The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has deployed 606 portable emergency pumps nationwide as Malaysia prepares for the potential impact of the El Nino phenomenon, which is forecast to continue until early 2027.
The pumps can be mobilised within 24 hours to areas facing critical water levels or supply disruptions, with priority given to agricultural areas, irrigation schemes and other affected locations. They can also support forest and peatland fire-fighting operations alongside the Fire and Rescue Department and other agencies.
DID said regular preventive maintenance is being carried out on the pumps and hydromechanical infrastructure to ensure the assets remain operational throughout the drought period.
“The department also coordinates the integrated use of assets involving federal and state government assets and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), while expanding technical assistance to Integrated Agricultural Development Areas (IADA) and other agencies according to current needs.
“Preventive maintenance programmes are carried out regularly to ensure all portable pumps and hydromechanical infrastructure remain in optimal condition before the drought begins. All requests for assistance are coordinated by the department, and the assets can be mobilised to affected locations within 24 hours,” it said.
DID is also monitoring 56 dams nationwide through the InfoKemarau Portal and Reservoir Information Management System (RIMS), covering dams managed by the department, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Sabah Water Department and state water regulatory authorities.
The monitoring is aimed at managing water resources, agricultural irrigation and drought risks as rainfall is expected to decline in several parts of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah.
MetMalaysia’s Long Range Weather Outlook updated on July 29 forecast El Nino to persist until early 2027. The phenomenon is expected to bring lower rainfall to parts of the west, east and southern coasts of Peninsular Malaysia, central and western Sarawak and eastern Sabah, raising the risk of drought and putting additional pressure on water resources.
DID said it is using the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system and Pump Tracking System to monitor pump and water gate operations in real time, allowing potential disruptions and damage to be identified earlier.
The department has also developed the National Water Balance Management System (NAWABS), which can project water resource availability up to two months ahead and provide drought warnings up to 14 days in advance.
NAWABS currently covers seven major river basins, namely Sungai Kedah, Sungai Muda, Sungai Bernam, Sungai Klang, Sungai Melaka, Sungai Kelantan and Sungai Similajau. The system is expected to be expanded to another 12 river basins by 2028.
DID said NAWABS data is reinforced by weekly water resource assessment reports covering river flows, dam storage levels and drought developments. The information is shared with NADMA, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, the National Water Services Commission, DID management and state offices to guide measures such as cloud seeding, early drought warnings and water supply planning.
“Water releases from dams are carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure sufficient water supplies for domestic and agricultural use, as well as the safety of the dams. DID also works with state water supply operators to optimise the operation of water intake towers to ensure continuity of water supply to consumers,” it said.
