Why Cities Are Drowning: The Real Cost of Flooding in a Changing Climate

21 Jul 2025

8 Min Read

AP Dr Sucharita Srirangam (Academic Contributor)

IN THIS ARTICLE

Contributed by AP Dr Sucharita Srirangam, whose research explores urban design, where sustainability manifests in a synergy between space and users. She can be reached at sucharita.srirangam@taylors.edu.my.

You’ve seen the photos: cars floating like toy boats, highways swallowed by muddy water, families wading through knee-deep floods with whatever belongings they can carry. For many Malaysians, this isn’t just a headline — it’s reality.

Floods are no longer rare surprises. They're becoming more frequent, more intense, and far more destructive. Whether it's the streets of Kuala Lumpur turning into rivers after a sudden downpour, or entire towns in Kelantan and Pahang submerged for days, the impact is impossible to ignore. But what’s really behind all this? Is it just heavier rain — or is something bigger at play?

The Storm Behind the Storm

We often hear that climate change is making things worse, but what does that actually mean for flooding?

First, rising global temperatures are causing sea levels to increase. Coastal cities like Klang and Penang are already seeing the effects — seawater is slowly creeping inland, swallowing land and contaminating groundwater supplies. In Indonesia, the situation is so dire that the capital city, Jakarta, is being relocated due to extreme land subsidence and rising seas. Closer to home, the Mekong Delta in Vietnam — a vital agricultural zone — is also facing significant threats from saltwater intrusion.

_{But it’s not just about the sea. Warmer air can hold more moisture, which leads to more intense and concentrated rainfall. Malaysia’s monsoon seasons, especially the northeast monsoon, are now bringing heavier downpours that overwhelm drainage systems and rivers. In 2021, for example, more than 60,000 people were displaced by floods across several states, making it one of the worst flooding events in recent memory. In cities like Kuala Lumpur, even a few hours of rain can cause flash floods, thanks to blocked drains and insufficient infrastructure.}

How Cities Are Making It Worse

Climate change may be the trigger, but rapid but unplanned urban development is fuelling the fire. As our cities grow, we’re replacing natural landscapes with concrete and asphalt. Trees, wetlands, and green spaces — all of which help absorb rainwater are being cleared to make way for roads, high-rises, and shopping centres.

_{This is particularly evident in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Johor Bahru, where urban sprawl has outpaced the development of proper drainage systems. When it rains, there’s nowhere for the water to go. What would have once been absorbed into the soil now runs straight off the surface, flooding streets and low-lying areas.}

At the same time, deforestation in upstream regions such as Pahang and Sarawak is removing a critical line of defence. Forests naturally slow down and absorb rainwater, reducing the volume that ends up in rivers. Without them, rainwater flows rapidly downhill, filling rivers to the brink and increasing the risk of floods in downstream communities like Kuantan and Kota Bharu.

The Human Cost of Flooding

While the physical damage caused by floods is easy to see — submerged roads, damaged buildings, overturned vehicles — the social and economic costs often run much deeper.

Infrastructure is one of the hardest-hit areas. Roads, bridges, power stations, and rail lines are regularly damaged or shut down, causing major disruptions to daily life. The Selangor floods in 2021, for instance, left entire neighbourhoods stranded and cut off from essential services.

_{But beyond the damage to structures, floods also displace communities. In many cases, it’s the low-income households living in informal settlements near rivers who suffer the most. These families are often forced to evacuate multiple times during the monsoon season, with limited access to insurance or financial support to rebuild. For them, every flood is a setback that takes months, if not years, to recover from.}

Flooding also hits key sectors like agriculture and education. Crops are destroyed, livestock lost, and food supplies disrupted — all of which impact Malaysia’s economy and food security. Schools are frequently closed during flood events, especially in rural areas, and that means lost learning time for students already facing educational challenges.

Health is another major concern. Stagnant floodwaters can become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, spreading diseases like dengue fever. Contaminated water sources lead to outbreaks of cholera, leptospirosis, and other dangerous infections, straining healthcare systems already operating under pressure.

— AP Dr Sucharita Srirangam

What Happens Next?

Flooding is no longer just a seasonal nuisance — it’s a national crisis. And while climate change may feel like something beyond our control, how we respond to it isn’t. We need better planning, smarter design, and a collective effort from communities, government, and future professionals — including young people like you.

The good news? Innovative ideas are already emerging. In Part Two, we’ll explore how architects, researchers, and students are rethinking the way we build our cities — and how design can become a powerful tool in the fight against climate change.

As floods become a growing threat, architecture is stepping up with solutions that blend design, sustainability, and community resilience. Curious about where architecture can take you? Explore how future-focused ideas are shaping safer, more resilient cities in a changing climate.

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