USM Supports Government in Climate and Disaster Risk Preparedness

On 5 October 2024, the USM Disaster Management Unit (Unit Pengurusan Bencana USM) participated in the ASEAN Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami held in Penang. The programme was organised by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) in collaboration with the Penang Disaster Management Unit. This involvement demonstrates USM’s commitment to inform and support local and regional government in disaster risk early warning, monitoring, and climate adaptation efforts.

The commemoration gathered representatives from NADMA, MET Malaysia, and ASEAN counterparts, including Indonesia’s Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) and Brunei’s disaster management agencies. Discussions focused on lessons learned from past tsunami experiences, the integration of advanced technologies for daily weather updates, and the use of regional monitoring platforms for disaster preparedness. Through this engagement, USM shared its academic perspective and technical input to strengthen inter-agency coordination and evidence-based planning for disaster and climate-risk management.

Nearly 200 participants attended the event, which included a field visit to Kuala Muda, one of the coastal areas affected by the 2004 tsunami, to observe ongoing resilience and preparedness measures. The participation of USM’s Disaster Management Unit highlights the University’s role in regional collaboration and its continuous support for government initiatives in climate-related risk reduction, early warning, and disaster response.