Rivers have long been the lifeblood of

 

civilisation, driving commercial activity and 

 

population migration. While this may have 

 

been true of old Kuala Lumpur, in modern 

 

times the city that was founded on the 

 

confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers 

 

has under-utilised its riverside real estate. 

 

With an aim to revitalise the city, boost economic activity and improve its liveability, the 

 

River of Life (RoL) project under the Economic Transformation Programme’s (ETP) Greater 

 

Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley National Key Economic Area (NKEA) seeks to restore the 

 

importance of the Klang and Gombak Rivers to Kuala Lumpur. 

 

Historically, the two rivers acted as a reliable mode of transportation. During the tin mining 

 

boom and with Mother Nature on its side, Kuala Lumpur bloomed. Yet we have not fully 

 

leveraged the waterfront, with developments in the last 30-40 years built facing away from 

 

the rivers. The RoL project seeks to change that, making the rivers a focal point. This is 

 

expected to create a number of spillover effects for the economy and boost opportunities 

 

for the private sector, such as through increased revenue streams from tourism, retail, and 

 

hotel activities, and generate rental and retail income through mixed-use developments.