The Melaka River has been critical to the city’s development from trade and transport to tourism. In 2008, Melaka became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, leading to an explosion of tourism, particularly along the Melaka River.
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has eroded much of this success. The 73% drop in Melaka’s tourist arrivals created significant pressure on tourist-dependent businesses. Furthermore, Phase II of the Melaka Riverfront, the next stretch beyond the main tourism attractions, experiences even less economic activity. A new strategy is needed to evolve Melaka into a more economic and socially resilient city.
The Melaka SME Resilience Profile focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Park, an MBMB initiative to promote SDG awareness among the community along Phase II of the Melaka Riverfront. The project is activating the park and promoting local tourism while integrating SDGs into the revitalization of Melaka Riverfront in support of SME businesses and the community.
In Melaka, Resilient Cities Network is running the Catalyzing City Resilience Solutions program with support from the Citi Foundation to help the local economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. This recovery will catalyze urban resilience by empowering and strengthening a selection of critical small and medium enterprise (SMEs) to develop locally relevant solutions.