Probabilistic Landslide Hazards and Risk Mapping on

Penang Island, Malaysia

(on J. Earth Syst. Sci. 115, No. 6, December 2006, pp. 661672)






Mukhammad Arief | 21040110130072
(Words on a Review: 672)










DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
DIPONEGORO UNIVERSITY
SEMARANG

Probabilistic Landslide Hazards and Risk Mapping on Penang Island, Malaysia

This paper is a review of a journal titled Probabilistic landslide hazards and
risk mapping on Penang I sland, Malaysia compiled by Saro Lee and Biswajeet
Pradhan. The author is an expert in the field of disaster. Saro Lee is a staff expert at
Geoscience Information Center, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources
(KIGAM) 30, Kajung-Dong, Yusung-Gu, Daejeon, Korea. Biswajeet Pradhan is an
expert staff in Cilix Corporation, Lot L4-I-6, Level 4, Enterprise 4, Technology Park
Malaysia, Bukit Jalil Highway, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Landslides are a natural event which at this time the frequency of occurrence is
increasing. These natural phenomena turned into a landslide disasters when the
landslide cause the victim in the form of loss of life or loss of property and human
culture results. Malaysia is one country that has a high frequency of occurrence of
landslides. Common location is penang island. The landslide disaster occurs mostly on
steep slopes or in areas along the highway in mountainous areas. Some of these
landslides occur near high-rise apartments and in residential areas. Incompatible land
uses and high intensity of human activities in the land-use change will heighten the
level of risk in areas prone to landslides. This situation just kept going because of the
low level of skills possessed by the public and the government in addition to weak law
enforcement to control the development and growth in the region is prone to landslides.
The existence of soil instability in a region that can give the effect varies depending on
the nature, large and range from the landslide area. Loss or impact resulting from
landslides is physical damage (home residents, as well as infrastructure). More widely,
the physical damage then disruption of socio-economic activities of the community.
Actually, have been performed an effort minimize the landslide by the
Government of Malaysia but the landslide is still happening. Previous an effort to
reduce landslide risk undertaken by the government is the management of avalanche
terrain, construction of protective structures or monitoring and warning systems. This is
due to the unavailability of data on "how landslides that occurred" and "where the
landslide occurred". Therefore, the identification and analysis carried step further. In the
journal, noted that the purpose of identification and analysis is performed to study the
action that occurs landslide hazards and risks that caused the disaster area in Penang
Island. The output of the analysis carried out is a form of areas at risk of landslides. By
knowing the area and then will be efforts to reduce landslide damage by using an
effective emergency preparedness plan.
In the process of identifying and analyzing the landslide hazard using
Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing data and consider the
parameters / factors that form the basis of: topography, drainage, geological conditions,
land use, soil, rainfall, and vegetation.
There are three steps in the analysis of landslide hazards: vulnerability, hazard
and risk. In the journal has been mentioned that, vulnerability, hazard and risk analysis
has been done. It is possible to predict the landslide when combined with hydrological
models can lead to more accurate analysis. Landslide risk can also be calculated when
taking into account the potential vulnerability of homes and buildings. Landslide
Vulnerability factors were analyzed using a probability model of landslide using
frequency ratio. The results of the analysis are verified using the landslide location data
and compared with the probabilistic model. Observed accuracy is 80.03%. Qualitative
analysis was performed using landslide hazard ratio models through frequency map
overlay analysis in a GIS environment. The accuracy of the hazard map is 86.41%.
Furthermore, risk analysis carried by studying maps of landslide hazard and risk areas.
The landslide hazard map was overlaid on the settlement map to produce the landslide
risk map. These results can be used as basic data to assist slope management and
landuse planning.
In the journal Probabilistic landslide hazards and risk mapping on Penang
I sland, Malaysia can be concluded that the landslide, it is difficult to predict. However,
basically by knowing the areas at risk of landslides will facilitate the mitigation process.
Through the analysis results in the form of maps and areas prone to landslides will then
maketh a basis for decision making for the Malaysian government stakeholders. This
decision is usually in the form of an effort in combating both structural and non-
structural. Structural an effort technically / physically like construction - construction of
landslide prevention facilities, etc.. While non-strukturan more to the formation of
specific policies and with the active participation of the community in prevention
efforts.