Keeping children safe in a flood
Lessons in Disaster Risk Reduction from Rantau Panjang
Ameera, aged 10, looks contented as she sits between her parents while they talk about annual floods at the village. Her father, Abe Ha, shares how the water started rising one night at Maghrib, the evening call to prayer. They decided to evacuate at midnight when the water reached their knees inside their home that is built three feet above ground. Outside, the rushing flood waters reached Abe Ha’s chest.
Ameera, her mother, and her sister climbed into a little sampan and Abe Ha pulled them to the evacuation centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Rantau Panjang about 100 meters away. When asked if she felt scared about getting into a small boat at midnight in the middle of the high floods, Ameera replied “Tok naling. Papa ada”. It that translates from the Kelantanese dialect to “I’m not afraid, I have my father”.
For most people, flooding incidences that inundate their homes are a once in a lifetime experience. For the people of Rantau Panjang, it is an annual occurrence. In recent years, the floods have become bigger, more dangerous, and take a longer time to subside.
Evidence of a changing climate
Abe Ha, Ameera’s father shared that in the past, they would only get floods once a year. But in recent years, the waters would rise more frequently. They had to evacuate three times in 2022. In addition to the floods being more frequent, the floods waters were getting higher.
“The house I lived in used to turn into a little island. We were on dry land when everywhere else would flood. But now, flood waters enter the house” explains Abe Ha.
“The evacuation centres also get more crowded. We used to get only 600 to 700 people. Now, the school hall would be forced to accommodate up to 1,000 people. My family put up our tent in the parking lot because the school hall could not accommodate the crowd.”
“The evacuation centres also get more crowded. We used to get only 600 to 700 people. Now, the school hall would be forced to accommodate up to 1,000 people. My family put up our tent in the parking lot because the school hall could not accommodate the crowd.”
“Floodwaters also take a longer time to subside. When in the past the floods would subside completely within a few days, the flood waters nowadays take weeks to subside, earning the name Banjir Termenung.”
The term Termenung means to be lost in thought suggesting the floodwaters linger as if they have nowhere to go.
In the event of an emergency
“The flood season used to bring a festival-like atmosphere to Rantau Panjang. The waters would rise to waist or chest deep. Folks would come from Kota Bharu and fill the homestays to play in the floods” said Cikgu Eddie, who grew up in Rantau Panjang.
“But recently, the floods have become bigger and more dangerous. Houses get completely submerged in water, and some homes are swept away by the currents. Parents are now more cautious about letting their children play in the water.”
“But recently, the floods have become bigger and more dangerous. Houses get completely submerged in water, and some homes are swept away by the currents. Parents are now more cautious about letting their children play in the water.”
Cikgu Eddie is a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Rantau Panjang 2. He has also been trained to teach Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) to school students. He acted as game master to a snakes and ladders board game that engaged students in questions on environmental disasters as they progressed to the top of the board.
“Through this DRR module, the children learn about managing themselves and their families in the event of a disaster. The lessons are easily understood because they are delivered in small bites in a fun setting” continued Cikgu Eddie.
The Disaster Risk Reduction education module include games like word puzzles, bingo and activities such as putting together an emergency backpack and mapping the school to identify risks.
Helping children where we can
“As this school is located in a flood-prone area, we always remind the students to take good care of their schoolbooks and uniform. But in the last two to three years, the floods have been beyond our expectations resulting in major losses. The school makes special effort to care and help students experiencing loss from floods,” said Cikgu Hisham, headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Rantau Panjang 2.
“Truthfully, it can be difficult to recover their spirits to return to school as usual. They have experienced a psychological impact and trauma from evacuating their home due to the floods. They’ve had to evacuate, and have lost their possessions,” he continued.
“Truthfully, it can be difficult to recover their spirits to return to school as usual. They have experienced a psychological impact and trauma from evacuating their home due to the floods. They’ve had to evacuate, and have lost their possessions,”
Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Rantau Panjang 2 is the biggest temporary evacuation centre in the district. Every time it floods, the school hall turns into an evacuation centre housing up to 1,500 evacuees. Government agencies such as the Welfare Department and the National Disaster Management Agency provides the centre with food and tents for the evacuees, as well as activities for children.
Ameera, aged 10 shares her experience in the evacuation centre. “The evacuation centre gets very crowded. We have to wait a long time to use the toilet. It is not a fun experience. And after the floods subside, we have to clean the house before we can return home.”
“The evacuation centre gets very crowded. We have to wait a long time to use the toilet. It is not a fun experience. And after the floods subside, we have to clean the house before we can return home.”
Washed away
“Children will bear the worst impacts of climate change. They are extremely vulnerable physically, emotionally and socially during emergencies. During a flood, children are forced to miss school for weeks at a time. Often, the weeks lost are never replaced. At the evacuation centers, they are stuck in a crowded space, sharing a few small toilet cubicles with hundreds of other people. Such situations are uncomfortable and can be unsafe for women and girls. Their family may not have the financial means to replace the things they have lost every time it floods. It is not ideal for a child’s development,” shared Sufyan Aslam, Disaster Risk Reduction Consultant with UNICEF.
“However, we believe that children can be empowered to play an active role in responding to disaster risks. Through education such as this DRR program, and alongside early warning systems, community-based actions, school evacuation protocols and recovery plans, they can be advocates. Children can raise awareness among their friends and family to minimise danger to themselves and their loved ones” continued Sufyan.
Demonstrating what he learned from the Disaster Risk Reduction lessons, and from his experience, Qayyum, age 12, shares what he does during a flood: “As the waters rise, I help my parents put our important things safely into plastic bags and store them in high places. We then pack our things to go to the evacuation centre.”
With a grin he adds: “There was once, my parents had gone to the evacuation centre, but my brother and I were stuck at the house for two days. We stayed upstairs, because the ground floor was flooded. We had bread and tinned sardines for food. The next day, the lori Bomba rescued us.”
“We don’t want children to learn about floods from experiencing it. Hopefully the modules will reach all students in Malaysia, before they are forced to experience a disaster such as a floods, landslides, or earthquakes” continued Sufyan.
Note
Disaster risk reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and reducing risk in the event of a disaster. UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, and supported by the Southeast Asia Disaster Prevention Initiative (SEADPRI) Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) recently concluded several workshops to develop and refine disaster risk reduction education modules for primary school students in Malaysia. Recognizing children’s rights to safety and education, these efforts ensure that young learners are equipped with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves. Cikgu Eddie of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Rantau Panjang 2 is one of the teachers that has been trained to deliver DRR modules to students.
