Stopped in their tracks: Vehicles driving through a flooded road in Kota Tinggi town. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
JOHOR BARU: Johor is expected to see an increase in rainfall and experience more floods in the near future, says a Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) researcher.
UTM’s Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Water Security researcher Dr Zulfaqar Sa’adi said the state is expected to see rainfall increase of 20% to 30% on average in the next few decades.
“Based on data we have collected and analysed, Johor is expected to see more rain from now to 2060, especially between November and January.
“Even now, we can see based on historical assessment that there is more rainfall even in the middle of the year.
“While we continue to see more rainfall between November and January, we can see that there is also sporadic extreme rainfall throughout the year.
“The increase in rainfall may be good in terms of water availability but it also puts the state at a larger risk of floods,” he told The Star.
Zulfaqar spoke about the matter during his presentation on Climate Change Scenarios and Water Security in Johor River Basin at the five-day Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023 here.
He said among the areas that are expected to receive more rainfall is Kota Tinggi, a district that is already susceptible to floods.
“In terms of rainfall concentration, Kota Tinggi is expected to receive more rain and this is concerning as the district is known for its vulnerability to flooding,” he said.
Kota Tinggi is among districts in Johor that is often hit by floods.
In the 2006-2007 Johor floods, more than 100,000 people were evacuated to relief centres as the entire Kota Tinggi town and nearby housing areas were inundated for nearly two weeks.
However, Zulfaqar said that in the distant future, Johor is projected to see less rainfall and the concern would then be on water scarcity.
“Based on our assessment for the distant future between 2061 and 2100, there will be less rainfall partly due to the rise in temperature.”
