Dr. Zhou Fulin, member of the National Wenchuan Earthquake Expert Committee and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pointed out recently that planning should be given priority during post-quake reconstruction.

Zhou indicated that we should learn the lessons from Tangshan Earthquake, focus on planning and keep relics of earthquake as national and social memorials. Meanwhile, it is important to choose the area for reconstruction, including reconstruction on original and relocated sites, which shall be treated respectively.

The earthquake fault this time runs from north to south as a strip.  Area 5 kilometer around the strip is called near fault region, which is quite dangerous and not suitable for reconstruction, explained by Zhou. Meanwhile, area with geological hazards, like landslide, debris flow, falling stones, and collapse is not suitable for reconstruction either.

Zhou projected that complete reconstruction for disaster-affected areas should include three stages. Current stage is to accommodate all afflicted people with tents as temporary living places; the second stage is to put up plank houses with light material for safety consideration as soon as possible with supports from other regions, which will last for 2 or 3 years; and the third stage is to build standard building with earthquake resistant technologies, which may last 3 to 5 years or even longer.