Flooding is a recurring natural disaster in Malaysia, significantly impacting communities in vulnerable areas. To address the urgent need for better disaster preparedness and response, a research team led by Ts. Dr. Nooraziah Ahmad, project leader and research fellow at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data (AIBIG), has secured RM30,000.00 for Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) through the Collaborative Research Grant (UTM CRG). The total project funding is RM120,000.00, with UMK receiving RM30,000.00. The team includes Dr. Muhammad Akmal Remli, director at AIBIG and senior lecturer along with Dr. Fakhitah Binti Ridzuan and Ts. Dr. Nor Alina Binti Ismail from the Faculty of Data Science and Computing (FSDK) and Dr. Azlin Sharina Binti Abdul Latef from the Faculty of Creative Technology and Heritage (FTKW). This project, conducted under a Collaborative Research Agreement involving Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) and Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), aims to develop and evaluate a data-driven framework for flood management. The framework will integrate big data analytics to improve risk mitigation, enhance resilience and support sustainable socio-economic outcomes for the affected communities through a digital platform.

The project under UMK focuses on understanding how communities access and utilise information before, during, and after floods. Many residents rely on traditional media such as television, for critical updates. However, this method has limitations, particularly regarding real-time information. As digital platforms and social media emerge, the research explores how these alternative communication methods can be integrated with traditional approaches to improve disaster response and community resilience.

The research will unfold in five key phases. The project will begin by reviewing existing literature to analyse current communication strategies and assess past flood events in Sri Gading, Johor. This will provide an understanding of what has worked and what challenges exist. After this initial research, the team will engage with the local community through surveys and focus groups to gather insights about their specific needs and preferred ways of receiving information during floods. In the next step, the researchers will collaborate with key stakeholders, including local authorities and emergency responders, to identify critical factors influencing the community’s ability to recover and stay resilient during disasters. Based on these insights, a prototype digital platform will be designed and customised as a central hub for sharing essential information and facilitating communication during emergencies. In the final phase, the platform will be tested with community members to gather feedback, allowing the researchers to refine and improve it. The goal is to ensure the platform effectively meets the community’s needs and strengthens their flood resilience.

In conclusion, this project led by Ts. Dr. Nooraziah Ahmad represents a vital step toward improving disaster management in Malaysia. By addressing the limitations of current communication systems and proposing a customised technological solution, the research will significantly enhance flood-affected communities' ability to respond to and recover from disasters. This collaborative effort among UTM, UTHM, UMK and UniSZA underscores the importance of integrating community insights with innovative technology to build safer, more resilient communities.