An earthquake occurred in 2006 at Yogyakarta which damaged 209,494 buildings
and caused the death of 4,143 people. A post-disaster settlement reconstruction
covering all settlement facilities and infrastructure was initiated using a
participatory approach which involved the targeted residents in the process of
mapping the conditions, potentials, and resources of the region. It is, however,
important to evaluate the effectiveness of this reconstruction method to reduce
the impacts of such disaster in the future. Therefore, this research was conducted
to focus on the forms, levels, and driving factors of citizen participation at each
reconstruction stage. A qualitative descriptive method was employed through the
use of observation and the findings showed that citizens were involved in the
process by attending and participating in rembug warga forums, suggesting ideas,
donating funds, and serving as personnel at the socialization, planning, and
implementation stages. The reconstruction led to the construction of quality
residential infrastructure and facilities due to the systematic and integrated
coordination of the rembug warga forums.