Malaysia faces significant risks from rainfall-triggered landslides, driven by extreme weather conditions. Historical data from 1961 to 2024 records over 6,400 landslides, resulting in substantial loss of life and economic damages exceeding $1 billion. These risks are expected to grow due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, disproportionately affecting low-income households and small businesses. While existing monitoring and mapping systems track landslides, a critical gap remains in assessing the economic losses they cause and using that information to support anticipatory and disaster finance strategies.
To address this gap, the project “Trigger index for rainfall-induced landslide risk assessment for enhanced resilience” (TRIGGER) has been launched. Led by BGS in partnership with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and MetMalaysia, the initiative aims to develop a landslide trigger index to improve forewarning and support rapid recovery. By linking historical landslide losses with data on rainfall, ground conditions, and exposure of communities and infrastructure, the project will help stakeholders better understand the potential impacts of future extreme rainfall events.
Dr. Nikhil Nedumpallile-Vasu, BGS engineering geologist, emphasized that the TRIGGER project will enhance understanding of rainfall-triggered landslides and enable quicker recovery after disasters, ultimately building resilience in affected communities.
The TRIGGER project is expected to facilitate risk-based, rapid post-disaster financial relief, incentivize investment in resilient infrastructure, and support poverty reduction by protecting vulnerable populations. Its scalable model could also be applied to other Indo-Pacific countries facing similar landslide and rainfall hazard profiles.
