Housing Reconstruction in Northern Sumatra after the December 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami

Abstract

The 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami resulted in over 100,000 damaged or destroyed homes and over 500,000 internally displaced people in northern Sumatra. Reconstruction and recovery from these massive losses requires the coordination of many stakeholders, including multiple levels of government, nongovernment relief organizations, donors, and the people of northern Sumatra. Although efforts have been taken by the Government of Indonesia to develop standards for the reconstruction of houses and establish a coordinating body, the reconstruction effort in Sumatra still faces many challenges. A broad range of housing types, with varying degrees of construction quality, have been constructed as part of the recovery effort. A field study team visited Banda Aceh, Meulaboh, and Nias seven months after the December event and documented the process of reconstruction, the interaction of the stakeholders, and the types of housing construction.