LETTER | Dams serve many purposes for humans. They used to retain water for hydroelectric power generation, to provide a water supply for irrigation and domestic purposes and to prevent flooding. There are 72 dams in Malaysia and most of them are old structures. The oldest dam in Malaysia is the Bukit Merah Dam which has a storage capacity of 92.8Mcm at RL 9.10m and which was built in 1906.

There are rising issues on dam safety and how well dams are functioning in Malaysia. Malaysia has not had the experience of any dam failure. However, as the dams are getting older, there are chances that the condition of our dams will become worse. We need to take notice of the conditions of these dams from the safety point of view before they become a disaster for everyone.

Based on a study, there are a few issues and problems related to dam safety and sustainable dam management system in Malaysia. Issues such as old dam structures, climate change, land use, interference at dam water catchment areas all need to be taken into consideration when determining dam safety and the sustainability of dam management system in the country.

In Malaysia, the tragedy in Bertam Valley, Cameron Highlands in 2013 was an eye-opener for Malaysian people on the safety of dams in Malaysia. A heavy downpour had caused the water in the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in Ringlet to overflow thus flooding the village located downstream. The control gate was opened to avoid the damage to the dam due to high pressure from the excessive amount of water.

However, residents downstream were not evacuated before the release of the water. Local authorities and the dam operators need to improve their Emergency Response Plan (ERP) especially when there is a need for evacuation. There should be a guideline to buffer the distance between the location of the dam constructed and the location of nearby residential areas downstream.

There is also interference issues at the water catchment areas that will affect the safety of dams. According to studies, human activities to dam water catchment areas have more impact on the safety and sustainability of dam management systems in Malaysia. Uncontrolled land use such as deforestation will cause landslides to occur indirectly causing sedimentation in the dam.

Sedimentation will reduce the holding water capacity of the dam. As a result, an excessive amount of water will overflow from the dam especially during monsoon rain conditions. Other than that, garbage dumps, illicit stalls and recreational use by urban residents also have become some of land use conflicts that occur at water catchment areas.

Implementation of laws related to land use and development control are inconsistent with each other and thus have become an issue.

There are a few initiatives taken by the government to ensure the safety of dams in the country. The management of dam safety in Malaysia is coordinated through the Malaysia Dam Safety Management Guidelines or MyDams. This guideline is in line with international best practices in dam safety which include operations, maintenance and surveillance of dams.

Monitoring reports on dams’ condition should be easily accessed by the public so that they will aware of the condition of the dam near their residential areas.

Besides this, the implementation of the Dam Safety Programme by TNB is a great approach to promote emergency preparedness. Emergency Response Plans need to include training with local residents so that the warning and evacuation process will be conducted earlier and more effectively.

Besides taking into account the operations, maintenance and emergency responses to a dam disaster, the development of dam safety planning and strategy should also include the coordination of laws and regulations relating to land use in order to have a sustainable dam management system in Malaysia.

A geological survey should also be included in the MyDams Guideline. This study is important to prevent fault lines from expanding. Building a dam on a surface which is not suitable will trigger the fault line to expand thus reduce the stability of the dams.

Such conditions can cause a catastrophic event. A Dam Safety Act should be drawn up to coordinate laws regarding dam safety and human activities at dam water catchment areas.

The writer is president, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca).

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.