: Steven Slabbers Morning : Meeting at JPS Penang Time: 10 AM Venue: JPS Level 55, KOMTAR, Jalan * Team Leader (Mr. Marco Hartman )/ Urban Planner (Steven Slabbers): Penang Fly to Penang (AK 6138 - 5.55 PM) Followed by Field visit Sg. Pinang 4 Thursday Mercy Malaysia Robert Mureau Morning Teluk Kumbar Pieter Glerum Meeting with Mercy Malaysia Contact : 31st May KL Time: 10 AM Mr. Yogen: +60194647883 Venue: Unit 19-8, 19th Floor, Menara Ir Zainuddin(+60194001377) Oval Damansara, No. 685 Jalan Dam- Ms. Nortilawati ( +6019 464 7883) ansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur

Afternoon * Meteo expert (Robert Mureau) / FDM (Pieter Glerum): Meeting with MET Malaysia : MET Malaysia Fly to Penang (AK6138 - 5.55 PM) Robert Mureau KL Time : 2.30 PM 6 Saturday PENANG ALL Field visit to Mak Mandin Organised Pieter Glerum Venue : Cumulus Meeting Room Lev- 2nd June by JPS Penang el 2, MMD Headquarters Jalan Sultan 46667, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Time tbc

Contact Mr. Zaidi Zainal Abidin, 7 Monday PENANG ALL Morning Strategic Planning and International 4th June Meeting with Meteo – Penang Division, MET Malaysia Time: 9:30 AM Team Leader / Urban Planner: Venue: Meeting Room, Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang, PENANG Morning : Meeting at city council Gate 16,11900 Bayan Lepas, Marco Hartman (MBPP) Pulau Pinang. Steven Slabbers Time: 2 PM Contact : Mr. Ibrahim Johari Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- (+60125046144) TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau Pinang Afternoon ALL Workshop with city council execu- Contact : Ms Mokagathi ( +6016 490 tives (MBPP), community members, 2904) other stakeholders Work out concept on early warning, urban planning, disaster management together with city council, stakeholders. Time: 2 PM Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau Pinang 5 Friday NADMA Robert Mureau Meeting At NADMA - TBC Contact : Ms Mokagathi ( +6016 490 st KL Pieter Glerum 1 of June Meteo expert / FDM 2904) Preliminary presentation on observa- 8 Tuesday PENANG ALL Morning tions re weather forecast and SOP @ th NADMA (including invitees from oth- 5 June (MET Penang) Meeting with Meteo - Penang er stakeholders, as DID, other stake- * Location near NADMA & MBPP Penang Airport holders identified). Meteo / FDM : present preliminary PENANG Marco Hartman Team Leader / Urban Planner: presentation on observations re Steven Slabbers Morning : Meeting at JPS Penang weather forecast and SOP to the city Time: 10 AM council (MBPP)- MBPP to send repre- Venue: JPS Level 55, KOMTAR, Jalan sentative Penang Discuss SOP and early warning prac- Followed by Field visit tice in Penang with local reps from Sg. Pinang METEO (PENANG) Teluk Kumbar Time: 10 AM Contact : Venue: Meeting Room, Lapangan Mr. Yogen: +60194647883 Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang, Ir Zainuddin(+60194001377) Gate 16,11900 Bayan Lepas, Ms. Nortilawati ( +6019 464 7883) Pulau Pinang. Contact : Mr. Ibrahim Johari (+60125046144) * Meteo expert (Robert Mureau) / FDM (Pieter Glerum): 9 Wednesday PENANG ALL Meeting at MBPP Fly to Penang (AK6138 - 5.55 PM) 6th June Morning 6 Saturday PENANG ALL Field visit to Air Terjung Present results at city council Penang nd 2 June (MBPP) Time: 9 AM Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- 7 Monday PENANG ALL Morning TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau th 4 June Meeting with Meteo – Penang Pinang Time: 9:30 AM Venue: Meeting Room, Lapangan Contact : Ms Mokagathi Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang, Gate 16,11900 Bayan Lepas, Evening Fly back to KL (AK 6127 - 4.40 PM) Pulau Pinang. All: 10 Thursday NADMA ALL Morning Contact : Mr. Ibrahim Johari 7th June Present results at NADMA KL ALL Time: 9:30 AM Afternoon Venue: Bilik Mesyuarat Utama Workshop with city council execu- Level 7, NADMA Malaysia , Block D5, tives (MBPP), community members, Complex D other stakeholders Federal Government Administrative Work out concept on early warning, Centre, Putrajaya urban planning, disaster management Contact Ms Bibi Zarina (NADMA) together with city council, stakeholders. Afternoon Wrap-up during joint Time: 2 PM Venue: Bilik Perdana, Level 4, KOM- TAR, Jalan Penang,10675, Pulau Pinang Discuss outcomes of the mission and follow-up. DRR team and Embassy. Contact : Ms Mokagathi Time: 1 PM 8 Tuesday PENANG ALL Morning Venue: Thai Restaurant (Lorong Ni- th 5 June (MET Penang) Meeting with Meteo - Penang bong, next to Hock Chun Supermar- * Location near NADMA & MBPP ket, opposite of the Embassy) Penang Airport Late evening: All: fly back to LN Meteo / FDM : present preliminary th presentation on observations re 11 8 June Arrival in the Netherlands weather forecast and SOP to the city council (MBPP)- MBPP to send representative Discuss SOP and early warning practice in Penang with local reps from METEO (PENANG) Time: 10 AM Venue: Meeting Room, Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang, Gate 16,11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang. Contact : Mr. Ibrahim Johari

