PEDC

Category: Environment

The Environment category brings clarity to the forces that impact our surroundings and our safety. It covers natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, and other environmental risks that affect Bangladesh and beyond.

We discuss earthquake science, seismic zones, building resilience (BNBC 2020, ASCE & ACI), disaster preparedness, environmental challenges, and sustainability in architecture, structural design, and construction.

This category also includes practical insights on eco-friendly materials, climate-responsive planning, sustainable construction, resilience strategies, environmental protection, green design philosophy, urban ecology, and long-term sustainability solutions.

Whether you’re a homeowner, student, architect, or engineer — this space helps you understand risks, responsibilities, solutions, and smarter ways to build a safer, sustainable future.

Because a stronger tomorrow starts with awareness, resilience, and responsible environmental thinking.

  • Malaysia Maps 11 Active Fault Zones — What It Means for Earthquake Risk & Preparedness

    🧭 What’s New: Nationwide Fault Mapping

    • The Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) of Malaysia has identified and mapped 11 active earthquake fault zones nationwide, according to Johari Abdul Ghani, the country’s Plantation and Commodities Minister.
    • The mapping was carried out between 2016 and 2020.
    • Of those 11, six are in Peninsular Malaysia, and the rest are in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak).

    Peninsular Malaysia — 6 fault zones:

    • Bukit Tinggi Fault (Pahang)
    • Bokbak Fault (Kedah–Perak)
    • Terengganu Fault (Terengganu)
    • Banding Fault (Perak)
    • Kuala Pilah Fault (Negeri Sembilan)
    • Mersing Fault (Johor)

    East Malaysia — Sabah & Sarawak:

    • Tubau Fault (Miri, Sarawak)
    • In Sabah: Lobou Lobou Fault and Mensaban Fault (Ranau), plus Lahad Datu Fault and Tabin Fault (Lahad Datu)

    📡 Monitoring & Preparedness: What Malaysia Is Doing

    • In Sabah alone, six active “fault-movement benchmark” stations have been installed to monitor subtle ground shifts.
    • Across other states (Pahang, Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak and Sabah), 47 passive monitoring stations are already operational, with plans to expand coverage to other high-risk areas including Johor.
    • Regarding early-warning systems: MetMalaysia currently runs about 80 seismographic stations nationwide, supported by 323 international monitoring stations.
    • Malaysia issues earthquake alerts within 8 minutes for quakes of magnitude 3.0 or higher, and under the 13th Malaysia Plan, aims to reduce alert time to 6 minutes by 2026.

    Johari emphasized that seismic hazard maps are given to local authorities and engineers, who are advised to follow the country’s guidelines — the Malaysia National Annex to Eurocode 8 — when designing earthquake-resistant buildings.

    🌍 Why This Matters — Malaysia is Not Immune

    For a long time, many people assumed that countries like Malaysia — far from the so-called “Ring of Fire” — are largely safe from significant earthquakes. That belief may now be shifting.

    • The identification of 11 active fault zones nationwide changes that perception: seismic risk — even if moderate compared to global hotspots — exists in both Peninsular and East Malaysia.
    • Several states already flagged as “earthquake-risk areas” by JMG include Pahang, Terengganu, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Sabah, and Sarawak.
    • In recent months, government reports also identified 14 earthquake “hotspots” across the country — overlapping with many of these fault zones.

    This mapping and monitoring initiative — combined with hazard-mapping, monitoring stations, and building code recommendations — suggests that Malaysia is transitioning from “low-earthquake awareness” to “earthquake resilience planning.”

    🏗️ What It Means for Engineers, Builders, and Residents

    Because of these developments:

    • New buildings — especially in identified fault zones or hotspots — should comply with seismic-resistant design standards. Following the Malaysia National Annex to Eurocode 8 is now more relevant than ever.
    • Local authorities and urban planners must consult seismic hazard maps during approvals, zoning, and development planning — especially for schools, hospitals, high-rises, and infrastructure.
    • Homeowners, contractors, and engineers should stay updated about changes in hazard-zone designations, monitoring-station expansions, and possible strengthening/retrofitting guidelines.
    • Disaster preparedness (public awareness, early-warning systems, evacuation planning) should become part of national/regional policy, even in regions that were earlier considered “safe.”

    ⚠️ What It Doesn’t Mean — Not All Faults Are About to Trigger Mega-Quakes

    • Mapping a fault zone does not mean an earthquake is imminent. Faults can be “active” but dormant for long periods.
    • According to authorities, earthquakes still cannot be precisely predicted. What’s possible is faster alerting and better structural resilience.
    • For many areas, seismic hazard remains relatively low or moderate. But with population growth, urbanization, and more construction — the risk from damage and collapse increases if codes and standards are ignored.

    💡 What Other Countries (and Bangladesh) Can Learn from Malaysia’s Approach

    Given your background in structural design, codes (BNBC, ACI, ASCE), and experience with earthquake-resilient design — the Malaysian case offers good lessons for Bangladesh too:

    • Systematic fault mapping + hazard mapping before or alongside development.
    • Nationwide seismic monitoring network (active + passive stations) to track micro-tremors and long-term risk.
    • Enforcement of earthquake-resistant design codes (like Eurocode 8, similar to BNBC/ACI) for all new structures — especially in high-risk zones.
    • Public awareness & disaster-preparedness systems, including early-warning and community readiness.

    If Bangladesh adopted a similar multi-pronged approach, it could significantly reduce seismic risk — quite relevant given rising concerns about earthquake vulnerability in Dhaka and other zones.

    ✅ Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call — Not a Panic Button

    The mapping of 11 active fault zones across Malaysia is a wake-up call — a reminder that even places with historically low earthquake activity should stay vigilant.

    It doesn’t mean panic. It means planning, preparation, and responsibility — from government to engineer to everyday citizen.

    Because earthquakes don’t need to be catastrophic to be dangerous — poor design, weak enforcement, and ignorance are enough.

    Malaysia is showing how to move from “we hope nothing happens” to “we are prepared if anything happens.” That’s a shift worth noting — not just for Malaysians, but for everyone in earthquake-prone or potentially vulnerable regions.