Innovating Data Governance and Digital Integration for Post-Disaster Recovery Management in Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract

Aceh Province is one of Indonesia's disaster-prone regions. In 2025, Cyclone Senyar affected the province and caused extensive damage. The disaster response faced data governance and system-integration challenges that reduced recovery effectiveness, since decision-making and resource allocation depended on accurate post-disaster data. This study using a qualitative method to examine how data governance and digital integration influence recovery management for post-disaster recovery management in Aceh. It triangulates field observations with institutional recovery documents, coordination records, beneficiary administrative information, and digital recovery-system records. The analysis applies six governance dimensions: data quality, interoperability, accessibility, verification and validation, institutional coordination, and real-time updating. It identifies recurring constraints from fragmented institutional databases, inconsistent beneficiary information, manual verification, and delayed synchronization between administrative levels, which required repeated verification, complicated coordination, and reduced responsiveness. The main constraint was not the absence of digital technologies but limited institutional integration of existing information resources. Digital transformation must therefore be pursued as a governance reform involving common data standards, interoperability arrangements, verification protocols, and collaborative institutional mechanisms. Sendai Framework Priority 1 on understanding disaster risk and Priority 4 on Build Back Better by highlighting the importance of integrated recovery information systems for strengthening resilience in disaster-prone regions