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| Faster Recovery After Disaster: Indonesia’s Land Agency Steps Up to Secure Homes for Sumatra Communities. |
Rebuilding after a disaster isn’t just about bricks and roofs—it’s about giving people certainty over the land they live on. That message was front and center as Indonesia’s Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) reaffirmed its commitment to speed up post-disaster recovery efforts across Sumatra.
Speaking during an online coordination meeting on Monday (January 26, 2026), Deputy Minister Ossy Dermawan outlined how ATR/BPN is supporting the acceleration of rehabilitation and reconstruction in disaster-affected areas.
Joining the meeting virtually from Jakarta, Ossy stressed that land readiness is a critical foundation for rebuilding lives.
“Together with local land offices, we will continue working side by side with regional governments and related ministries to ensure the recovery process moves forward—especially when it comes to providing land for permanent housing,” he said.
Multiple Options to Provide Land for Housing
According to Ossy, land for permanent housing (huntap) and temporary shelters (huntara) can come from several sources. These include land-use rights owned by local governments, plantation land under state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and even customary or indigenous land.
For land held by SOEs, the release process must follow asset-approval regulations. On the other hand, land owned by local governments is considered easier to manage, as once the rights are released, the land automatically becomes state land.
Once land is secured, local governments will issue official decrees to determine housing locations and eligible beneficiaries. Spatial planning adjustments may also be required—especially when former plantation areas are converted into residential zones.
The final steps include land registration and the formal granting of land rights to affected residents.
Clear Communication with Communities Is Key
Ossy emphasized that technical procedures alone are not enough. Public understanding plays a major role in ensuring a smooth recovery process.
“Whatever mechanism is chosen, it must be supported by proper communication and social outreach, so communities truly understand what type of land rights they will receive,” he explained.
Understanding Post-Disaster Land Status
During the meeting, Ossy also explained how ATR/BPN classifies land conditions after a disaster.
The first category is destroyed land, where land has physically disappeared due to natural disasters. This type requires a formal designation process and is usually aligned with the “severely damaged” classification issued by Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB).
The second category is affected land—areas that still exist physically but have suffered damage and require reconstruction or reclamation. For these cases, the government continues to recognize and protect community land rights.
“After re-inventorying and remapping, replacement land certificates will be issued if the original ones were lost, and land administration records will be fully restored,” Ossy added.
High-Level Coordination Across Ministries
The coordination meeting was led by Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian and attended by several high-ranking officials, including Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Maruarar Sirait, Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, BNPB Head Suharyanto, and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Akhmad Wiyagus.
Regional leaders and heads of provincial land offices from North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh also took part in the discussion.
With strong coordination across sectors, the government hopes post-disaster recovery in Sumatra can move faster, more efficiently, and with legal certainty for affected communities.