Penang
Organisations: 7
Participations: 11
Organisations: 11
Participations: 15
Organisations: 6
Participations: 7
Organisations: 5
Participations: 12
Organisations: 7
Participations: 9
Penang
A story of
resilience
Scroll
Located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is divided by the South China Sea into two main regions.
The state of
Penang
is on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
Penang is also divided into two parts: a strip of mainland and an island opposite it.
Seberang Perai’s industrial landscape marks the horizon

Penang's population rose from just under a million in 1970 to
1.8 million
in 2023.

People came from rural areas to Cities in Penang, searching for opportunities and the hope of improving their living conditions.

Seberang Perai
has become a favourite destination, and now, more than half of Penang lives here!

By 2023, more than 9 million people called Seberang Perai home. This growing number of residents have increased the risk of flooding and extreme heat.

In 2020,
Flash floods
on mainland Penang displaced 148 people and led to the opening of two relief centres.

More events have followed.

1.8 million
Under 1 million
Find out
more!
2020
Flash floods on mainland.
Find out
more!
2021
Minor floods on Penang Island.
Find out
more!
2022
Heavy rains led to flooding in Bayan Lepas, Bayan Baru, and Bukit Jambul.
Find out
more!
2024
Intense downpours and winds caused severe flooding.
And what about the heat?

Urban areas in Penang are much hotter than rural ones.

Seberang Perai is warmer than rural areas because of its higher industrial activity, rapid urbanization, and fewer green spaces—global warming is causing temperatures to rise even more.
Penang needs to prepare for the
future
.
What do you want to know?
How
What
Who
How Resilient
is Penang?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua.

Too much Floods!

In 2017, floods in Penang displaced more than 7,000 people, impacted 159 areas, claimed 7 lives, and caused economic losses exceeding RM250 million.

From 2020 to 2023, flash floods have repeatedly disrupted daily life, leading to evacuations, traffic chaos, and significant damage to infrastructure.

People wade through ankle-deep water along Macalister Road in George Town November 5, 2017.
— Picture by KE Ooi

There are areas in Seberang Perai with a higher risk of flooding.

The city’s drainage systems are old, which increases the risk of floods.

Flood maps are contributing to Penang’s planning and flood mitigation efforts. This is how the Seberang Perai can identify where interventions are needed the most.

Most flash floods happen in Sungai Pinang River Basin!
Did you know Sungai Pinang River Basin largest in Daerah Timur Laut and covers 41% of it?

Too little clean water!

From 2019 to 2022, consumption of water in homes increased by 14%. This unexpected rise caught Penang's water infrastructure unprepared.

Penang depends on surface water and external sources like Sungai Muda to provide water to communities. Water levels have been declining due to climate change, which is increasing the pressure on the water supply.

Interruptions in water supply also disrupt Penang's electronics manufacturing and other high-tech industries, affecting jobs and causing economic losses.

Too much heat!

In February 2024, MetMalaysia issued a Level 1 heatwave warning as temperatures in Central Seberang Perai stayed between 35 and 37°C for three consecutive days.

Rising temperatures and high humidity made it difficult for some people to cool down, increasing cases of heatstroke, dehydration, and heat exhaustion.

Penang’s entrepreneurs are also affected, as tourists are avoiding the months of extreme heat, reducing revenues for hotels, restaurants, and local businesses. This is leading to increased job insecurity.

Sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat

Bring back nature!

Planting trees along streets, creating rooftop gardens, and establishing blue-green corridors are some of the actions that Think City implementing to mitigate the Urban Heat Island effect. Introducing nature to cities helps reduce surface temperatures and improve urban livability.

Thermal images reveal that streets with trees in shaded areas in George Town are even 29.8°C cooler than non-shaded areas.

Economic Diversification Now!

Penang is among the top five economies in Malaysia, but GDP per capita is only half of Kuala Lumpur’s.

2021 had the highest growth rate among Malaysian states, surpassing the pre-pandemic level.

