It’s flood season again, so what?

It's that time of the year when all the rivers and lakes start overflowing dangerously into where Malaysians live, work and go to school. This has been happening ever since I've been alive.

I don't remember a time when the rainy season arrived and no floods happened. Or at least extreme floods happened that would cause the loss of home, livelihood and lives.

Of course, I understand that we can never stop mother nature and if heavy rains are to happen, then it will happen. And when there is heavy rain, there will be heavy flow of water.

But what I find perplexing is the fact that after every single flood, we have come nowhere close to learning about how to prevent or overcome the floods.

Is it really that difficult a problem to solve for all of our brilliant minds in the country? Haven't we gathered enough data and information that will allow us to do something about it?

Year in and year out, all we ever hear or read about is how efficient aid and assistance is pouring in to the victims in the flood areas. That, or complaints about how inefficient it is.

Sometimes, even the victims question the efficiency of relief efforts and, most often than not, about financial aid and compensation that they feel they deserve.

Of course, we want to help, and highlighting that aid is needed and distributed is good. But has anyone even considered developing technology that can divert heavy flow of water?

If we can develop state-of-the-art technology like the SMART tunnel in the middle of Kuala Lumpur to prevent flash floods, why can't we do the same for those in the east coast?

And it seems that every year, the situation seems to be worse than the previous. Is there something that we're doing wrong causing things to worsen?

Other than engineering efforts, could we probably look at the way our country is being developed which could relate to rapid deforestation and misuse of land?

Or maybe there is a mismanagement of our water catchment areas and our dams, causing the increase of water run-off into populated areas?

Could there be a breakdown in communication and enforcement between that of the federal government, state government and local authorities?

Is it because the floods have happened every single year for so long that everyone has become desensitised and conditioned, that we just take it in our stride that it is something expected?

And so we don't attempt to do anything significant because "Alaaa... it happens every year lah. Just donate some money and food lah!" And it all becomes an annual "event".

It may be naive or even ignorant of me to question this because I am no expert in the matter of irrigation. But as a journalist, I can't help but wonder and also to raise the question. – December 26, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.