Main content

A Tale of Two Rivers: Kuala Lumpur

In Kuala Lumpur the regeneration of the Klang River is seen as key to modernisation.

In Kuala Lumpur the regeneration of the city鈥檚 Klang River is seen as a key element in the modernisation of the whole country. The capital city is keen to attract talent workers and tourists from all over Asia and beyond. But the historic downtown heart of Kuala Lumpur has become run down, the home to migrant workers from Bangladesh and Myanmar, while the economic focus has moved to the ring of steel and glass skyscrapers on the outskirts. Regenerate the Klang, the thinking goes, and downtown will come to life again.

So, as with Los Angeles, there are serious moves to clean up the river, to encourage citizens to walk and cycle sections of its banks and to educate people to think differently about the river in ways that will lessen pollution.

But questions remain. How to secure vital community involvement? How to make public/private partnerships and also protect the rights of local people? How to get city workers out of their cars? And, how to sustain government funding?

(Photo: Local politician Ong Kian Ming on the Klang River, Kuala Lumpur)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 9 Jul 2017 08:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Wed 5 Jul 2017 02:32GMT
  • Wed 5 Jul 2017 03:32GMT
  • Wed 5 Jul 2017 04:32GMT
  • Wed 5 Jul 2017 06:32GMT
  • Wed 5 Jul 2017 12:32GMT
  • Wed 5 Jul 2017 21:06GMT
  • Sat 8 Jul 2017 16:32GMT
  • Sun 9 Jul 2017 08:06GMT

The Documentary Podcast

The Documentary Podcast

Hear more documentaries from the 成人快手 World Service

Podcast