This growth was mainly driven by a robust recovery in the manufacturing and construction sectors.

Penang is the largest contributor of the Malaysia’s electrical and electronics products.

33.6%
Penang’s GDP

The dependence to a small number of industries limits Penang's capacity to adapt and thrive in evolving economic landscapes.

We need homes!

Either people do not find a house or they can not pay it. This forces them into informal settlements and poor living conditions. They become more exposed to natural disasters and health crises.

The housing shortage also makes it hard to keep and attract workers, which hurts Penang's ability to attract skilled professionals and grow its economy.

There are not enough affordable homes. Only 36% of new homes are priced at RM 300,000 or less. But 76% of households in Malaysia earn less than that.

Too many cars!

More people mean more traffic congestion, longer travel times, and more fuel use.

“There are 2,778,681 private vehicles registered in Penang, slightly more than double the state population of 1.3 million.”
Director Adenan State Road Transport Department
June 2021
“In the morning, I take about an hour and fifteen minutes to get to work. The return journey takes me between 90 minutes to 2 hours.’’
Free Malaysia Today
March 2024

This harms air quality, public health, and how livable the city is. Businesses face delays in moving goods and workers, which hurts the economy.

Comparison of Penang's urbanisation over 1994, 2009, and 2024 reveals differences in its landscape and infrastructure

Are we ready?

The starting point of a successful resilience strategy is having resilient institutions and networks within the city. Their capacity to collaborate and advance resilience solutions determines the city's speed of preparedness. So, does Penang have what it takes?

Governance
Preparing for known and unknown risks requires multistakeholder engagement. Effective governance structures are vital to coordinate efforts, foster collaboration, and ensure transparent decision-making across multiple stakeholders.
Capacity
Skill shortages are making implementation challenging and reducing the impact of actions. Building local skills and capacity for building urban resilience is crucial, as city officers need to be able to convene stakeholders to advance projects.
Financing
Limited resources and other pressing priorities have prevented Penang from taking resilience-building actions in the past. Penang needs to secure more funding to implement resilient projects that will prepare Seberang Perai for future challenges.
What is
the city doing?
Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua.

Building resilience

Urban resilience is a city's ability to bounce back and adapt to challenges.

Investing in Sebarang Perai's resilience will enable safer, more sustainable, and more resilient communities that can thrive in change.

The resilience strategy is being developed at the moment. Soon, we will update this page with it!

Stakeholder engagement has been central to developing this strategy.

Talking
between areas

Think City facilitated a City Resilience Assessment and a Stakeholder and Ecosystem Mapping Workshop as part of a Baseline Resilience Assessment for members of MBPP and MBSP.

The workshops were made to validate Penang's key shocks and stresses, review existing strategies to address them, gather relevant information, and identify key stakeholders.

Talking with
communities

Focus Group Discussions were conducted with representatives from state and federal government agencies, the private sector, and NGOs. These discussions highlighted interconnected urban challenges and emphasized the need for integrated solutions.

Key areas covered included shocks and stresses, resilience initiatives, emerging resilience themes, stakeholder engagement and collaboration, as well as challenges and opportunities. The valuable insights from these discussions will inform the development of the Penang Resilience Strategy.

Focus
Social
Environmental
Infrastructure
Youth
Economic
Participants at the Infrastructure Resilience FGD discussed plans around alleviating traffic congestion and transitioning to clean energy sources.
Dr Matt Benson and Datin Bharathi discuss strategies for positioning Penang as a financial and global business services hub.
University students at the Youth Resilience Focus Group Discussion.
The Environmental Resilience FGD participants highlighted unsustainable development as a major stress.
The Social Resilience FGD included healthcare practitioners.
Who is involved?
At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Micron Foundation
Think City
Seberang Perai City Council
Penang State
Penang Island City Council
R-Cities
Micron Foundation
Think City
Seberang Perai City Council
Penang State
Penang Island City Council
R-Cities
Loading...