Participatory Design for Accessible Evacuation Centre for Flood Victims in Kelantan

Abstract

Malaysia has been experienced with many natural disasters such as flood, landslide, earthquake and drought, which resulted in damaging the properties and causing casualties especially during the biggest flooding affected over 36,128 families was in 2014 at East Coast of Malaysia mainly in Kelantan. Public buildings such as schools, religious buildings, including mosques or community halls, have been used as evacuation centres in Malaysia every year. Many studies identified many evacuees were facing many problems, particularly in terms of physical facilities, such as providing improper assistance in terms of facilities, privacy, and many others. This paper objectives are firstly, to review the requirements of the physical facilities for evacuation centre, secondly to assess the components of the physical facilities for evacuation centre and finally to propose the criteria of physical facilities for evacuation centre. A qualitative approach was adopted, and data were collected through observation, interview and secondary data through literature analysis. Three case studies in Kelantan were chosen based on three categories which are small capacity (Veteriner office, Kuala Krai), medium-capacity (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Keroh, Kuala Krai) and big capacity (Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Lati, Pasir Mas). The data were analysed to assess the physical facilities provided in the evacuation centre to facilitate the flood victims. The benefit of this research is to give awareness to flood victim for future disaster through technology, management, physical and mental. Thus, evacuation centre is important to create comfortable, privacy and rehabilitated environment to serve the flood victims physically and mentally.

An Assessment to Determine the Typology of Spaces for a Flood Evacuation Centre in Malaysia

“…However, due to the government's use of public buildings such as schools as temporary evacuation centres, many evacuees have complained that evacuation centres in Malaysia's flood-prone areas are unsuitable in terms of space, physical facilities, management, and other factors (Suhardi, 2017;W Seman et al, 2021). According to the findings of a study conducted by Fakrulhazri, Hassan & Ahmad (2018), the locals are extremely dissatisfied with Temporary Flood Transfer Centres (TFTCs), such as a school hall that was not designed to be a flood evacuation centre but was gazetted as one by the government.…”

“…As a result, flood evacuation centres have become a demanding facility for the locals during the disaster. W Seman et al (2021) claimed that physical spaces play the most important role in developing or selecting a flood evacuation centre to bring satisfaction to the occupant. However, due to the government's use of public facilities such as schools, mosques, and community halls as temporary evacuation centres, many evacuees have complained that the majority of the evacuation centres in Malaysia's flood-prone areas are unsuitable in terms of space, physical facilities, management, and other factors (Suhardi, 2017;W Seman et al, 2021).…”

“…W Seman et al (2021) claimed that physical spaces play the most important role in developing or selecting a flood evacuation centre to bring satisfaction to the occupant. However, due to the government's use of public facilities such as schools, mosques, and community halls as temporary evacuation centres, many evacuees have complained that the majority of the evacuation centres in Malaysia's flood-prone areas are unsuitable in terms of space, physical facilities, management, and other factors (Suhardi, 2017;W Seman et al, 2021). The study by Zahari and Hashim (2018), on the other hand, indicated that there is no implementation of standards or guidelines for flood relief shelters in Malaysia.…”

Flood risk of today and tomorrow

“…Public buildings such as schools, religious buildings or community halls have always been used as evacuation centres. It is very important to provide comfortable, private and rehabilitated shelters to serve flood victims' physical and mental needs (W Seman, Abdul Rahim et al, 2021).…”