Disaster risk management strategies and community awareness in the context of Pergau Dam, Jeli, Kelantan

The construction of dams represents one of humanity’s most notable engineering achievements, offering essential functions such as flood control, water supply, irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, recreation, and navigation. Despite these benefits, dam-related disasters pose serious threats to communities living in surrounding areas, making disaster awareness and preparedness critical components of risk reduction. This study examines community awareness and disaster risk management strategies in the context of the Pergau Dam, Jeli, Kelantan. Employing community-based surveys and analyses, the research aimed to identify effective approaches for enhancing public awareness and preparedness toward dam safety, thereby reducing potential loss of life and injuries in disaster scenarios. The findings reveal the importance of equipping communities with disaster-related knowledge to strengthen their resilience to risks. Moreover, disaster emergency training and drills emerged as highly effective methods for improving awareness and preparedness. The study concludes that continuous, structured disaster-related programs are necessary to foster a self-resilient community, thereby enhancing overall disaster risk management capacity in dam-affected areas.