The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday said it is providing the bank's first grant on enhancing disaster management to China, to solve the aftermath of the 8.0-magnititude earthquake which killed more than 80,000 people in southwestern Sichuan Province last May.

The funds, totaling US$650,000, will be used to conduct a full review of the current system and to help China develop a risk management strategy that is coordinated, effective, and more inclusive of the civil society and the private sector, ADB said in a statement.

It is the first time that ADB is providing technical assistance to support the development of public or private partnerships in disaster management, it said, adding that the need for an all-round disaster risk management system in China "has never been greater."

"In the past there has been no mechanism for those (outside of government) who want to contribute and this TA will help address that concern. It will ultimately reduce the burden on the government," said Manmohan Parkash, Principal Transport Specialist for ADB's East Asia Department.

The grant complements an earlier technical assistance grant of US$1 million, approved in May 2008, to provide a preliminary assessment of the earthquake damage and reconstruction needs for Sichuan, the bank said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2009)