The document summarizes the reconstruction efforts in Aceh, Indonesia following the 2004 tsunami. It discusses: 1) The extent of the damage from the tsunami including over 127,000 killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. 2) The reconstruction approach taken which was integrated, people-driven and highly participatory involving communities in planning, building temporary shelters, and permanent housing. 3) Positive results and outcomes from the reconstruction including over 3,000 earthquake-resistant houses built, new village infrastructure and changes to land policies, as well as strong community participation and social impacts.

1. Integrated People-Driven
Reconstruction in Indonesia
POST TSUNAMI ACEH RECONSTRUCTION

2. Tsunami Aceh in Figures
26 December 2004
635,384 people displaced
07.59 am local time,
127,720 people killed
9.3 on the Richter scale earthquake caused
tsunami wave located 155 kilometres west of
the Indonesian island Sumatra.
93,285 people missing
139,195 houses destroyed
73,869 has of agricultural lands
destroyed
13,828 fishing boats destroyed
1,089 religious facilities destroyed
3,415 schools destroyed
669 government buildings
destroyed
119 bridges destroyed
22 ports destroyed
2,618 kilometers of road destroyed
8 airports or airstrips destroyed
Source: BRR, April 2009

6. Temporary shelter construction from tsunami debris (wood
blocks, planks, nails, tin sheet)

7. Participatory mapping: community sketch to identify land
ownership, borders, digitized and used for village planning
and land titling supporting document.

8. HOUSE CONSTRUCTION METHOD
1. Construction by house owners, or
a group of owners, no contractor
2.
Owners choose house type
among 5 option
3. Owners supervise the
construction, Uplink provides
technical field supervisor
4. House owner may purchase
building materials themselves
except timber, steel, cement, sand,
and rock that Uplink buys in bulk
for economic reason.
5. Uplink applies card system to
distribute building materials
HARD WORK – INTEGRITY - ANTI
CORRUPTION, COLLUSION, &
NEPOTISM – HONESTY –
TRANSPARENCY - GENDER EQUITY

9. MATERIAL CARD SYSTEM FOR HOUSE
OWNER
PROCEDURE OF MATERIAL REQUEST CARD
HOUSE OWNER/OWNER GROUP
UPLINK INFORMATION & DATA TEAM
Data team issues owner ID
Number & contract
UPLINK PROCUREMENT TEAM
card issued after data team
verified owner’s data
VILLAGE SUPPLIERS/JUB MATERIALS
STOCKIST
UPLINK PROCUREMENT TEAM
UPLINK FINANCE TEAM
Inspector checks incoming
item to location and signs the
card
Procurement team conducts
site check (Monday and
Thursday) to ensure materials
amount and quality
Finance team transfers
money to supplier’s bank
account on Thursdays

11. New Technologies Introduced to
the Community
Biofil System (Biological
Filter Septic Tank), made
of fiberglass, installed in
villages with high table
water level
Solar Energy for street lamp and
Meunasah in Lamawee and
Lampageu, a collaboratoin with
Green Peace

12. SELF-MANAGED VILLAGE
INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION
FULL SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY
PROJECT MANAGER TEAM TRUSTED BY THE COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY MONITOR THE WORK
LOCAL LABOUR
VILLAGE ROAD
DRAINAGE
RIVER DYKE
EMBANKMENT
JETTY
WATER SUPPLY
HOUSING SANITATION
VILLAGE PUBLIC FACILITIES

13. Vegetable growing and selling
introduction of mushroom
farming skill
INTRODUCTION OF ORGANIC
FARMING
ECONOMIC RECOVERY:
Grants for families to start up small business
(proposal based)
Workshop for timber, steel, and compacted soil
cement blocks
Becak motor (motorised tri-cycle)
Encourage the community to use the tsunami
remains timber

14. Advocacy on land tenure, certification, housing rights
Together with JUB Change of coastal free-zone policy to safety measures policy
(especially for Banda Aceh area)

15. VILLAGE SOLIDARITY NETWORK (JUB)

16. Giving inputs for house design (size, rooms arrangement)
•Deciding choice of house model (5 options; 3 stilt houses, 2
grounded houses)
•Involve in Kampung Construction Team (TPK) as supervisor, book
keeper, or head mason on house and road construction.
•Group craft activities in kampung; rattan weaving
•Kampung Economic Team: individual small capital in each
kampung
•Organic Farming Team: Replanting agricultural plants and
(productive) garden plants individually and in group
•Develop paving-block small industry
•Take part as JUB Board members
WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION

17. RESULTS
One of fastest, most satisfactory results (UN Habitat study, 2006)
One of four world finalist in the UN Habitat 2007 Scroll of Honor
Winner of 2008 the Dubai International Award for Best Practices To
Improve the Living Environment
3335 quake-proof houses (stilt and ground), village infrastructure,
sanitation system
The foundation of JUB (Jaringan Udeep Beusare/Village Solidarity
Network) that links 23 villages in the stretch
Change of coastal free-zone policy to safety measures policy
(especially for Banda Aceh area)
Strong impacts on gender balanced-participation in highly gender
segregated society of Aceh
UPLINK has sown seeds for social movement and change in its
area of work

18. 8 YEARS AFTER
LOOKING BACK AT THE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT
• Economic challenge: high number of unemployment, low cash flow
• Agricultural activities has been started, it is one of the good sources for living

19. Research Findings
User Satisfaction
Positive Points
1.
2.
3.
Safety within the home resulted from the
strength of the house
Sense of belongingness within the home
resulted from participatory process in
building the houses
Easy to modify/ to extend
Things could do better
1.
2.
3.
Bigger size to accommodate people’s
need in the future
House design, need more “local touch”
House lay out : pay attention to local
perception/ interpretation to space (eg.
kitchen, bath room)

20. Beneficiary Targeting
• Large majority of the beneficiaries are still living in the house.
• Few cases of the houses are being abandoned as the owner move to another city.
• Some of the houses are rented or sold since the owners married to another survivors
and later share one of the two properties provided to them.
• Many inhabitants altered the function of houses so as to accommodate their lifestyle
and needs

21. Replication
•
•
•
•
The structure of the additional building do not follow the Uplink’s standard
due to economic constrain.
Some of the additional buildings used recycled material from the temporary
shelter.
People need more time and facilitation to learn new technologies/
innovation introduced during the project. Some of the innovations (eg. Solar
panel, biofil sanitation system) have not been used.
The organisation collaborated with the Australian Red Cross to provide a
similar participatory approach on Nasi Island, of the coast of Banda Aceh,
following the disaster. They are also implementing similar plans in postearthquake reconstruction in Yogyakarta.

22. Technical Performance
•
•
•
Good structural performance, easy to extend, easy to maintain
Need special attention on window frame and door
Maintenance : regular repaint, insect spray, applying kerosene on the floor
to keep it clean and shiny, cover the wood wall metal sheeting to avoid
damage caused by rain water.

23. Livelihood
• Some of the economic recovery program during the project are still
run by the community ex. pedicab driver and workshop, duck and
chicken farming
• Skills acquired during the reconstruction phase are used to earn
income as small contractors
• Positive impact on women’s position and power within society

24. Lesson Learned
Reconstruction is not only about rebuilding physical aspect such but
also reconstructing the life. The concept of people's driven,
participatory, and holistic approach is a must.
Some of lesson learned from the project are:
•Sensitivity to Local Culture
•Involving Survivors in Every Stage of Reconstruction
•Post-Disaster Livelihood Programme
•Allocate more time to facilitate the learning process of the
community after the reconstruction phase