VOA标准英语2009年-Scientists Gather in Drought-Stricken Keny

Scientists meeting in Nairobi are urging Africa's leaders to develop more sustainable models for the continent's water use. Kenya is currently suffering under a serious drought that is leaving millions hungry and stifling¹ the country's economic recovery.
　
Low water levels seen at Masinga dam which produces much of Kenya's hydro electric power, 21 Aug 2009

The scientists gathered at the Sustainable Water Conference in Kenya say Africa is mismanaging its water resources. The conference is organized by the Pan Africa Chemistry Network, a joint² initiative of the Britain-based Royal Society of Chemistry and a leading crop protection company.

The group plans to submit its recommendations to the United Nations on World Water Day 2010.

A representative for U.N. environmental agency UNEP, David Osborne, told the conference delegates that Africa's water problems are unacceptable because they are avoidable.

"Too many of the adults and children who die from too little water in droughts, too much water in floods, or too polluted or disease-ridden water are in Africa," he said. "Yet the saddest fact is that most of their deaths are preventable."

The calls from the scientists for better water usage models is magnified by the alarming situation outside the conference's walls, where the city of Nairobi is reeling under the country's severe water shortage.

The U.N. World Food Program this week announced 3.8 million Kenyans were at risk of hunger because of an ongoing³ food crisis. For much of the country's urban poor, the high prices for food are simply unaffordable.

Speaking to the group, Kenya's permanent secretary for the Ministry⁴ of Higher Learning, Science and Technology, Crispus Kiamba, acknowledged the water problems were a result not just of global climate trends, but also of the deforestation destroying some of Kenya's most vital water catchment areas.

"The conference takes place at a time when Kenya is experiencing an acute shortage of water. We have had rain failures since 2007," said Kiamba. "Some of our rivers have dried up due to a combination of climate change effect and human destruction."

Kenya's political leaders are engaged in an intense political dispute calls for the eviction⁵ of settlers who have taken over and destroyed huge portions of Kenya's main water source, the Mau Forest in the nation's Rift⁶ Valley. The government Tuesday issued a two-week notice for the settlers to leave, but area politicians are resisting the mandate⁷ and threatening violent clashes.

The scientists at the water conference warned Africa's leaders that water scarcity⁸ is a cause of not just hunger and thirst but also the spread of disease, the death of wildlife, and shortages in power.

Kenya is heavily dependent on hydroelectricity for its power needs, and drying river beds have left the nation with a significant power shortfall.

The country has initiated⁹ planned power outages to ration¹⁰ its short supply, but this is crippling small businesses unable to afford generators¹¹. These small businesses drive much of Kenya's economy, but without power many can not operate.

Speakers at the conference stressed that worsening water quality is also a serious threat across the continent, and said forest destruction is also destroying a key natural water filter.

The conference was addressed by the former president of Mozambique, Joachim Chissano, who encouraged the scientists to help Africa improve its use of water resources.

1 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 eviction   

n.租地等的收回

参考例句：

• The family have won a temporary reprieve from eviction.这个家庭暂时免于被逐出。
• He claimed damages for unlawful eviction.他要求对非法驱逐作出赔偿。

6 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

7 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

8 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 ration   

n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应

参考例句：

• The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
• We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。

11 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》