Kuala Lumpur Launches Community Resilience Plans to Fight Climate Change

2025-04-30

As the world faces growing climate threats, Kuala Lumpur is stepping up with a bold new initiative to protect its most vulnerable communities. On 28 April 2025, the city launched Community Resilience Implementation Plans (CRIPs) for Kampung Pasir Baru and PPR Beringin, two high-risk areas often affected by flooding and extreme heat.

This launch is part of the Urban Climate Resilience Programme (UCRP), a collaborative project led by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), in partnership with the Z Zurich Foundation, Zurich Malaysia, and C40 Cities. Together, these partners are empowering residents to build safer, stronger, and more climate-resilient neighborhoods.

Why These Community-Led Plans Matter

The CRIPs were co-created with residents, ensuring their voices, concerns, and local knowledge shaped every part of the solution. This bottom-up approach reflects the lived realities of communities most exposed to flooding, heatwaves, and climate stress.

In Kampung Pasir Baru, the plan includes installing flood early warning systems to help residents prepare for rising water levels. Meanwhile, in PPR Beringin, the focus is on tackling extreme heat by offering financial literacy and preparedness programmes, particularly for those in low-income housing.

These targeted actions are backed by a larger vision to build a climate-resilient Kuala Lumpur through real solutions, informed by community input and aligned with broader urban policies.

Aligning Climate Action with National and Local Goals

The CRIPs rollout aligns with DBKL’s Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040, its’s 15 Flagship Programmes, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mayor Dato’ Sri TPr. (Dr.) Maimunah Mohd Sharif officiated the launch, emphasizing the city’s commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready development.

“We’re not only planning for the future, we’re empowering communities to shape it,” she said, reinforcing the value of shared ownership and resilience.

By testing ideas at the grassroots level, these plans will also support the city’s first Heat Action Plan and expand into citywide policies that address climate change more holistically.

Private Sector Support Makes a Difference

At the launch, representatives from Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich Malaysia echoed the importance of public-private collaboration in building long-term resilience.

“Real change starts in the community,” Said Junior Cho, Country CEO of Zurich Malaysia. “By empowering residents in Kampung Pasir Baru and PPR Beringin, we’re not just installing systems but we’re building a culture of care and preparedness.”

Gregory Renand, Head of Z Zurich Foundation, added that prevention is key. “We’re giving vulnerable communities the tools and knowledge they need to protect themselves before disaster strikes.”

This partnership shows how private sector leadership can align with community-led climate action, creating sustainable impact from the ground up.

Kuala Lumpur Sets an Example for Urban Climate Leadership

The launch of the CRIPs marks a new chapter for urban resilience in Malaysia. With strong collaboration between DBKL, communities, and global partners, Kuala Lumpur is showing how cities can lead in the face of climate challenges.

More than just plans on paper, these CRIPs are living documents, designed to evolve and guide action over time. From interactive community workshops to ongoing citywide integration, this initiative is laying the groundwork for a more climate-resilient, inclusive future.