Transforming the Siak River Ecosystem: Corporate-Based Community Development and Economic Diversification

Azahrah Silvianti; Rizqi Prima Haksasi

doi:10.32535/jcda.v9i3.4822

Transforming the Siak River Ecosystem: Corporate-Based Community Development and Economic Diversification

Azahrah Silvianti, Rizqi Prima Haksasi

Abstract

This study evaluates the socio-economic and environmental impact of the Dewantara Program, a multi-stakeholder partnership among PT PLN Nusantara Power UP Tenayan, community groups, government, and academia along the Siak River, Tebing Tinggi Okura, Riau. The partnership addresses river ecosystem degradation from annual erosion of 10–20 meters, 4 hectares of critical land, and declining fisheries income alongside chronic community economic vulnerability. Using a Social Return on Investment (SROI) approach combined with qualitative case-study methods (in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document review), this study measured value created by three interventions: FABA-based B-Block coastal conservation, biofloc and earthworm cultivation, and community-managed ecotourism. From 2022 to 2025, the partnership generated a total present value of impact of IDR 1,261,838,199 against IDR 583,194,080 in contributed resources, yielding an SROI ratio of 2.16. Economic impact accounted for 86% of total value, with the community-led Pokdarwis tourism group capturing the largest share (84.76%). Mangrove rehabilitation success rose from 30% to 90% along 212 meters of coastline. These findings suggest that river-based community development achieves greater social value when structured as a genuine multi-stakeholder partnership rather than a single-actor intervention.

Keywords

Community Development; Environmental Restoration; Multi-Stakeholder Partnership; Social Return on Investment; Sustainability

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.32535/jcda.v9i3.4822