KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s vulnerability to landslides and earthquakes has prompted the Mineral and Geoscience Department to call on agencies to urgently adopt two newly developed geospatial systems to strengthen disaster preparedness and improve land-use planning.
The systems — the National Geospatial Terrain and Slope Information System (NaTSIS) and MyGEM — were presented during a four-day engagement programme in Sandakan that brought together 17 government agencies.
“The information we have is still limited. Much of it is only focused on areas we’ve already identified as disaster-prone, such as Kundasang, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu,” said the department’s Sabah director Dr Frederick Francis Tating, at a press conference after the event on Thursday (April 10).
He said both NaTSIS and MyGEM allow agencies to access geological hazard data digitally, enabling more informed and proactive decision-making.
“This information is very useful, especially for managing geological hazards like landslides and earthquakes,” he added.
“Engineers use this information to design earthquake-resistant structures,” said Dr Frederick.
Sabah Rural Development Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Patricia Vain said NaTSIS was already being used in development planning to avoid high-risk areas.
“NaTSIS gives us the data we need to identify which areas are exposed to geohazards. From the government’s side, we use this to avoid building in known red zones,” she said.
She added that when a development site was proposed, her ministry consulted JMG to determine whether the location carries geological risks.
The department also worked with universities, the Public Works Department, and other technical agencies to produce a Seismic Hazard Map, a key reference used by engineers in earthquake-prone zones.
A new early warning system for landslides was also being developed in partnership with the National Disaster Management Agency.
Meanwhile, Sabah Civil Defence Force (APM) deputy director Lt Kol Erwin @ Elverowen Kinsui said the geospatial systems are used in simulations and response planning.
“We will use this data, especially through NaTSIS, to support early planning and public awareness, particularly for communities living in high-risk or hotspot areas,” he said.
He added that APM was working on a disaster Command Centre and plans to integrate NaTSIS for real-time monitoring and better coordination.
