Singapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965 brought about substantial changes to its coastline through extension, urbanization, and industrialization. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew initiated comprehensive plans for Singapore's urban development, involving expansive housing projects, water management initiatives, and establishing finance and banking sectors in the CBD area. Water engineering projects, including dams, marked the onset of an era focused on intense urbanization and industrialization, displacing swamp ecologies. Recognizing water as a valuable and scarce resource, most rivers were dammed by the authorities to create reservoirs and lakes for potable water. The closure of rivers impeded the flow of natural organic matter from remaining mangroves to the sea, creating a barrier between fresh and salty water ecosystems, altering the once naturally flowing scenario into two separate compartments. Meanwhile, in 1969, Singapore became the first Southeast Asian country with a container port. Its rapid establishment of an export-oriented economy centered on manufacturing positioned it competitively in attracting shipping and trade to its port. Economic activities expanded swiftly, particularly in the electronics and chemical industries on the North and West coasts, prompting a demand for more land. The issue of land scarcity in Singapore led to the implementation of ever-more intensive land reclamation efforts.