Natural hazards can have a devastating impact on human life and the built environment. Some of these hazards are amplified by climate change which causes a major problem. Therefore it is necessary to generate adaptation strategies for housing understood as the immediate physical environment both within and outside of buildings in which families and households live, and which serves as shelter. Ninety percentof international aid money is spent only after natural disaster has struck, namely for emergency aid and reconstruction.

The problem with reconstruction is that the new houses are often worse adapted for the local conditions, than the houses that got destroyed. Since after a disaster there is often not enough time for a precise planning. Shifting the focus from emergency aid to adaptation can save lives as well as money, time and other resources. Even though every planning context and every project is different and unique, there are still elements that are similar and certain measures can be used in different regions or countries. Therefore, it is an important opportunity to share experiences and knowledge. This is examined on the basis of reconstruction projects and the current planning process for housing in Banda Aceh andNias.