VOA常速英语2007年-Asia's Poorest Nations May Face Worst of Climat

By Kate Woodsome
Hong Kong
26 November 2007

Developing countries are likely to be among those suffering the most from the extreme weather conditions linked to global warming. At the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Indonesia, experts will discuss ways to reduce climate change, and to help nations prepare for it. VOA's Kate Woodsome reports from Hong Kong on how Asia's poorest nations are likely to be affected¹, and what steps they might take.

Rising global temperatures will affect different nations in different ways. Tiny Pacific island nations and low-lying Asian nations face rising sea levels encroaching on their land.

Melting Himalayan glaciers² will affect the flow of Asia's great rivers, including the Mekong, Irrawaddy, the Red River and the Salween. The changes could cause both disastrous³ floods and water shortages for tens of millions of people from Tibet to Vietnam.

And for many countries, climate change could mean smaller harvests.

Shailendra Yashwant of Greenpeace in Bangkok says Asia's poorest nations could become even poorer.

"Poverty exists in the developing countries," she noted⁴. "The governments have not been able to address the issue of poverty yet. Comes along climate change and the changing weather patterns impact farmers, which creates a famine-like situation, and that leads to more poverty."

Some Asian governments have already warned of the challenges they face.

Cambodia says increasing rising oceans will push saltwater farther onto land, and increased salinity⁵ will hurt rice crops and limit access to fresh water. Floods and droughts could further damage food sources.

Bangladesh, most of which is composed of low-lying river delta⁶, will be even more vulnerable than it is now to disastrous floods.

And Bhutan says changing weather patterns could have an effect on river flows, harming farmers and the country's hydroelectric industry.

The Pacific Regional Environmental Program, a group established by the governments and administrations in the Pacific, is trying to help nations get ready for changes.

It is improving sea walls and drainage systems in the Cook Islands, fortifying⁷ roads against flooding in the Federated States of Micronesia, and planting salt-resistant crops in the Solomon Islands.

Greenpeace's Yashwant says governments also need to make institutional changes to prepare for the hazards of global warming.

"Right now, what is clear is that you're not going to be able to physically⁸ stop sea levels from rising by building dams or by building sea walls," she said. "What you need is a larger framework strategy to relocate and rehabilitate⁹ all those who are along and who are the most- and the worst-impacted by sea-level rise to another place safer, more secure."

Marcus Schuetz is an executive in residence at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School. He says countries need to treat climate change like any other national threat and involve all institutions in the response - from hospitals to banks to factories.

"Most of these problems we have are actually - they are sociological problems or social problems," he said. "They are not purely¹⁰ scientific problems where you have one technology which is going to help you out."

Most climate experts think that greenhouse gases, produced in large part by the burning of fossil fuels for energy, are causing much of the global warming seen in the past several decades.

The U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol¹¹ requires developed nations that signed it to cut greenhouse gas emissions¹², but developing countries do not have to reduce their emissions. Environmental analysts¹³, however, say developing countries will probably be expected to join the fight against climate change when the protocol expires in 2012.

The poorer Asian nations lack the money and skills to do so. They are highly dependent on international aid. But experts say aid agencies could have a big impact, by designating funds specifically for green projects.

For example, the Spanish government supports a solar power project in the Philippines. The Asian Development Bank has helped Indonesia explore ways to use waste from its palm oil industry to make clean, renewable and affordable¹⁴ fuel.

Hong Kong Science and Technology's Marcus Schuetz says Asia's poorest nations could profit from the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism¹⁵. This allows industrialized nations to meet their emissions targets by funding projects that reduce greenhouse gases in countries that do not have to meet the targets.

"It can be some investment into some forestry¹⁶ or other means which are positively¹⁷ offsetting¹⁸ the environmental pollution you omit," he said. "Another thing is you can just plain go into places where renewable energies are not so common at the moment and start, for example, projects building up wind farms for harvesting electrical power from wind plants."

Schuetz says developing nations could also direct foreign investment toward clean technologies.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

3 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 salinity   

n.盐分；咸度；盐浓度；咸性

参考例句：

• In the sea water sampled the salinity is two parts per thousand.在取样的海水中，盐度为千分之二。
• In many sedimentary basins the salinity of the formation water increases with depth or compaction.在许多沉积盆地中，地层水的含盐量随深度或压实作用而增高。

6 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

7 fortifying   

筑防御工事于( fortify的现在分词 )； 筑堡于； 增强； 强化（食品）

参考例句：

• Fortifying executive function and restraining impulsivity are possible with active interventions. 积极干预可能有助加强执行功能和抑制冲动性。
• Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, fortifying himself against still another disappointment. 文戈不再张望，他绷紧脸，仿佛正在鼓足勇气准备迎接另一次失望似的。

8 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

9 rehabilitate   

vt.改造(罪犯)，修复；vi.复兴，(罪犯)经受改造

参考例句：

• There was no money to rehabilitate the tower.没有资金修复那座塔。
• He used exercise programmes to rehabilitate the patients.他采用体育锻炼疗法使患者恢复健康。

10 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

11 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

12 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

13 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

14 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

15 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

16 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

17 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

18 offsetting   

n.偏置法v.抵消( offset的现在分词 )；补偿；（为了比较的目的而）把…并列（或并置）；为（管道等）装支管

参考例句：

• Dealers, having concluded a forward contract, should always hedge with an offsetting contract. 外汇经营商在签订了一项远期合同之后总是应进行套头交易签订一项相抵合同。 来自辞典例句
• Where does Germany think offsetting shifts into greater external deficits might occur? 在德国看来，这么大的外部赤字应该转移到哪里？ 来自互联网