4. Malaysia as part of the World: Climatewise
Published: Monday January 19, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Columnists: Martin Khor is executive director of the South Centre, a research centre of 51 developing countries,
based in Geneva.
This increase could be associated with natural variability in sea surface
temperatures of the equatorial Pacific Ocean (El Niño/La Niña events) and the
Indian Ocean (Indian Ocean Dipole).
Recent events and climate science strongly indicate that 2014 downpour and
floods are not one-off events but part of a national, regional and global pattern
linked to climate change and extreme weather events. And that the situation
worsen, more and more, in future years and decades.
According to data in a 2012 Malaysian Meteorological Department, Malaysia has
experienced increase in temperature, consistent with the global warming trend,
leading to changes in weather (major wind patterns, amount and intensity of
precipitation, and increased frequency of severe storms and weather extremes)
5. Recent great floods
The new weather pattern in Malaysia includes both heavier rainfall and dryer
spells – even within the same year causing water shortages in various states
with high-rainfall and flooding months in other states or even the same states.
The lesson - pay more attention to increasing extremes and extreme events in
the weather, counteract their causes and deal with their effects - having plans
for mitigation, adaptation and loss-and-damage.
Top on the list is to stop further deforestation. The widespread chopping of
trees, especially in highland areas, is a major reason why intense rainfall causes
so much flooding.
-The natural tree cover breaks the falling rain and allows the gentler drip of water to seep
into the ground, providing ground-water to flow into reservoirs.
-When trees are removed, the rain falls heavily onto the ground, removes the soil, and
water plus the soil is swept into streams and rivers, which get clogged up with soil and
which are also filled quickly with the high volume of rain water.
6. Flood situation getting worse in Sarawak
Published: Wednesday January 21, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Nation
• Most of the flood hit victims were in the
south and north of Sarawak.
• In areas like Matu, where flood waters
were about one metre above ground level,
electricity supply was cut off as a safety
measure.
10. Objectives
• Evaluate whether oil palm plantation
areas are flooded - how frequently, how
long, to what depth, through field
assessment in the wet season and
discussion with local inhabitants /
workers.
• Determine status of OP plantations in
areas suspected to suffer from
waterlogging and possibly flooding.
11. Scope of work
• field inspection at oil palm plantations
• Measurements at each location Location
• General (GPS-coordination, concession license
holder (if possible), municipality)
• Date of plantation establishment and palm oil
age
12. Peatland in Sarawak
- 850,000 ha
peatland
Peatland in Sarawak
Total = 1,800,000 ha
Rajang Delta
15. Rajang Delta
• almost entirely of peatland with a negligable
area of mineral soil and is already largely
drained by industrial oil palm plantations
• already largely been cleared and drained by
industrial oil palm plantations in the last
decades.
16. Land Use - have largely been cleared and
drained for oil palm plantations in the last decades.
- In 2014 half occupied
by large-scale oil palm
(and a few sago)
-Smallholder oil palm,
and degraded forest
26. SIBU
• Floods occurred in riverine areas upto 1.5m, upto > 10 days
• Caused by heavy rain during wet monsoon
• Upstream development activities
• Siltation in Rajang and poor drainage in Sibu Town
• Initial Flood Mitigation (Phase 1 and 2) and Bakun Dam did little
to ease flooding in Sibu
• Subsidence are evident in many parts of the town (roads,
buildings)
MUKAH
• Floods occurred in riverine areas upto 1.5m, upto more than
2-3 days
• Caused by heavy rain during wet monsoon
• Not much upstream development activities but tidal
• Subsidence not evident but many rusty man-hole covers
36. Peat Depth and Ground water Level
Peat
Clay
14ft = 4.75m mark
Even close to 15 feet (5m), it
was still peat. In such areas,
water also fluctuated quite
drastically especially drains
nearby the Stream site.
