A systematic evaluation of post-flood building damage assessment in Malaysia

Flooding remains one of the most frequent and destructive natural disasters in Malaysia causing substantial damage to buildings, infrastructure and communities. However, post-flood damage assessment in Malaysia is still constrained by subjective visual inspection, limited integration of flood-related attributes and the absence of a systematic framework for consistent classification. This study aimed to identify the most significant attributes influencing post-flood damage classification, determine the appropriate damage-level assessment and develop a conceptual framework for systematic post-flood damage assessment in the Malaysian context. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving a questionnaire survey of 94 disaster management practitioners and semi-structured interviews with experts from relevant disaster management and technical agencies, followed by an expert validation exercise. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, validity and reliability tests, variable ranking and canonical correlation analysis, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings identified four principal domains influencing post-flood damage assessment, namely building attributes, flow and hydraulic factors, environmental factors and non-structural components. Canonical correlation analysis further confirmed a significant relationship between damage frequency and severity. Among the most influential findings, mold growth, wall damage and electrical system damage recorded the highest combined damage-priority scores. These results informed the development of the Post-Flood Damage Assessment (PFDA) framework, which was positively evaluated by validation experts in terms of clarity, alignment with existing guidelines and practical applicability. Overall, the study demonstrates that the proposed framework offers a more systematic, consistent and locally relevant approach to post-flood damage assessment, with potential to support repair prioritisation, resource allocation and recovery planning in flood-prone regions of Malaysia. The study also contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by supporting resilient settlement recovery and improved disaster preparedness and to Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) by strengthening local capacity for climate-related disaster response and adaptation.