The tsunami that struck Indonesia and several other countries in the Indian Ocean region in 2004 resulted in one of the worst natural disasters in recorded human history, with more than 130,730 people killed and over 250,000 homes destroyed in the major island of Sumatra and smaller offshore islands in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra. The tsunami struck at a time when Aceh had already experienced more than thirty years of civil war. The large-scale destruction wiped out much of the legal, physical and human evidence of land ownership, which resulted in significant uncertainty in land and property rights and increased the risk of land grabbing. While there is universal recognition that natural disasters impact women and men in different ways, there are few guidelines to ensure a gender-sensitive approach to disaster management and reconstruction programs. The Reconstruction of Aceh Land Administration System (RALAS) project focused  on securing land rights for reconstruction. The project design included an innovative approach to land titling.  To complement RALAS,  GAP funding was provided to undertake the “Study of Gender Impacts of Land Tilting in Post-tsunami Aceh”. 

The presenter discussed the findings of the study and highlight the lessons from land titling in the reconstruction of Aceh, as they have particular relevance to post-disaster and post-conflict reconstruction programs elsewhere.  Most recently, the Aceh lessons have been invaluable for the Bank’s interventions in Haiti reconstruction.

Video Streaming:  (WMV 1 hr 32min)

Chair:  Pierella Paci, Sector Manager, Gender and Development Group, World Bank

Presenter:  Keith Clifford Bell, Senior Land Policy Specialist, Social, Environment & Rural Sustainable Development Group, World Bank
Power Point (PDF 2.7mb)

Discussant:  Susan Wong, Lead Social Development Specialist, World Bank