37. PHYSICAL FEATURES
Point Canal
Dept
(m)
Physical features
Water
Level (m)
Peat Depth
(m)
Calculated
subsidence1
(m)
Estimated
Original
Peat
surface2
(m)
Max Flood
level
(m)
A -0.05 0 3.0 1.62 4.62 1.45
B -0.40 -0.40 0.90 1.56 2.46 1.45
C -0.40 1.15 1.45 1.56 3.01 0.45
D -0.25 0 >3.0 1.50 >4.50 1.0
E -0.25 -0.30 >2.0 1.56 >2.56 1.0
F -0.30 0 >3.0 1.56 >4.56 0.75
G -0.60 -0.54 >3.0 1.56 >4.56 1.0
H -0.50 -0.33 2.83 1.30 4.13 1.5
I -0.70 -0.70 >3.0 1.30 >4.30 1.5
J -0.90 -0.75 >3.17 1.24 >4.41 1.5
K -0.70 -1.10 4.28 1.24 5.52 1.0
L -0.40 -0.50 >4.12 1.24 >5.36 1.25
M -0.45 -0.07 >4.72 1.24 >5.96 1.25
38. PHYSICAL FEATURES
Point Physical features
Canal
Dept
(m)
Water
Level (m)
Peat Depth
(m)
Calculated
subsidence1
(m)
Estimated
Original
Peat
surface2
(m)
Flood
Level
(m)
N -0.90 -0.50 >1.6 1.62 >3.22 1.0
O -1.2 -0.70 >1.5 1.62 >3.12 0.85
P -1.0 -0.35 >2.0 0.72 >2.72 0.90
Q -0.60 -0.35 >2.55 1.62 >4.17 0.75
R -1.2 -0.38 1.40 0.72 2.12 0.50
S -1.2 -0.45 >1.96 1.62 >3.58 0.50
T -0.95 -0.48 >2.0 0.66 >2.66 1.45
U -0.95 -0.56 >5.0 0.66 >5.66 1.45
V -1.2 -0.31 >4.0 0.66 >4.66 1.20
W -1.2 -0.47 >2.0 0.72 >2.72 1.20
X -1.2 -0.88 >2.2 0.72 >2.92 1.25
Y -1.1 -1.34 >5.3 0.66 >5.96 1.30
39. PALM CHARACTERISTICS
Poi
nt
Palm Characteristics Remarks
Palm
age,
year
Diameter
(cm)
Height
(m)
%
Lea
n
ing4
%
Fruit
ing4
Productivity
5
(ton/ha/yr)Min Ave3 Max min Ave3 Max
A 17 59 79.5 67.95 3.6 7.56 9.9 10 22.2 18 with
peak of 24
100% healthy, 30% with exposed
roots
46.1 cm of visible subsidence
B 16 56 72.8 87.5 7.2 8.82 9.9 15 40
C 16 64 80.4 95.5 7.2 9.63 10.8 15 10 100% healthy, 80% with roots
exposed
D 15 63 69.05 81 0.9 3.96 5.4 20 20 100% healthy, 50% with roots
exposed
E 16 59.5 65.8 70.5 5.4 7.56 9.9 20 60 100% healthy, 20% with roots
exposed
F 16 57 62.95 69 3.6 5.4 7.2 20 60 90% healthy, 10% with roots
exposed
G 16 61 72.7 79.5 3.6 6.12 9 15 90 100% healthy, 40% with roots
exposed
H 10 57 72.4 84.5 2.3 2.87 3.5 10 100 14 100% healthy, 20% exposed
roots
J 10 58 66.35 73 2.6 3.34 3.8 10 100 100% healthy, 40% with roots
exposed
K 9 61.5 74 84.5 0.9 1.34 1.5 15 70 5 100% healthy
L 9 63 70.8 84.5 1.7 2.71 3.6 15 70 100% healthy, 40% with roots
exposed
M 9 51.5 58.35 79.5 0.8 1.41 2 15 90 100% undersize
N 9 57 62.6 70 0.8 1.75 2.2 15 70 100% undersize, 70% yellowish,
30% unhealthy
40. PALM CHARACTERISTICS
Poi
nt
Palm Characteristics Remarks
Palm
age,
year
Diameter
(cm)
Height
(m)
%
Lea
n
ing
4
%
Fruit
ing4
Productivity
5
(ton/ha/yr)Min Ave3 Max min Ave3 Max
N 17 64.5 72.65 77.5 2.5 4.11 10.8 50 100 14 100% healthy but all with exposed
rootsO 17 48.5 65.1 78.5 7.2 10.17 12.6 20 100
P 2 52.5 77.55 89.5 0.7 1.02 1.2 0 100 - Healthy but yellowish
Q 17 51 72.2 85 5.3 7.04 10 20 60 14 Healthy but 100% are yellowish,
exposed roots
R 2 68 80.35 90.5 0.5 0.7 0.8 0 100 - Healthy but 100% are yellowish
S 17 52 63.55 78 4 5.5 6.5 20 100 14 100% healthy but with yellowish &
exposed root
T 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - New, so no
harvesting
yet
Healthy young seedling
At Sg Baoh
U 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - Healthy young seedling
At Sg Baoh
