THE sound of bulldozers dredging the Pengabu River in Batam City, Riau Islands, could be heard loudly from Amin’s house in Tembesi village. Situated 20 meters from the river, the 45-year-old man could clearly see the dredging activity of the river, which used to be overgrown with dense mangroves. “I heard they are turning it into a housing complex,” said Amin.

The Pengabu River branches into tributaries. One of them flows in fr