Register camping sites to ensure safety, advises geologist

PETALING JAYA: Camping or glamping sites should be registered with the relevant authorities to ensure a safe experience for visitors, says Institute of Geology Malaysia president Abd Rasid Jaafar.

He said this would ensure the authorities could monitor activities in the area while also making sure that the site was in a safe location.

“For example, if a site is within the jurisdiction of the Forestry Department, then it (site) should be registered with them.

“The authority-in-charge can also refer to related agencies on the requirements for a location to be a camping site, alongside documents which have to be submitted prior to it being legally recognised,” he told The Star.

Abd Rasid added that monitoring and maintenance of the site was also critical as a safety precaution.

“(Campsite) operators need to apply for approval from the authorities for their activities. Geological studies are also required as a means to identify potential geological hazards such as debris flow, water surges and landslides,” he said.

Modern technology and simulation software can be used for assessment, where professional engineers and geologists can identify and distinguish areas with a high risk for geological disasters, Abd Rasid said.

He said guidelines on hillside developments could also be improved in efforts to adapt towards climate change.

“Some industries have begun reviewing their guidelines. Although the cost may increase for the approval process, it is better to be safe than sorry,” he said.

Abd Rasid was commenting on the need to regulate campsites following the Batang Kali landslide tragedy on Friday (Dec 16), which claimed 24 lives.

Search operations at ground zero entered its fifth day on Tuesday (Dec 20), with various government agencies deploying personnel including K-9 units to locate the remaining nine victims.

Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM) disaster management and operations director Col (PA) Sharudin Md Zain said its K-9 unit was also deployed for landslide search operations for the first time at the Batang Kali landslide site.

“Although we (APM) only deployed one sniffer dog - named Tar - it is a highly-trained animal which has international qualifications. There are also several of our other sniffer dogs currently being trained to receive the same recognition,” he said.

The APM’s K-9 unit was deployed for the first time in the search for 15-year-old Irish girl, Nora Anne Quoirin, at a resort near Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Sharudin said.