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Information on Disaster Risk Reduction of the Member Countries
Brunei Darussalam
General Information
Formal name: Brunei Darussalam
Brunei is located on the Northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The capital is Bandar Seri Begawan.
With a population of less than 500,000 people, it is estimated that 75% of the community lives near the coastal areas whereas more than 70% of the land is forested. The primary economy is driven by the oil and gas sector, and there have been efforts made to diversify the economy to reduce reliance on one industry through strategic re-alignments of national policies towards reducing contributions to global climate change.
The climate of Brunei is governed by the equatorial monsoon winds. The northeast monsoon typically blows from December to March, and the southwest monsoon blows from May to September. Rainfall is generally heavier from October to January and lighter from March to August.
Brunei is located on the Northwest coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The capital is Bandar Seri Begawan.
With a population of less than 500,000 people, it is estimated that 75% of the community lives near the coastal areas whereas more than 70% of the land is forested. The primary economy is driven by the oil and gas sector, and there have been efforts made to diversify the economy to reduce reliance on one industry through strategic re-alignments of national policies towards reducing contributions to global climate change.
The climate of Brunei is governed by the equatorial monsoon winds. The northeast monsoon typically blows from December to March, and the southwest monsoon blows from May to September. Rainfall is generally heavier from October to January and lighter from March to August.
Overview of Disasters
As a hot and humid region with varied terrain and a tropical climate, Brunei Darussalam faces a spectrum of hazards with differing frequencies and intensities, notably regular floods, driven by torrential rains which can trigger landslides along steep slopes and forest fires set off by occasional drought. In 2022, 207 flood incidents were reported, the highest since 2016. Landslides are also an annual occurrence, peaking with 77 cases in 2021. As for instances of forest fires, there are about 1,655 reported cases in 2019. Given its unique disaster landscape and location, it is vulnerable to climate change impacts, including severe disasters.
Major Disasters
Despite the notion of Southeast Asia being a hazard and disaster hotspot and Brunei Darussalam being perceived as a low hazard risk country, this perception is somewhat counteracted because Brunei has its own series of hazard occurrences. An example is the occurrences of small-scale but cumulatively destructive floods.
Flooding and landslides are the most frequent natural hazards that occur annually in the country and are common during the northeast monsoon, generally from October to January. December and January are the wettest months and generally see high-intensity rainfall that can cause flash floods in low-lying areas as well as flooding in floodplain areas, particularly in the major catchments in the Tutong and Belait Districts, these floodplain inundations normally recede after about two weeks. The occurrences of continuous rainfall is also one of the trigger factors for landslides. Although Brunei is not in the typhoon-belt zone, strong winds can occur regularly due to the tail-end effect of typhoon activities during the southwest monsoon. Strong winds are also common during cold surges and heavy thunderstorms.
In Brunei Darussalam, two types of flooding are observed: slow onset and flash floods with minimum or little mud debris. The interior regions of the country, which consist of alluvial plains, are prone to seasonal flooding (slow onset) during monsoon seasons.
Landslides are infrequent but mainly occur in developed areas, affecting public and private properties situated within sloping proximity due to soil erosion and ground movement. Mud and loose soil from terraced hills cause damage to houses and buildings in immediate proximity, which have lead to few fatalities reported. Debris clearance, temporary relocation, and slope stabilizing projects such as retaining wall measures are taken to mitigate these damages.
Elevated temperatures and drier spells related to more variable rainy seasons indicate that experience of forest fires of Brunei will increase in the coming decades as climate change effects take hold. Brunei has witnessed an increased number of forest fires during dry seasons in recent years. The Brunei Fire and Rescue Department (BFRD) recorded a total of 1,116 incidents of forest and grass fires in 2015 alone. More recently, BFRD reported more than 550 forest and bushfires in 2021 with a total of about 300 hectares of land affected. Fire intensity can be exacerbated by strong dry winds that lead to uncontrollable fire spread. In most cases, a forest fire in Brunei is a “ground fire” because of the consistent burning of peat soil rich in organic contents. Fire in peat soils burns and spreads slowly in comparison to dried leaves, woods, or branches of trees. Ground fires damage the ground cover of the forest floor and decrease the nutrients available in the soil that take hundreds of years to build up.
