Engaging Local Communities through Local Knowledge of Flood Disaster Management in the Pahang River Basin, Malaysia

Natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes impact many parts of Southeast Asia. In Malaysia, recent floods—such as those in 2014−2015—have caused untold damage to property and livelihoods. Up to that point, flood management had mainly emphasized disaster response, rather than risk-reduction strategies. The aim of this paper is to identify the local knowledge and practices of flood-affected communities along the Pahang River that increase their resilience to flood risks, and to identify the ways in which this knowledge and these practices can be incorporated into flood management going forward. Research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with residents living along the Pahang River who experience frequent flooding, focus group discussions among village leaders, and field observations. The research revealed that the communities possess local knowledge, practices, and social arrangements that, in the past, had increased their resilience to floods. Such knowledge and practices, however, are disappearing. Recommendations include identification of local knowledge, placing value on local knowledge, integrating that knowledge into flood management policy, and sharing that local knowledge globally.