2007年VOA标准英语-UN Program Finds Environment Degradation Trigge

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
22 June 2007

The U.N. Environment Program says environmental degradation¹ is triggering tensions and conflict in Sudan. A new study foresees no long lasting² peace in Sudan unless widespread and rapidly accelerating environmental deterioration³ is urgently addressed. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva where the UNEP study was launched.

The new assessment⁴ of the environmental situation in Sudan includes the troubled region of Darfur. The study cites the rapidly eroding⁵ environment in key parts of the country as being among the root causes of decades of social strife⁶ and conflict.

Achim Steiner talks to reporters, 22 Jun 2007

The executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, Achim Steiner, says there is an inescapable linkage⁷ between environmental degradation and worsening economic and social conditions.

"Conflicts ultimately become inevitable⁸ if systems become so pressurized and social, economic, and institutional systems are not able to adapt," Steiner says. "This report is perhaps one of the most stark⁹ examples we have found yet in terms of linking environmental change to essentially¹⁰ crisis situations arising in the social and economic sphere."

The environmental experts express concern about land degradation, desertification and the spread of deserts southwards by an average of 100 kilometers over the past four decades.

They note that deforestation has led to a loss of almost 12 percent of Sudan's tree cover in just 15 years, and they warn some areas may lose all their forest cover within the next decade.

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Darfur refugees in this derelict section of Es Sallam camp say they have been waiting nine months to be relocated to decent shelters, 25 Mar 2007

The report finds mounting evidence of long-term regional climate change in several parts of the country. For example, in northern Darfur, precipitation has fallen by a third in the past 80 years. And declining rainfall has led to reduced food production.

Project Manager of the UNEP Study, Andrew Morton, says desertification, climate change and other forms of environmental degradation are linked to chronic¹² rural poverty, to population displacement¹³ and to local conflict.

"This problem is particularly severe in dry land Sudan, which is essentially the northern half of Sudan," noted¹⁴ Morton. "This is a long-term massive and complex problem, which has been evolving over the last 60 years or more. It is on a scale where if it is not tackled, it could actually reverse the development gains and lead us back into a cycle of sort of enduring crisis with aid dependency and unable to come out of the problems."

Five million people are either internally displaced or refugees in Sudan. About half of them are in Darfur. UNEP says large numbers of homeless people in camps further undermine the environment by cutting down trees for firewood.

The report says investment in environmental management will be a vital part of peace building in Sudan. Rehabilitation¹⁵ projects will cost about $120 million over three to five years. UNEP says the money can come from the international community and from the country's emerging boom in oil and gas exports.

1 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。

2 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

3 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 eroding   

侵蚀，腐蚀( erode的现在分词 )； 逐渐毁坏，削弱，损害

参考例句：

• The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
• Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是，久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。

6 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

7 linkage   

n.连接；环节

参考例句：

• In their monographic treatment of linkage,they have emphasized this especially.他们在论连锁的专题文章中特别强调了这点。
• Occasionally,problems with block inheritance or linkage are encountered.有时会遇到区段遗传或连锁问题。

8 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

9 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

11 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

12 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

13 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

14 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。

15 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。