Written by Koh Deng Min
Figure 1. Picturesque view of the naturalised Kallang River at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. (Photo by Koh Deng Min)
Have you been to the beautifully restored, naturalised Kallang River at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park (BAMK)? Singapore’s “City in Nature” vision is perfectly illustrated at BAMK, where the restored Kallang River meanders through the park, amongst lush riparian vegetation and sustaining diverse wildlife, at the same time being interconnected with urban living areas. Before restoration efforts between 2010 to 2012, the Kallang River used to be a straight, concrete canal which faced difficulties in containing large amounts of stormwater. However, given the restoration measures taken to mitigate the issue, it now acts as an effective floodplain, being able to carry larger stormwater flows.