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 69 • ANNEX E: STORYLINE OF THE CHARRETTE

DUTCH EXPERIENCE, LIVING WITH WATER

The Netherlands is a country situated at sea. One third of the country is situated below sea level, one third at sea level and only one third is above sea level. That means that at least two third of the Netherlands is dealing with the water day by day. The Netherlands also is veined by a number of large rivers that disposes the precipitation of a large hinterland to the sea. This makes this country vulnerable to rising sea level and increase of river discharges.

Lessons learnt: Positive attitude Look from larger perspective Don’t accept solutions that only work. Strive for solutions that both work and add value Building with Nature’ is a smart alternative for ‘Constructing with Concrete’ “Sticking plasters where it hurts” is not the most successful strategy Sometimes the solution is elsewhere Think big but also the guts to act small Retain, store, drain. Create co-ownership

LESSONS LEARNED

In two thousand years the Netherlands have learned some lessons that also might be applicable in Penang:

1. Positive attitude You can regard water as ‘problem to be solved’ as well as ‘opportunity to add quality’. Both viewpoints are valid, the challenge is to combine them. Safety first, quality too. In the Netherlands we see water as a gift, more than as a threat. Developments never turn their back to the water but face the water. The ‘Golden Curve’ in Amsterdam, where the 17th centuries townhouses are proudly facing the canal, is still the most wanted and expensive living area of Amsterdam. Also in new urban residential areas water areas are developed as the main public space, as the place where people can meet each other, where they can look across the water and enjoy the coolness along the water.

2. Larger perspective You always have to start from a larger perspective, in scale as well in time. You need a regional approach and a dot at the horizon. The trick is to connect a long-term perspective and concrete short-term measures. This is illustrated by the Dutch ‘Room for the River strategy10’ : a perspective about how the Netherlands want the national river system to develop, which gives direction to the 36 individual projects along the rivers. This concept on the national scale is worked out in regional plans. They supply a more detailed sublayer to

10 https://www.ruimtevoorderivier.nl/english/

• 70 • JULY 10, 2018 the individual projects. In this way a certain ‘unity in diversity’ is guaranteed, with still enough opportunities for ‘diversity within unity’.

3. Don’t accept solutions that only work. Strive for solutions that both work and add value. The challenge is to develop solutions that turn the situation into an even more interesting place to live, to work, to stay and at the same time add ecological resilience. This requires that technicians and designers work together from the very beginning of a project. When you only ask technicians to solve the problem, you probably will get a solution that works, but it won’t add value. On the other hand, when you only invite designers you might get a solution that adds value, but it definitely won’t work.

4. ‘Building with Nature’ is a smart alternative for ‘Constructing with Concrete’ Don’t keep water caught in ‘hard constructions’. Search for ‘soft constructions’ in which the water can flow back into the natural system. For instance, in the Netherlands we construct dry ditches along the roads, during and after heavy rain they collect and store the water. The water will seep into the soil and refill the natural aquifer.

5. “Sticking plasters where it hurts” is not the most successful strategy. You can try to solve every problem where it occurs. That leads to a number of individual projects which are not necessarily connected to each other. For the long term a system wise approach is more effective. Analyse the natural system. When you know how it works, you can work along with it.

6. Sometimes the solution is elsewhere. When a city is threatened by rising water, you can try to protect the urban area by building levees or heightening already existing levees. But that is a very costly measure. Often there is a lack of space to construct these levees and / or such a measure does affect the historical relationship between the city and the water. The alternative is to collect the water before it enters the city. Therefore, upstream you can design an area that is suitable for controlled flooding during extreme circumstances, an area where the flood doesn’t cause significant damage.

7. You need the courage to think big but also the guts to act small Mostly there isn’t one measure that solves all problems. Often the solution is in the combination of large and smaller interventions that work together and strengthen each other. A relatively small and simply feasible measure that can be repeated numerous times generates a comparable result to a big intervention.

8. Retain, store, drain. Don’t put all your cards on drainage. The more you retain and store, the less you have to drain. Drainage in upstream areas increases the pressure in downstream areas.

DRR-TEAM MISSION REPORT - MALAYSIA - KUALA LUMPUR/PENANG • 71 • 9. Create co-ownership Today, you hardly cannot realize any plan on your own, so many parties are involved. You need to develop co-ownership. That makes the difference between a plan and a realized plan.

• 72 • JULY 10, 2018