Natural regeneration is sometimes sufficient for forests and other plant communities to recover after a disturbance. In the case of severe disturbances, however, this is unlikely to be true. Natural regeneration may occur in such cases but the rate is likely to be very slow. Hence, some form of...

In order to address the impact of the Wenchuan earthquake, which occurred on 12 May 2008 and registered 8.0 on the Richter scale, the Government of China will implement an effective, comprehensive, and sustainable recovery program. At the same time, it is important that the government consider...

A comprehensive guide on disaster preparedness for cultural heritage was produced by the international center for the study of preservation and restoration and the committee of the blue shield about 10 years ago to provide guidelines for local and national authorities in countries and regions at...

Providing basic income and employment support is an essential component of the government efforts to rebuild the province of Sichuan from the devastation caused by the earthquake. The primary objective of such policies is to protect the most vulnerable households in the affected communities....

The vast majority of China's population lies to the southeast of a line running from Beijing to Sichuan. This entire region is subjected to major floods each year, while typhoons affect the southern and eastern coastal areas and major earthquakes affect the western and northern margins. The...

General considerations for the preparation of the infrastructure development plan, including communication, energy, transport, and water conservancy reconstruction are set out. This note complements the more specific recommendations provided in the urban development note. Planning for and...

In the aftermath of the Wenchuan earthquake, measures to restore education will be a critical part of the recovery efforts in Sichuan province. The education system can play an important role in both: (i) minimizing the impact of the disaster on children; and (ii) improving disaster...

International experience shows that in the aftermath of a natural disaster, a transition strategy for restoring and maintaining health care services should be developed while planning for rebuilding a better health care system over the next 5-10 years. A rapid assessment should be carried out to...

Social order relies on a complex network of infrastructure lifeline systems. When a disaster strikes, restoring lifeline systems is at the heart of restoring social organization. At the center of lifelines is a multimodal transport system. Highways are among the oldest of lifelines. There are...