Landslide Disaster in Malaysia: An Overview

Abstract

In recent times growing population and accelerative economic condition have led to the construction of high-rise condominiums and expansion of settlements and lifelines over the hilly areas in Malaysia. Due to these development activities risk of landslide disaster events with potential of causalities and economic damage greater than before is increasing. Under such circumstances, number of research efforts conducted in Malaysia has been quickly increasing in recent year, which indicates that landslide is now being considered not only as natural events or a result of design fault, but as a greater risk for the society that needs to be managed in a scientific and systematic way rather than in a haphazard way. The focus of this review is to define knowledge gaps between the current research outcomes and the future research necessities, which are highly recommended to be focused on in order to establish a sustainable society with rapid development and urbanization in Malaysia. From the review it can be concluded that a lot of works have been done so far on model development, mapping and risk zonation but a limited number of researches has been carried out on the causal factor's analysis, sensitivity analysis and socioeconomic characterization. Even few studies have been conceded on response and behavioral aspects of the societies and the crisis management in the events of landslide. It should also be pointed out that, most of the research has been focusing on the, peninsular Malaysia, but not on Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo Malaysia. The reviewers propose to establish an integrated data base on landslides occurred in both Peninsular and Borneo Malaysia. A sound collaborative linkage-based research guideline among the researchers' the policy makers and the residents must be established for better understanding of the facts and figures of Malaysian landslide disaster and its risk.