Disaster risk and migration in the west bank of the Malay Peninsula: Will the urban-rural divide improve or widen?

The purpose of this study was to analyze how personal attributes, disaster experiences, and the perceived resilience of an area to disaster risks are linked to disaster risk-related migration behavior. The west coast of the Malay Peninsula is known for its high risk for tsunami disasters. Massive disasters and their risks (e.g., tsunamis) may trigger population movement, which may have a significant impact on the long-term development of the country. It is useful for local and national governments to gain insight into the relationship between disaster risk and population movement.

One thousand participants completed a web-based questionnaire survey, which was analyzed to identify how the presence or absence of a place to which people can evacuate and the characteristics of such an area affect migration behavior. The results show that most residents of the western coastal areas of the Malay Peninsula have the option to migrate to areas with characteristics that are similar to their current area of residence, and that their decision to move to one of these places is not related to their assessment of the resilience of the area. Therefore, it is necessary for local and national governments to take urgent measures, such as developing vacant rural areas into disaster prevention centers, to decrease the disparity between urban and rural areas.