Weather and Climate Science for Service Partnership (WCSSP)-The Development of High Impact Weather (HIW) & Impact Based Forecasting (IBF) for Malaysia Catchments: Case Study for Kelantan and Muar River Basin.

Impact-based forecasting (IBF) and warning services aim to bridge the gap between producers and users of warning information by connecting and increasing synergies between the components of effective early warning systems. The aim is to prepare understandable and useful warning message based on colour codes to trigger risk mitigation actions at the local level in the flood-exposed communities in Kelantan and Muar.

The idea is to develop into impact-based forecasting and warnings that can connect water levels, through the colour code, to localised guidance information tailored to sectors needs on how to respond to the expected flood. It is hope that the colour coded impact-based warnings will be an easy and understandable way to link water level forecasts to the necessary risk mitigation actions especially under real-time conditions.

IBF has huge potential in Malaysia but its integration requires significant institutional changes, such as an inter-facing agency (long term) or team (short term), adjusted policy frameworks and new resource allocations for skills development and technological innovation from national to local levels.

Project leader: Datin Prof. Ir. Dr. Lariyah Binti Mohd Sidek