Like many other coastal regions, Brunei Darussalam is still susceptible to strong seasonal winds and storm surges, especially during the Inter-Monsoon seasons. The Inter-Monsoon seasons typically occur between November and March which, according to the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department (BDMD) can bring strong northeasterly winds of up to 37 km/h, Brunei Darussalam can experience strong winds, particularly along its northern coast. However, Brunei Darussalam is still located in a region that is vulnerable to the effects of climate change causing more frequent and severe weather events. Brunei Darussalam could become more susceptible to these hazards in the future if climate change continues to exacerbate extreme weather patterns.
Major Disasters
Despite the notion of Southeast Asia being a hazard and disaster hotspot and Brunei Darussalam being perceived as a low hazard risk country, this perception is somewhat counteracted because Brunei has its own series of hazard occurrences. An example is the occurrences of small-scale but cumulatively destructive floods.
Flooding and landslides are the most frequent natural hazards that occur annually in the country and are common during the northeast monsoon, generally from October to January. December and January are the wettest months and generally see high-intensity rainfall that can cause flash floods in low-lying areas as well as flooding in floodplain areas, particularly in the major catchments in the Tutong and Belait Districts, these floodplain inundations normally recede after about two weeks. The occurrences of continuous rainfall is also one of the trigger factors for landslides. Although Brunei is not in the typhoon-belt zone, strong winds can occur regularly due to the tail-end effect of typhoon activities during the southwest monsoon. Strong winds are also common during cold surges and heavy thunderstorms.
In Brunei Darussalam, two types of flooding are observed: slow onset and flash floods with minimum or little mud debris. The interior regions of the country, which consist of alluvial plains, are prone to seasonal flooding (slow onset) during monsoon seasons.
Landslides are infrequent but mainly occur in developed areas, affecting public and private properties situated within sloping proximity due to soil erosion and ground movement. Mud and loose soil from terraced hills cause damage to houses and buildings in immediate proximity, which have lead to few fatalities reported. Debris clearance, temporary relocation, and slope stabilizing projects such as retaining wall measures are taken to mitigate these damages.
Elevated temperatures and drier spells related to more variable rainy seasons indicate that experience of forest fires of Brunei will increase in the coming decades as climate change effects take hold. Brunei has witnessed an increased number of forest fires during dry seasons in recent years. The Brunei Fire and Rescue Department (BFRD) recorded a total of 1,116 incidents of forest and grass fires in 2015 alone. More recently, BFRD reported more than 550 forest and bushfires in 2021 with a total of about 300 hectares of land affected. Fire intensity can be exacerbated by strong dry winds that lead to uncontrollable fire spread. In most cases, a forest fire in Brunei is a “ground fire” because of the consistent burning of peat soil rich in organic contents. Fire in peat soils burns and spreads slowly in comparison to dried leaves, woods, or branches of trees. Ground fires damage the ground cover of the forest floor and decrease the nutrients available in the soil that take hundreds of years to build up.
Like many other coastal regions, Brunei Darussalam is still susceptible to strong seasonal winds and storm surges, especially during the Inter-Monsoon seasons. The Inter-Monsoon seasons typically occur between November and March which, according to the Brunei Darussalam Meteorological Department (BDMD) can bring strong northeasterly winds of up to 37 km/h, Brunei Darussalam can experience strong winds, particularly along its northern coast. However, Brunei Darussalam is still located in a region that is vulnerable to the effects of climate change causing more frequent and severe weather events. Brunei Darussalam could become more susceptible to these hazards in the future if climate change continues to exacerbate extreme weather patterns.
Disaster Management System
Legal System
The legal basis and guideline of disaster management in Brunei is the Disaster Management Order (DMO), 2006, which formalises disaster management in Brunei Darussalam and prescribes the responsibilities and authority of the National Disaster Council (NDC) and National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC).
Organization
The National Disaster Council (NDC) or Majlis Bencana Kebangsaan (MBK) was established in 2006 and is the highest authority to strategize for disaster management in Brunei. The council is chaired by the Minister of Home Affairs and two deputy chairs; the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Minister of Development. The members of the NDC are Permanent Secretaries of all Ministries, the Commander of The Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Commissioner of The Royal Brunei Police Force. Under NDC, the NDMC was established to plan, operationalize, implement, and coordinate at the national level. During times of crisis, NDMC operates the Disaster Command Centre (DCC) which supports the operations, planning, and logistics for national-level emergencies.Local administration of Brunei is composed of four districts. In all districts, a District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) and District Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC) are established under the purview of respective District Offices. A figure outlining the Disaster Management Mechanism of Brunei is shown below:
Brunei Darussalam employs a tiered disaster management system with the utilisation of the National Standard Operating Procedure (NASOP), integrating the incident command system to guide agencies in ensuring a coordinated and effective disaster response. At Tier 1 Level (District), the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) oversees district-level disasters. If the incident exceeds district capacity, it escalates to Tier 2 Level (National), where the NDMC assists the DDMC by coordinating national resources. If it proves insufficient, the Tier 3 Level (International) and international assistance is activated through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) through the ASEAN Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP).
