The earthquake-prone province of Yunnan in southwest China, plans to spend three to five billion yuan (US$625 million) over the next decade to help farmers reinforce or rebuild their homes.

Since the beginning of the decade 56 people have been killed in 21 earthquakes which injured 2,122 others.

Vice Governor Luo Zhengfu said the province will subsidize one million rural homes that need reinforcing or rebuilding.

"Rural houses in the plateau region, most of which are poor quality, have little chance of resisting an earthquake, so there can be fatalities even if a small tremor strikes," said Luo.

The targeted areas will include Zhaotong, Kunming, the provincial capital, both of which are situated near the Xiaojiang fault line which runs through the eastern and northeastern parts of Yunnan, including Dali and Lijiang, two well-known tourist destinations.

Qualifying households will be eligible for subsidies ranging from 3,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan, depending on the number of family members, according to Han Zhongqing, chief of the earthquake control section with the provincial construction bureau.

Apart from the financial aid, the government will provide farmers with technical assistance on proper reinforcing or reconstructing their homes so they can better withstand earthquakes, said Han.

A pilot project carried out last year in 10 villages helped rebuild or reinforce 1,000 homes, in Zhaotong, northeastern Yunnan. The project provided a family of four as much as 7,500 yuan, said Han, who described the experiment as a success.

Half of China's earthquake-inflicted losses have occurred in Yunnan, which accounts for just 4.1 percent of China's landmass.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)