KUALA LUMPUR: The views of geologists will be increasingly important to avoid man-made disasters and make developments more economical, say experts.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) engineeering geology researcher Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Ibrahim Komoo said geological surveys were needed in major developments, including underground excavations for the My Rapid Transit (MRT) project and skyscrapers.

“Most disasters, which at first glance appear to be acts of God', are often due to unfamiliarity to the ground's material stability during development,” he said in his keynote address at the Malaysian Institute of Geologists (IGM) outreach programme here yesterday.

The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah opened the two-day event, carrying the theme “Geology is important for engineers, constructors and developers”.

Dr Ibrahim said cost-effectiveness of geological surveys were undervalued as many housing projects get sold off so quickly that buyers do not know they could have got the property cheaper if there had been more planning beforehand.

He said that through “weathering profiles”, geologists could estimate long-term changes in the underlying rock structure of developments, and gauge the necessary maintenance to keep them safe and stable.

Sultan Sharafuddin, in his speech, said he was saddened by the loss of lives caused by geological disasters.

He added that geological input into engineering, planning for construction and development could reduce future disasters.

“We all know that Selangor is one of the most populated states in Malaysia and is under immense development pressure.

“Every now and then, we hear of disasters resulting from landslides, collapse of structures, earth movements, sinkholes and many others,” he added.