1,834 Safer Buildings
9,170 Safer People
1,044 People Trained
1,400 Jobs Created
Programs
Between 2008 – 2011, Build Change’s team of Chinese construction professionals worked with homeowners, builders, engineers, and government officials to rebuild safe houses. Our team assisted homeowners in selecting the type and layout of their house, understanding and evaluating material quality, and provided hands-on construction training. Through a partner NGO, the government provided cash grants for rebuilding, and incentives for contractors who passed inspections and followed safety standards.
In partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Sichuan Red Cross, we produced a set of posters on safe construction practices.
In partnership with the Asia Foundation and Sichuan University, we produced a booklet on safe construction. We trained government officials and technical college students and left these training resources in place in China so that government institutes and colleges can use them to help mitigate future disasters.
Partners
China Ministry of Civil Affairs
China National Disaster Reduction Center
Region and Risks
On May 12, 2008, Sichuan, China, was rocked by a devastating and deadly 8.0-magnitude earthquake, which killed nearly 70,000 people and left more than 4.8 million people homeless. Some confined masonry buildings constructed according to more recent safety codes survived unscathed, but they were surrounded by piles of rubble from older unreinforced masonry and pre-cast plank buildings. China already had the expertise to design and build safer houses. Many in rural areas, however, needed technical expertise and training to rebuild safe homes.