Addressing Land Ownership after Natural Disasters

This report, based on a survey of 20 humanitarian and development professionals, examines the role of land ownership and tenure in community resilience and recovery following natural disasters. It highlights the critical gap between immediate humanitarian relief and long-term reconstruction, arguing that secure land rights are essential for economic regeneration and reducing future vulnerability.

• Land ownership is viewed as a critical factor in community resilience to natural disasters, with an average importance score of 4.5 out of 5. Clearly defined and equitable rights encourage landowners to invest in protective infrastructure like flood barriers and windbreaks, whereas insecure tenure often forces low-income communities into marginal, hazard-prone areas.
• There is a significant disconnect between short-term humanitarian relief and long-term development. While land issues are often deprioritized during the initial 'water, food and blankets' phase (scoring 3.1 out of 5), failure to address them early can lead to people refusing to leave devastated areas for refugee camps due to fear of losing their assets.
• Post-disaster reconstruction is severely hampered by the destruction of physical boundaries and official records. In Sri Lanka, it is estimated that 90% of people whose houses were destroyed lost all legal and property documentation. In Aceh and North Sumatra, the National Land Agency lost 10% of land books and almost all cadastral maps.
• Natural disasters can create opportunities for 'land grabs' by governments or private entities. Examples include concerns in Tamil Nadu that the government used the Asian tsunami to redevelop buffer zones for tourism, and efforts in Thailand to remove Mokan 'Sea Gypsy' villages to make way for tourist resorts.
• The report identifies a tension regarding whether aid agencies should use the 'window of opportunity' after a disaster to implement more sustainable land ownership systems. Some view this as dangerous 'social engineering' that causes costly delays, while others argue it is necessary to reduce future vulnerability.
• Effective recovery requires a coordinated division of labor: governments must restore law and land administration; humanitarian agencies should identify affected communities early; and development agencies should provide technical assistance, such as the European Commission's high-resolution satellite imagery or AusAID's help in re-establishing boundaries for 15,000 parcels in Aceh.

APA

Brown, O., & Crawford, A. (2006). Addressing Land Ownership after Natural Disasters. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/es_addressing_land.pdf

Chicago

Brown, Oli, and Alec Crawford. Addressing Land Ownership after Natural Disasters. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2006. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/es_addressing_land.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brown |first1=Oli |last2=Crawford |first2=Alec |title=Addressing Land Ownership after Natural Disasters |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2006 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/es_addressing_land.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brown2006addressing, author = {Brown, Oli and Crawford, Alec}, title = {{Addressing Land Ownership after Natural Disasters}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2006}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/es_addressing_land.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }