Flooding in Malaysia and Southern Thailand

Flooding and heavy rainfall in Malaysia and Southern Thailand on November 28, 2024

In the last weeks of November, Malaysia and the southern region of Thailand experienced an unpredictable situation with heavy rainfall that lasted several days, causing flooding and triggering landslides in some areas. For Malaysia, on November 28, 2024, it was reported that 25 districts in seven states including Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, Perlis, Sarawak, and Terengganu were affected by floods. Many households had to be evacuated, according to NADMA. In southern Thailand, on December 2, 2024, a low-pressure weather system covered, leading to moderate rainfall (12-29 mm) and heavy rainfall (38 mm) in some areas. These conditions caused flash flooding and severe flooding in water paths, affecting both highlands and lowlands. A total of 136,219 households were reported to have been affected by DDPM Thailand. Additionally, winds and waves were observed in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, with wave heights reaching 1-2 meters and the storm area experiencing waves over 2 meters.

Damages and losses

Impact on the affected area

In Malaysia, the flooding affected several areas in the states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perak, Perlis, Sarawak, and Terengganu. In the southern region of Thailand, several areas were affected by this situation, including Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani and Yala province according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand. This resulted in damage and destruction to agricultural crops in some areas, while other areas were affected by landslides. People have been evacuated, according to local reports.

Agricultural devastation

Several areas experienced severe flooding that damaged agricultural areas, including paddy rice, field crops, vegetable crops, perishable crops, and others. Many crops were estimated to have been lost, and both the paddy and agrofood sectors (the agrofood sectors, which are important for ensuring food security in Malaysia, also refer to food commodities or products such as crops, livestock, and fisheries, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Malaysia) have been significantly damaged in Malaysia and southern Thailand. The details as follow:

Agricultural Land:

• Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, and Kedah, Malaysia: Several areas of paddy and agrofood crops were estimated to have lost 2,146 hectares.
• Southern Thailand: Several provinces were affected by this disaster, with flash flooding impacting Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Satun, Songkhla, Surat Thani and Yala, covering a total of approximately 21,800 hectares of paddy rice, field crops, vegetable crops, perishable crops, and others.

Affected Crops:

• Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, and Kedah, Malaysia: The paddy and agrofood crops suffered a total loss of 1.11 million USD from 2,146 hectares.
• Southern Thailand: It was reported that approximately 21,800 hectares were damaged, including 8,960 hectares of paddy rice, 1,930 hectares of field and vegetable crops, and 10,610 hectares of perishable crops and others.

Government response and countermeasures

Malaysia

• The government provided intensive assistance to households affected by floods.
• No reports have been made about assistance from other countries.
• As the disaster continues, a comprehensive assessment of the impact will be carried out as soon as possible according to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Thailand

• The Royal Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Thailand and relevant agencies, provided assistance to people in affected areas. This included deploying feed-pump vehicles, long-distance pumping vehicles, patient transport vehicles, hydro-powered vehicles, flood relief vehicles, and a KA32 helicopter, which worked with the guardian team in flood-prone areas.

Sources:

(1) ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council

(2) The prime minister’s Department of The National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), Malaysia

(3) Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Ministry of Interior (DDPM), Thailand

(4) Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand

References:

1. https://www.pptvhd36.com/news/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A1/237899 (Thai language)

2. https://www.moac.go.th/service_all-agriculture_situation (Thai language)

3. https://www.moac.go.th/warning-files-462991791042 (Thai language)

4. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/3/malaysia-thailand-brace-for-more-rains-after-floods-kill-dozens

5. https://ahacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FlashUpdate_01_28Nov2024-FL-MYS-THAf.pdf

6. https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Natural-disasters/Malaysia-suffers-more-than-380-sq.-km-of-paddy-damage-from-floods

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