Plan
The “National Standard Operating Procedures" (NASOP) was formulated in 2011 and outlines the agreed procedures for relevant stakeholders in preparedness and response measures and in accordance to the disaster level, and promotes a more organised, systematic and coordinated response. The NASOP does not overrule any existing SOPs and serves as a guidance and reference for multi-agency response.
Through a Whole-of-Nation approach, the NDMC coordinates the actions of various agencies in dealing with disaster incidents according to the Disaster Management Cycle method, as shown below:
Disaster Management Cycle focuses on four (4) phases, namely Prevention & Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
For Prevention & Mitigation phase, this includes methods such as disaster research, policy and governance, disaster risk assessment, and disaster mitigation and adaptation. Meanwhile, prevention and mitigation of specific hazards and natural disasters are conducted through a Whole-of-Nation approach under the respective purviews of relevant Government agencies.
For Preparedness phase, it is divided into two sections:
1. Community Preparedness; where its main objective is to raise awareness of the community on disaster management. This includes organising Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), School-Based Disaster Risk Management (SBDRM), Basic Disaster Preparedness Coordinator (DPC), Program Pemimpin Masyarakat (PPM), Self-Improvement Program or Program Jati Diri (PJD), and Basic Community First Aider Program.
2. Operational and Assets Preparedness; NDMC plays an important role in conducting exercises to enhance or strengthen stakeholders assets to respond to disasters. This includes reviewing, testing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) remain up to date and relevant, as well as logistic and asset procurement to ensure the strengthening of disaster response for current and emerging threats.
For Response phase, this refers to Brunei Darussalam’s three (3) tiers levels; District level, National level - NDMC, and International level - AHA Centre (refer to the previous section on “Organisation”). When it comes to responding, NDMC, as a coordination centre, has a comprehensive network of stakeholders for multi-agency response.
For Recovery phase, assistance is often provided in financial or food assistance and this is mostly coordinated by the Community Development Department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the District Offices.
Therefore, NDMC identifies all phases of disaster management and initiatives as well as support programs for each phase to ensure a holistic approach in disaster management in Brunei Darussalam.
Through a Whole-of-Nation approach, the NDMC coordinates the actions of various agencies in dealing with disaster incidents according to the Disaster Management Cycle method, as shown below:
Disaster Management Cycle focuses on four (4) phases, namely Prevention & Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
For Prevention & Mitigation phase, this includes methods such as disaster research, policy and governance, disaster risk assessment, and disaster mitigation and adaptation. Meanwhile, prevention and mitigation of specific hazards and natural disasters are conducted through a Whole-of-Nation approach under the respective purviews of relevant Government agencies.
For Preparedness phase, it is divided into two sections:
1. Community Preparedness; where its main objective is to raise awareness of the community on disaster management. This includes organising Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), School-Based Disaster Risk Management (SBDRM), Basic Disaster Preparedness Coordinator (DPC), Program Pemimpin Masyarakat (PPM), Self-Improvement Program or Program Jati Diri (PJD), and Basic Community First Aider Program.
2. Operational and Assets Preparedness; NDMC plays an important role in conducting exercises to enhance or strengthen stakeholders assets to respond to disasters. This includes reviewing, testing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) remain up to date and relevant, as well as logistic and asset procurement to ensure the strengthening of disaster response for current and emerging threats.
For Response phase, this refers to Brunei Darussalam’s three (3) tiers levels; District level, National level - NDMC, and International level - AHA Centre (refer to the previous section on “Organisation”). When it comes to responding, NDMC, as a coordination centre, has a comprehensive network of stakeholders for multi-agency response.
For Recovery phase, assistance is often provided in financial or food assistance and this is mostly coordinated by the Community Development Department under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the District Offices.
Therefore, NDMC identifies all phases of disaster management and initiatives as well as support programs for each phase to ensure a holistic approach in disaster management in Brunei Darussalam.