Jordan Ryan, director of the Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery of the UN talks about UNDP's assisstance in the quake-hit Yushu. [Maverick Chen / China.org.cn]

Yet there's still a lot of recovery work to be done and China can't do it alone. Ryan said the UN hopes to not just rebuild physical infrastructure, but also rebuild the people's emotional well-beings.

"In post-disaster recovery, rebuilding lives is even more important than rebuilding houses," he said. "People in the region say they want a house most, and then they want a sustainable life," said Ryan. "That's part of the recovery – to give people the sense of hope."

To do that, the UNDP is employing several environmentally-friendly bottom-up methods. This is especially important in Yushu, as Qinghai Province is home to three major riverheads.

"We intend to involve people at the local level, those who are affected by the disaster. Engage them, work with them and help them to recover," said Ryan. "In Yushu, the UN already launched the 'cash for work' – the first step to involve the local people in the recovery process, similar to the one we piloted in Haiti."

The "cash for work" program does not provide a lot of money, but it helps people in devastated regions move forward and think about the future. In Yushu, the program has already helped restore basic public facilities, such as local markets.

"It's useful because it's a way of bringing back the society together, creating cohesion again."