A majority of earthquake survivors in Sichuan Province are confident they will be able to rebuild their lives within a few years, according to a recent survey.

Residents expressed high confidence in the relief efforts of the central government, but were less satisfied with the response of local governments, the survey found.

Eighty-eight percent said they are "very confident or confident" about their futures.

The survey was jointly conducted by Horizon Research Consultancy Group, China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and China Social Entrepreneur Foundation.

Some 889 people were interviewed in person between May 30 and June 3.

Respondents included 669 adults and 220 children in six rural and urban areas.

Forty-six percent said they expect to resume most of their normal routines within six months. Twenty one percent said they anticipated it would take up to 2 years, and the remainder more than 2 years.

Survivors praised the central government's relief and rescue work following the quake. On a scale of 1 to 4, the average mark given to the central government was 3.86.

Local government earned lower marks, with an average score of 3.15.

Volunteers and international rescue teams were rated 3.5.

The survey also identified survivors' current worries, as well as reconstruction priorities. The top concern was aftershocks, followed by infectious diseases.

Reconstruction priorities included public security, delivery of promised government subsidies for household damage, and the satisfactory restoration of school and work facilities.

Another finding was that prior education about how to respond to a natural disaster in the region had been inadequate.

More than 60 percent said they had little information about escape routes or other critical steps to take before the quake struck.

Its recommendations included offering long-term psychological counseling to victims in Sichuan, and bolstering disaster-response education nationwide.

(China Daily June 14, 2008)