A US$14 million project has been launched to improve mainland coal mine safety standards - particularly in small, township-owned mines - over the next four years.
The initiative has been started by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a central government agency.
The UNDP will provide a 'seed fund' of more than US$2 million and the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety will commit more than US$12 million to the new project through logistical support and tax breaks for trial projects in five provinces, including Shanxi and Guizhou .
These range from training programmes for miners, reviews of coal mine safety regulations and awareness campaigns for miners' families.
The UNDP resident representative in China, Khalid Malik, said mainland coal mines had poor safety records but appropriate solutions and wider awareness campaigns could make a difference.
Mainland mines, the most dangerous in the world, provide about 70 per cent of the country's energy needs. Coal output rose by 8.1 per cent last year to more than 2.3 billion tonnes. However, this growth came at a hefty price, with 4,746 coal miners killed and small township-owned mines accounting for more than two-thirds of fatalities.
