THE marine and coastal areas of Malaysia, which are home to diverse ecosystems — from coral reefs to mangrove forests — are currently under threat due to climate change.

Rising sea levels, changing temperatures and increased storm intensity reinforce the importance of building coastal resilience to ensure that coastal ecosystems, particularly mangrove wetlands and the communities they support continue to thrive.

"Coastal resilience is the ability of coastal systems, encompassing the environment, infrastructures and communities, to participate, absorb, recover from and adapt to adverse events such as coastal erosion, storm surges and sea level rises.

"It's not just about withstanding disasters, but also about bouncing back stronger," says Dr Teh Hee Min, senior lecturer at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP).

"From a community's perspective, coastal resilience is vital because it safeguards lives, homes and heritage.

"Many of these communities depend on coastal resources for their daily survival, cultural identity and economic resilience," he says, adding that a robust coastline is also key to protecting critical infrastructures like ports, fisheries and tourism assets.

He points out that floods and erosion on coastal areas especially can have a long-term ripple effect on local and even national economies.

"These ecosystems are natural buffers against extreme events and contribute to carbon sequestration and biodiversity.

"So, in essence, coastal resilience is about securing a future where human development and natural systems coexist and support one another," he emphasises.

At UTP, coastal resilience projects led by Teh focus on integrating innovative engineering technologies with ecological awareness and community empowerment.

The Tanjung Kepah Mangrove Action Project in Perak, for example, exemplifies UTP's research and consultancy ethos of leveraging the university's cutting-edge research and multidisciplinary expertise to address pressing sustainability challenges.

The project solutions directly support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 15 (life on land), aiding in the country achieving its sustainability targets.

The project, led by UTP and Wetlands International, is a collaboration with the Irrigation and Drainage Department, Manjung, National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (Nahrim), Parak Forestry Department, Solmax and Pertubuhan Sahabat Hutan Bakau Lekir.

The project site at Tanjung Kepah, as its name suggests, was once a prolific mud clam (kepah) production site, but over the years, yields have dropped because of the loss of mangrove forests, which served as barriers against storm surges.

Furthermore, replanting efforts over the years also failed because the tender saplings did not stand a chance against the strong sea waves.

At its heart, the project is a coastal defence system composed of an offshore 25-metre bamboo wave screen, the first of its kind in Malaysia.

Completed in November 2024, the screen has received thumbs-up from various stakeholders.

Recently planted mangrove saplings – now sheltered from waves – are seeing a survivability rate of 70%, a remarkable feat as mangrove planting in the open sea garnering a 30% survivability rate is usually considered marvellous, says Teh.

He points out that because this is a nature-based solution, the lifespan of the bamboo screen is about three years, by which time the mangrove forest should have grown enough to play its role as a natural defence against storms and strong waves.

A 25-meter bamboo wave screen was constructed at Tanjung Kepah to protect newly planted mangrove saplings and reduce wave impact on the hinterland.

What's more, the remains of the bamboo structure will also serve as nurseries or dwellings for marine life.

Buoyed by the success of the first phase of this project, the plan is to construct another screen, this time further afield in the open sea.

Installation of the 30-metre screen is expected to commence in August. Apart from the sites in Perak, UTP's project partner Wetlands International also plans to deploy this technology at a site in Sungai Haji Dorani in Selangor.

"This project at Tanjung Kepah is built around three key pillars, namely, nature-based coastal restoration, multi-stakeholder partnership and community engagement and empowerment," says Teh, adding that the bamboo used is sourced via a collaboration with SEAD Build, a proponent of sustainable bamboo agroforestry in Malaysia.

Apart from the project at Tanjung Kepah, UTP previously undertook another coastal resilience project at Teluk Nipah in Pulau Pangkor, which stemmed from a UTP study revealing that the sandy beach was eroding at a rate of up to three metres a year due to continuous degradation of the shoreline by waves.

To gauge the awareness level of the coastal problems in Teluk Nipah among the local community, UTP organised two community engagement sessions in August 2019 and January 2022.

The town hall sessions enabled communities in Teluk Nipah and Pulau Pangkor to share their concerns and pain points on coastal problems with local authorities and the need for erosion control measures.

Teh, who led the project, explains that UTP designed a 50-metre rock revetment at the beach in Teluk Nipah, which was constructed at the end of 2020.

The university also proposed to the authorities a soft approach to mitigate erosion and replenish the existing shoreline through beach nourishment.

 

Final year UTP Civil Engineering students enrolled in the elective course Design of Coastal Structures conducting field measurements of alongshore sediment transport along the shoreline of Teluk Nipah.

​Nurturing innovation

For Teh, being part of the UTP ecosystem has been instrumental in the success of the projects at Tanjung Kepah and Teluk Nipah.

"Here, interdisciplinary knowledge sharing, access to cutting-edge research facilities and institutional support come together to nurture innovation," he says.

He adds that the research also benefited greatly from being part of UTP's Water-Energy-Environment Nexus, which brings together experts in hydrology, botany, environmental engineering and social sciences.

"This allowed for more holistic project planning. UTP's strong emphasis on industry and community engagement also opened doors for funding and collaborations, which enabled us to involve the local communities in Tanjung Kepah and train them in the monitoring and maintenance of the bamboo wave screen."

Beyond research projects, these were real-world initiatives that empowered communities directly impacted by coastal erosion, he adds.

"Building coastal resilience isn't just an engineering challenge, it's a human one. The shoreline is where science meets society.

"The greatest success comes from when we design with the people and nature in mind. Interventions when rooted in local knowledge supported by research and powered by collaborations, can create meaningful, lasting impact.

"More than stopping erosion, it's about restoring dignity to coastal communities and preserving the ecosystem for future generations," Teh concludes.

For more information and enquiries on coastal resilience, email programmeoffice@utp.edu.my.​​​