Malaysia: Mapping geo-hazard zones to prevent disasters

The Federal Department of Town and Country Planning has commenced a new project to identify and map geo-hazards like floods, landslides and fires in all local council areas in Peninsular Malaysia.

Mohd Jamil Ahmad, who heads the department's research and development division, said: "For the first time in history, in a local plan, we will have areas marked high, medium or low risk in relation to hazards like floods."

"Putting risk-reduction elements into planning was a recommendation of the Hyogo Framework of Action, a global blueprint for disaster risk reduction over the coming de-cades" he added.

The plans will start to become available for public viewing and recommendations at the end of 2008.