The 1998 Klang Valley
water crisis
Water scarcity (closely related to water stress or water crisis) is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two types of water scarcity: physical or economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity is wher ...
occurred in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
in February 1998 when the three
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
dams in
Klang Valley
Klang Valley ( ms, Lembah Klang; zh, 巴生谷; ) is an urban conglomeration in Malaysia that is centered in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and includes its adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. It is con ...
,
Klang Gates Dam
Klang Gates Dam (Malay: ''Empangan Klang Gates'') is a dam in Ulu Klang, Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is also known as the Bukit Tabur Dam. Completed in 1958, the dam is the first dam in Malaysia for water supply. It is a concrete arch ...
,
Batu Dam
Batu Dam ( ms, Empangan Batu) is one of the major dams of Klang Valley located in Selangor, Malaysia. The dam is a water supply dam. The dam holding capacity is 30,199 ML. The Sungai Batu water treatment plant produces 114 ML per day of treated ...
and
Semenyih Dam suffered a substantial drop in water level following the
El Niño
El Niño (; ; ) is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific (approximately between the International Date L ...
phenomenon. The subsequent water shortage affected almost all the residents in the Klang Valley causing the government to impose water rationing prior to the
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel 1998)'', officially known as the XVI Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel ke-16)'', was a multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This edition is marked by several unprecedent ...
in Kuala Lumpur.
The shortage was blamed on El Nino despite actual rainfall in the months leading up to February 1998 in Federal Territory
not being significantly below average. In fact in November 1997,
Klang Gates Dam
Klang Gates Dam (Malay: ''Empangan Klang Gates'') is a dam in Ulu Klang, Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is also known as the Bukit Tabur Dam. Completed in 1958, the dam is the first dam in Malaysia for water supply. It is a concrete arch ...
had its highest recorded rainfall. Similarly in October 1997 the Kajang station not far from the Semenyih dam had its highest rainfall in record.
[Historical rainfall at Kajang http://infokemarau.water.gov.my/rp/State/TablePDF/B4.pdf]
See also
*
2014 Negeri Sembilan and Selangor water crisis
The 2014 Negeri Sembilan and Selangor water crisis was a water crisis that began in the Malaysian states of Negeri Sembilan and Selangor and lasted from February to August 2014. Its roots can be traced to hot and dry climatic conditions in Peninsu ...
References
Health disasters in Malaysia
1998 health disasters
1998 in Malaysia
Water in Malaysia
Environmental issues with water
Klang Valley
1998 disasters in Malaysia
{{Malaysia-hist-stub