Overcoming land tenure barriers in shelter and other reconstruction activities in post-disaster settings

Abstract

This chapter highlights the central importance of addressing land issues in shelter and other reconstruction activities in post-disaster settings from both the very onset of disaster response as well as beyond its immediate time frame. In doing so, it draws from an analysis of the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) “Overcoming Land Tenure Barriers�? (OLTB) project implemented in the aftermath of the 2010 Port-Au-Prince earthquake in Haiti. The extremely complex land issues in post-earthquake Haiti included the widespread lack of formal registration of land titles and the earthquake-induced loss of much of the existing land documentation. Three technical tools proved particularly effective in addressing land-related barriers for reconstruction and recovery and achieving increased overall tenure security in the aftermath of the 2010 Port-Au-Prince earthquake: (a) data-gathering and mapping of areas affected by the earthquake and needing reconstruction efforts; (b) creation of the Shelter Program Legal Team; and (c) adherence to the Due Diligence Guidelines from the Global Shelter Cluster. In presenting and analyzing these tools as applied under the OLTB project, the chapter aims is to draw out concrete suggestions for a disaster response which is highly attuned and responsive to frequently very complex land and property right issues in post-disaster settings.