V 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - Healthy young seedling. At Sg Narub
W 2 44 62.05 73.5 0.4 0.62 0.7 - 80 Healthy young seedling. At Sg Kelid
X 2 48 82.5 96 0.6 0.75 0.9 - 90 Healthy young seedling. At Sg Kelid
Y 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - Healthy young seedling. At Sg
Sabrasau
43. H
e
i
g
h
t
Location of sampling points
Oil palm Height & Diameter Vs Groundwater
G
r
o
u
n
d
w
a
t
e
r
D
i
a
m
e
t
e
r
Oilpalm height (m) and groundwater level (m) for each sampling location/point
Oilpalm diameter (m) and groundwater level (M) for each sampling location/point
G
r
o
u
n
d
w
a
t
e
r
Location of sampling points
53. CONCLUSIONS
URBAN FLOODS
• Floods in urban areas (Sibu & Mukah) are
more publicised
• Floods in Sibu – caused by rains, discharged
from upstream, wet Monsoon & king tide
aggravated the situation
• Floods in Mukah are mainly tidal
54. CONCLUSIONS
PEAT SWAMPS
• Peat depths = 1.40 – more than 5.0m (deep to very
deep)
• Water level = 0.00 – 1.2m
• Subsidence = 0.66 in one-year to 1.62m in 17-yr
• Leaning = in all sites but higher 50% in flooded
Flooding = 5-15% of plantation areas (upto 15 days,
more than 1.0m)
• Flooding can affect/reduce upto 67% of the palm yield
Development in peat caused subsidence. In more
frequently flooded areas, %leaning are higher,
decreased health (growth) of oil palms and thus
decrease productivity.
57. lessons of recent great floods
• Besides conserving the forests, there are many other ways to mitigate and adapt better.
• The damage begins in the upper reaches of the river and is transformed into
devastation as the engorged river reaches town areas, breaches its banks, and the
raging waters sweep along houses, cars and everything else in its way.
• These include replanting of trees in deforested areas; soil conservation as a strategy and
major activity all over the country; de-silting of rivers and streams; the vast improvement of
drainage in urban and rural areas; climate-proofing of buildings, including building new
schools and houses on stilts or on pillars in flood-prone areas; protecting coastal areas from
storms, winds and high waves including through conserving and replanting mangroves.
• There is also the whole set of activities for better management of floods and other disasters,
including establishment of permanent evacuation centres; early warning systems; earlier and
better systems of evacuation; stocking and distribution of food, clean water, medicine and
other essentials to victims; plans for repair and rehabilitation; and the up-front allocation of
financing.
• If we treat the “great floods” not as once-in-20-years or once-in-a-lifetime events, but as part
of the “new normal”, then the plans for a better eco-system and for managing the disasters
can be made more systematically, and a significant budget for regular financing can also be
set aside.
• Let’s hope that we do learn the lessons of the recent great floods and prepare
comprehensively to prevent, mitigate and manage them effectively. We may not be able to
achieve “Never the floods again”, but we must achieve “Effectively manage the heavy rains
and floods that are sure to come”.
