The Usage of Agent Based Modelling in Flood Evacuation during Dam Failure

With the advent of latest technology has enabled disaster management related efforts to be more efficient and effective. Agent based modelling has been utilized in crowd management context especially related to simulation of evacuation passage during the outbreak of any untoward incidents. In dam safety assessment, the number of loss of life during the flood indicates the severity of the catastrophe. Therefore, it is important for any dam owners to estimate the required warning time to ensure minimization of fatalities in the event of a disaster. The objective of the research is to estimate the loss of life at the downstream area of the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam when Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) scenario occurs. The adopted model is known as Life Safety Model (LSM), which is an agent-based model that uses the concept of dynamic interaction between the 2d-hydraulic and the receptor. A case study has been conducted focusing the population of Bertam Valley in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, West Malaysia. The outcome of this modelling has indicated that successful evacuation depends on the response rate of the victims towards the given warning prior to the disaster. It is shown that the response time might affect the fate of people during the evacuation. The application of Life Safety Model in this simulation proves its capability in estimating the loss of life as a planning measure to face the actual events.