By Ronald Benjamin
Secretary,Association for Welfare,Community and Dialogue.
Being a Resident of Lim Garden i would like to thank the current efforts undertaken by the Lim Garden resident Association to resolve flood issues that have been a reality over years that has disrupted the lives of residents there for decades.
Currently an Ad hoc Committee has been formed to specifically look into these perennial problems, and there are plans to meet relevant authorities .
Flooding issues that affect cities like Ipoh should not be merely seen from a narrow particular area of concern.
It has to be addressed systematically due to its complexity that takes into consideration all aspects of the problems which are not merely due to poor maintenance , shallow drains or lack of water retention ponds .
There are also interconnected rivers that contribute to flooding in the city.
The issues related to floods have broader dimensions and solutions such as the importance of building adaptability by addressing aspects of climate change that causes flooding, and the type of developments occurring within the city .
For example deforestation ,increased logging and land clearing for development ,remove ground cover, leading to higher erosion and siltation of the drains, reducing their capacity.
Rapid urbanization, increased tarmac surfaces (which repel water), and the reduction of green spaces prevent soil absorption.
Furthermore, many old mining pools that previously acted as natural retention ponds have been filled in for development, removing the area’s natural flood mitigation capacity.
In this context a systematic approach together with sustainable development principles should be applied if the authorities are serious in ensuring there is a long term solution to the flooding in Ipoh.
It hoped that the efforts to mitigate flooding issues around Ipoh would compel the authorities towards a long term solution to a very complex problem that addresses the neo-liberal developmental approach of the city over the years, that has caused flooding issues to be unresolved.
There is a need to resolve these systemic issues,in compliance to sustainable development.
