2007年VOA标准英语-Plans for Kenyan Sugar Factory Spark Conservati

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
25 September 2007

Plans for a sugar factory in Kenya's Tana River Delta¹ have ignited a bitter dispute between conservation groups and economic officials. As Nick Wadhams reports from Nairobi, opponents argue development could ruin the delta, which is home to several indigenous² groups, a vast array of bird and fish species and endangered monkeys.

On a single day in January of this year, the Mwamba Bird Observatory³ Field Study Centre says it counted 15,000 water birds belonging to 69 species, including herons, terns, African skimmers and stork⁴.

Colin Jackson, who led the recent count and has been an opponent of the sugar project, estimates the census⁵ covered only 15 percent of the delta's acreage. Jackson warns the factory could upset the ecosystem⁶ of the region along Kenya's east coast.

"I was stunned⁷ by the number of birds and the diversity, the volume; and we were only looking at a tiny percentage of the whole area," he said. "It appeared that there was actually very little concern being raised in the conservation world about this, even though the site is really, really important. Normally, with a development of this size - which is huge and will have a major impact on the ecosystem - there's normally quite some noise being made."

The situation in the Tana River Delta is a microcosm of the challenges facing Kenya and much of East Africa. Although the region boasts extraordinary biological diversity, it is also a place of deep poverty, leaving many people desperate for development.

Balancing the need to protect the ecosystem with locals' demands for jobs has not been easy. The revived sugar project, to be run by Kenya's Mumias Sugar Company, is the latest in a string of proposed development ideas for the delta.

The latest plan would take about 50,000 acres of land for production and could cost some $350 million. And, other producers have been showing increased interest in the area in recent days.

Mat International Sugar announced last week it has acquired 223,000 acres, adjacent to Mumias's claim, as part of a second, $2 billion sugar project.

One of Mumias' most important backers is the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA), whose chair is a nephew of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki.

And, President Kibaki has expressed his support for the project, which comes at a crucial time for the Kenyan economy.

Next February, Kenya may drop tariffs⁸ for sugar imported from other countries in the regional trading group known as Common Markets of Eastern and Southern Africa. Sugar from elsewhere in COMESA is about 40 percent cheaper than Kenyan sugar.

TARDA spokeswoman Damaris Kiarie says officials fear that, without its own cheap source, Kenya's sugar industry could be wiped out.

"Poverty levels in the area are very high," she explained. "There's also the issue of COMESA sugar. In 2008, once COMESA starts bringing duty-free sugar and Kenya has a debt of about 250,000 tons, it means we will lose out. So, we have to produce sugar at low production cost so that we bridge the deficit⁹ gap. So, it's a national goal, actually.

Supporters say studies show that sugar cane¹⁰ grows nearly three times as fast in the delta's rich wetlands as it does in western Kenya, where the bulk of Kenya's sugar is now produced.

Proponents¹¹ say such output would give Kenya's sugar industry a huge boost when it needs it most and would provide up to 20,000 new jobs in an impoverished¹² region of the country.

Over the years, the delta has seen several failed attempts at bringing in money and development.

One was a World Bank project meant to protect the red colobus monkey and the crested¹³ mangabey, rare primates¹⁴ that live in the delta. The bank's solution was to relocate people, an idea that only fanned anger and resentment¹⁵ toward wildlife. Eventually the project was abandoned.

And, in 2000 and 2001, deadly clashes erupted between the Orma farmers and Pokomo cattle herders in the region about water and land resources. Many observers believe the conflict was caused, in part, by numerous failed irrigation projects in the delta.

Tentative plans call for many farmers to be moved away from the delta, an idea that could lead to new animosity.

Critics of the sugar plants have suggested that developers focus, instead, on the resources that the delta already has: freshwater fisheries, mango plantations¹⁶, rice, and tourism. They argue the studies on sugar growth cited by proponents of the projects have not been submitted for public scrutiny¹⁷.

And, they point to fears of new clashes. The Pokomo are largely in favor. The Orma are opposed.

1 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。

2 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

3 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

4 stork   

n.鹳

参考例句：

• A Fox invited a long-beaked Stork to have dinner with him.狐狸请长嘴鹳同他一起吃饭。
• He is very glad that his wife's going to get a visit from the stork.他为她的妻子将获得参观鹳鸟的机会感到非常高兴。

5 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

6 ecosystem   

n.生态系统

参考例句：

• This destroyed the ecosystem of the island.这样破坏了岛上的生态系统。
• We all have an interest in maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem.维持生态系统的完整是我们共同的利益。

7 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

8 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

9 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

10 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

11 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

12 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 crested   

adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点

参考例句：

• a great crested grebe 凤头䴙䴘
• The stately mansion crested the hill. 庄严的大厦位于山顶。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 primates   

primate的复数

参考例句：

• Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
• Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。

15 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

16 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

17 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。