Submerging paddy cultivation area due to coastal flooding in Kuala Kedah, Malaysia

Abstract

Kuala Kedah is a coastal area where the majority of the community are paddy farmers and fishermen. Almost the entire coastal area is used as a paddy cultivation area. However, this area faces the threat of seawater intrusion into land due to climate change driven sea-level rise. The rising seawater has affected the surrounding area, not only in terms of crop yields but also property and livelihood to the locals. Therefore, this study is designed to detect and analyze the progress of seawater on land at the Kuala Kedah coastal area using a hydrodynamic approach. Mike 21 software was used to simulate the hydrodynamic effects on 2 segments (NA and SA) in this study area by considering two conditions namely Condition 1 (K1) and Condition 2 (K2) which are respectively with and without coastal protection structure. However, this structure was only built along the 2.5 km shoreline in the NA segment and not in the SA segment. The findings show that the coastal protection structure in K2 is effective in reducing 50 % of the impact of sea level rise in year 2100 at NA segment, while only 10 % at SA segment. Therefore, the construction of these structures permanently should be given consideration by local authorities in planning future development to ensure lowland areas are protected from coastal floods.