Of disasters and urban management

Management crisis: Hulu Langat was struck by floods after two days of heavy rain in December 2021, causing thousands of residents to be evacuated and many roads cut off. – AP

MOST of us would agree that the recent flood disaster in the country was not an act of God. The rain probably was, depending on one’s belief, but the flood, in both urban and rural areas, was something that we could have avoided if we managed our crisis well.

In fact, we could have avoided it if our cities were planned, managed and developed more inclusively. But unfortunately, our first responders to crises – local governments, community members – are the ones that are most ill-equipped to deal with them. They do not have the resources, skills and to a certain extent the decision-making power to take immediate actions either to prevent or manage the crises from escalating. And that is just one of the problems in our urban management system.