Disaster risk assessment in Malaysia: current state, challenges, and future directions

Malaysia has seen a rise in natural hazards, leading to loss of life, economic downturn, infrastructure damage, and disruptions to daily life. Thus, understanding the types of hazards, their patterns, and the dynamics of hazard vulnerability is crucial for accurately identifying, prioritizing, and strategizing effective mitigation and adaptation methods. This study aims to provide an in-depth review of the disaster risk assessment conducted in Malaysia from 2004 until 2024. The objective is to review the current state, identify ongoing gaps, and address challenges related to the comprehension, advancement, and evaluation of disaster risk in Malaysia. This study employed a systematic literature review of 221 articles from Scopus and Web of Science published between 2004 and 2024, complemented with content analysis using ATLAS.ti and bibliometric analysis via Biblioshiny in R. This research emphasizes the immediate necessity of incorporating these findings into national disaster risk reduction initiatives from a policy perspective. The literature review found that: (i) There was a notable rise in publications on disaster risk assessment following the massive flood that occurred on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in 2015; (ii) The majority of studies are yet to conduct a thorough risk analysis, which entailed assessing elements at risk and analyzing risks; (iii) There is a lack of research in risk assessment that offers a precise definition of risk; (iv) Disaster risk assessment efforts should concentrate on the common occurrence of landslides and flooding along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia; (v) Most existing methodologies have combined techniques like machine learning (ML), statistics, and Geographic Information System (GIS) as tools for analysis and mapping and apply a quantitative approach for assessment; and (vi) Rather than considering susceptibility aspects related to the environment, culture, or institutions, these assessments often prioritize on the physical and socioeconomic variables that influence risk.