The condition of the Pergau River, which has begun to dry up, during a recent observation. Although it has not yet reached the level of a full-scale crisis, the phenomenon of declining water levels in several rivers in Kelantan due to reduced rainfall at present should be seen as an early warning of pressure on the water security system. Head of the Climate, Water and Environmental Resilience Research Group at the Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Faiz Mohd Amin said monitoring by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage showed that Sungai Golok recently recorded water levels of about three to four metres. He said that although there are signs of temporary recovery following rainfall in upstream areas such as Jeli and Gua Musang, the situation still requires close monitoring should the dry spell persist. — BERNAMA photo (2026) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Head of the Climate, Water and Environmental Resilience Research Group at the Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Faiz Mohd Amin, together with UMK students, during a recent monitoring of the Pergau River’s water quality.

Head of the Climate, Water and Environmental Resilience Research Group at the Faculty of Earth Science, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Assoc Prof Dr Mohamad Faiz Mohd Amin during a recent interview with Bernama at UMK Jeli.