The document summarizes lessons learned from rebuilding efforts after two natural disasters: the 2004 Aceh tsunami and the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake. It finds that the Yogyakarta response was faster and more locally owned, with livelihood recovery prioritized alongside housing. The Aceh response faced challenges including an overly ambitious rebuilding timeline, lack of local government ownership, and delays in livelihood recovery. Key lessons included ensuring economic openness, managing expectations, gradual donor exit strategies, and prioritizing livelihood recovery alongside housing.

1. Rebuilding after Natural Disasters: Lessons from the Aceh Tsunami and Yogyakarta Earthquake Budy P. Resosudarmo

2. 8 am, 26 December 2004 death toll of 167,000 people 500,000 displaced persons loss of over 110,000 houses and 2,000 school buildings Aceh Tsunami

3. 6am. 27 May 2006 death toll of 5,700 people 37,900 were injured 1,000,000 homeless loss of over 156,700 houses and 2,200 school buildings Yogyakarta Earthquake

4. Planning and the Management of Rebuilding The goal: Building better Master plan Aceh: Initially top-down, but more relax later on Took about 5 months Lack of local government ownership Resistance from local people More difficult exit strategy Yogyakarta: Bottom-up / more relax Took about 2 months Management of rebuilding Aceh: BRR  coordination, later on developer Lack of solid local government and conflict Issues of accountability Victim of dissatisfaction Yogyakarta: Local government  coordination

5. Aceh: Early period: strong emphasis on housing Longer stay in temporary shelters Delaying the process of livelihood recovery Sequence of Rebuilding Yogyakarta: Livelihood recovery was conducted at the same time as building houses Within a year, 85% of enterprises have resumed their operations ( important research topic: resilience and adaptation) Shorter stay in temporary shelters Relatively quick recovery of livelihood

6. Input Prices and Management Lower local supplies, higher demand of materials and labour, as well as influx of large money supply  increasing costs of living, housing and infrastructures Lessons Aceh: Ensuring the economy is open Special regulations on material imports Establishing peace and allowing massive movement of goods and labour from neighbouring regions Yogyakarta: Domestic provision of materials Provision of materials is part of livelihood recovery support brick factories and wood building materials Possible adjustments on cost estimation / supports

7. Cash vs In-kind Aceh: mostly in-kind (houses and boats) Certainty that houses were built / boats were provided Relatively protected from price fluctuations Time delay in receiving support Dissatisfaction on house specifications Yogya: mostly cash Uncertainty on the use of the cash Sensitive to price fluctuations Faster distribution of support Dissatisfaction on the size of compensation

8. Managing Expectations High expectations  Dissatisfaction / social unrest  Unsmooth process of rebuilding Announcement of building better Ambitious plan: schedule/quantity and quality Aceh: 92,000 houses in 2006 or 108,000 houses by end of 2006  too ambitious Arrival of large-scale support Warning people that reconstruction takes time Socialization on relative variations of quality Improve living conditions in shelters

9. Donor Commitments and Exit Strategy Donor commitments: Commitments may not materialize in a timely manner May not translate into actual flow of funds Amount spent on the ground vs for donors’ own administration Domestic capacity to absorb aid Effective communications with donors Exit strategy No exit strategy can lead to: A big shock to the local economy Sudden huge responsibility to local governments Gradual exit and involvement of local people since the beginning of rebuilding

10. After Rebuilding Better livelihood New house New Market New school