An operational framework model for geospatial business impact analysis in west coast of Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Population expansion and rapid urbanisation rate coupled with extreme changes of weather conditions have triggered more frequent disaster occurrences resulting in bigger economic and commercial losses. Like many other economic sectors that contributed significantly towards local socio-economic development, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) also were not spared from being affected and/or disrupted by disaster events. In 2020, SMEs in Malaysia represented 98.5% of local business establishments and contributed approximately 41% to the country’s GDP. Although Malaysia can be considered a relatively safe and stable country from a political and socio-economic tussle, as a country with tropical climate, Malaysia, is highly vulnerable to the risk of flooding, landslide and mudslide which jeopardise the sustainability of local SMEs in the long run. Unfortunately, until today, there is no locally-driven comprehensive framework for promoting SMEs resiliency that has been developed particularly in disaster-prone areas. In this light, advanced geospatial technology that has been widely used in mapping for various purposes can be utilized or integrated into mapping of disaster risk profiles and providing significant inputs for establishing Business Continuity Planning (BCP) for disaster-prone areas. Using business impact analysis (BIA) approach, this study explains the operational framework model for business continuity and recovery. The case study of local SMEs in West Coast Sabah, Malaysia was adopted to explain the impacts of the 2015 earthquake and its cascading geohazards to local SMEs including severe disruptions to the main lifeline facilities e.g. telecommunication, electricity and transportation. The research design is based on the qualitative and quantitative methods including guided interviews with the affected local SMEs groups. The proposed operational framework is a result of integrated smart geospatial solutions for advancing business continuity and resiliency for SMEs in disaster-prone areas.