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Coastal Management and Agricultural Drainage Division

Recognizing the increasing incidence of coastal erosion and the threat it poses to coastal residents and the resulting losses along the coastline, the Government conducted a National Coastal Erosion Study from November 1984 to January 1986 and the results of this study showed that of the 4,809 kilometres of the country's coastline, about 29% or 1,380 kilometres were eroded. To address this problem, the Government established the Coastal Engineering Centre within the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) in 1987 to implement a coastal erosion control plan throughout the country.

Malaysia's coastline varies from scenic bays flanked by high rocky headlands to shallow mudflats bordering mangrove forests. On the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, high sedimentation from river discharge and stronger wave environments create hook-shaped sandy bays. Meanwhile, on the west coast, the moderate wave environment of the Strait of Malacca forms extensive mud beaches and coastal forests rich in biodiversity. Similar shapes characterize the beaches in Sarawak and Sabah although there are certain sandy areas that are very flat. Beach materials include a mixture of sand, silt, and even shells with occasional patches of pebbles and rock outcrops.

River Estuary Improvement Activities

There are more than 150 estuaries in Malaysia and most of them are facing siltation problems, which reduces the water depth for fishing traffic and negatively affects the development of the fishing industry. The government conducted a National Estuary Study in 1994 and the results of the study showed that 35 estuaries were facing critical siltation. The master plan that was formulated recommended that the repair work be carried out within 10 years and involved a cost of RM 330 million. Based on the master plan, a river estuary repair programme was approved under the Seventh Malaysia Plan to carry out dredging and construction of repair structures.

Coastal Zone Management Activities

The National Coastal Erosion Study was completed in 1986 and the results of the study revealed that out of a total of 4,809 kilometers of the country's coastline, about 29% or 1,380 kilometers were experiencing erosion problems. To address this problem, the Government established the Coastal Engineering Technical Center within the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) in 1987 to implement a coastal erosion control plan for the entire country. This plan involved two strategies, namely a long-term strategy and a short-term strategy. The short-term strategy involved the construction of erosion control projects while the long-term strategy involved improving coastal zone management in an integrated manner so that coastal erosion incidents would not increase.

National Coastal Vulnerability Index Study (with sea level rise)

National Coastal Vulnerability Index (NCVI)

The National Coastal Vulnerability Index (NCVI) study is needed to identify coastal areas that are vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise. The results of the study will be used to prepare a Coastal Vulnerability Index with the level of exposure of coastal zones to avoid development in these areas. At the same time, it will be the basis for implementing protective measures caused by sea level rise. This index will provide an indicator of how vulnerable the coastline is to the effects of sudden sea level rise. Vulnerability to these effects includes biogeophysical, economic, institutional and socio-cultural factors.

The comprehensive development of the NCVI will be carried out in stages. The first phase of the NCVI study was completed in December 2007. It covered two (2) pilot sites, namely Tg. Piai, Johor in the South, and Pulau Langkawi, Kedah in the North.

Based on the 20-year tidal records at these two pilot sites, the local or relative sea level rise rate at both sites can be considered smaller than the low-global average rate of 2 – 3 mm/year (i.e. SLR at Tg. Piai = 0.2 – 1.3 mm/year; SLR at Langkawi = 0.5 – 1.0 mm/year).

The flood level rise at both sites for the local SLR scenario is not very high.

1.0 Coastal Erosion

Based on the 1986 National Coastal Erosion Study, the Malaysian coastline is classified into three erosion categories based on the threat to existing coastal facilities with significant economic value defined as follows:

Category 1: Coastlines that are currently in a state of erosion and where coastal-based facilities or infrastructure are in danger of collapse or immediate damage.

Category 2: Coastlines that are eroding at a rate where valuable public property and agricultural land will be threatened within 5 to 10 years unless remedial action is taken;

Category 3: Undeveloped coastlines that are experiencing erosion but with little or no economic loss if left unchecked.

List of Coastal Erosion Areas

1.1 Causes of Erosion

Coastal erosion occurs naturally and is caused by human activities. In natural conditions, beaches undergo cycles of deposition and erosion but over long periods of time, beaches are considered stable if their mean position remains unchanged. In most cases, the cause of erosion is due to human activities that have a direct or indirect impact on the beach and its coastal areas. Among the causes of erosion are listed below:

Natural causes of erosion
- Main storms during high tide
Man-made causes of erosion
- Ports
- Marinas
- Bridges, etc.

1.2 Coastal Erosion Mitigation Measures

Structural Engineering
- Protective Layer
- Groin
- Breakwater
- Concrete Blocks
Non-Structural Engineering
- Reclamation Beach sand
- Mangrove replantation
- Geotextile Tubing
- Pressure Equalization Module

2.0 Integrated Coastal Management Plan (ISMP)

The ISMP programme conducted by the DID is tailored to the principles of ICZM to address the key issues and problems facing our coastline. It is an integrated approach that takes into account all sectoral activities that affect coastal areas and gives due consideration to economic, social, environmental and ecological issues. The aim is to develop a management tool that harmonises all coastal activities to support a broader set of management objectives for the coastal area.

2.1 ISMP Objectives

Evaluation and selection of coastal development management strategies so that coastal development can be carried out in a sustainable manner.
Evaluation and selection of shoreline defence options.
Formulation of Specific Guidelines and Policies for Development Activities/Proposals in the coastal area.

2.2 Determination of Coastal Area Boundaries

One of the key decisions in implementing the ISMP is to determine the boundaries of the coastal area. The management area should encompass all relevant coastal resources and also encompass all coastal processes. The limits of the coastline may vary from place to place, but as a general guide, the following landward and seaward limits have been adopted: -

The landward limit is approximately 1 kilometre from the coastline (at MHWS).
The seaward limit is approximately 3 kilometres if coastal processes have little effect on the coastline.

2.3 Division of the Coastline Into Management Units

Along the coastline, the physical features, coastal characteristics and land use vary greatly, making it difficult to formulate meaningful guidelines or policies. To overcome this problem the coastline is subdivided into smaller units called management units. A Management Unit can be defined as a stretch of coastline with coherent characteristics in terms of natural coastal processes and land use. An illustration of the management unit is as shown below.

2.4 Status to Date

To date, DID Malaysia has completed ISMPs for Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Labuan and Miri, Sarawak. Currently, there are two ISMPs that are being prepared, namely the Sabah ISMP and the Johor ISMP.