VOA新闻杂志--联合国报告称全球野火愈演愈烈,政府措手不及

UN: Wildfires Getting Worse, Nations Unprepared

A new United Nations report says a warming planet and changes to land use suggest an increase in wildfires around the world in coming years. The report says these wildfires will cause an increase in smoke pollution and other problems that world governments are not prepared for.

The report was released Wednesday from the United Nations Environment Program. It said wildfires worldwide could increase by one-third by 2050. The increase will reach more than 50 percent by the year 2100, the report said.

The western United States, central India and eastern Australia are already seeing more wildfires.

Even areas once considered safe from major fires, such as the Arctic¹, will "very likely" experience a major increase in burning.

Tropical forests in Indonesia and the southern Amazon of South America also are likely to see increased wildfires, the report found.

Andrew Sullivan is one of the report's writers. He is with the Commonwealth² Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia. He said, "Uncontrollable and devastating³ wildfires are becoming an expected part of the seasonal⁴ calendars in many parts of the world."

The report describes a worsening series of events. Climate change will bring more dry periods and higher temperatures that make it easy for fires to start and spread. Those fires then release more climate-changing carbon into the atmosphere as they burn through forests.

Some areas, including parts of Africa, are seeing a decrease in wildfires. That is partly because more land is being used for agriculture, said report co-writer Glynis Humphrey. She is with the University of Cape⁵ Town in South Africa.

But U.N. researchers said many nations continue to spend too much time and money fighting fires and not enough trying to prevent them. Land use changes can make the fires worse. The report said the remains⁶ left behind by the logging industry can easily burn. And some forests are purposely burned to clear land for farming.

Poor communities are often hit hardest by fires. Wildfires can worsen water quality, destroy crops and reduce land available to grow food.

Humphrey said the fires affect people's jobs and their economic situation. She added that it is very important "that fire be in the same category of disaster management as floods and droughts."

In the United States, officials recently announced a $50-billion effort to reduce fire risks over the next 10 years. The plan involves thinning forests around areas where nature and human living spaces meet. However, the administration of President Joe Biden has so far identified only a small part of the funding called for in the plan.

The U.N. researchers also called for more careful attention to the dangers from wildfire smoke inhalation. Inhaling⁷, or breathing in, smoke can affect tens of millions of people each year. Smoke from major wildfires can travel thousands of kilometers across international borders.

Words in This Story

calendar – n. a chart showing the days, weeks, and months of the year

devastating – adj. causing great damage or harm

category – n. a basic division or grouping of things

management – n. the act of looking after and making decisions about something

logging – n. the activity or business of felling trees and cutting and preparing the timber

1 Arctic   

adj.北极的；n.北极

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• The sort of animal lived in the Arctic Circle.这种动物生活在北极圈里。

2 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

5 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 inhaling   

v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was treated for the effects of inhaling smoke. 他因吸入烟尘而接受治疗。 来自辞典例句
• The long-term effects of inhaling contaminated air is unknown. 长期吸入被污染空气的影响还无从知晓。 来自互联网