ENVIRONMENT REPORT - UN Report on Africa

ENVIRONMENT REPORT -August 16, 2002: UN Report on Africa

By Cynthia Kirk
Broadcast:

This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.

A report by the United Nations Environment Program says Africa faces severe
environmental problems unless urgent action is taken. It says Africa faces increases
in air and water pollution, land destruction, water shortages¹ and wildlife losses.

The report involved hundreds of experts. The U-N Environment Program says it is the most complete study of
Africa’s environment ever produced.

During the past thirty years, many things have harmed Africa’s environment. They include growing
populations, wars, rising national debt, natural disasters and disease. Experts say there will be many new threats
during the next thirty years. They include climate change, the spread of non -native plants and animals,

uncontrolled expansion of cities and pollution from cars and industry.

Africa’s people and economies depend on agriculture. Records show that yearly rainfall has been decreasing

since nineteen-sixty-eight. Experts say this may be a result of the warming climate caused by man-made carbon -
dioxide gas in the atmosphere. They say Africa could suffer greatly from the effects of global warming because
of its dependence² on agriculture.

Experts also say natural disasters in Africa have become more common and more severe. A lack of rain in some
areas and floods in other areas are harming the land and have led to the displacement³ of people and wildlife.

Air pollution from industries and from old cars is another serious problem. The continent ’s wildlife is
threatened by the destruction of forests, hunting, the presence of non-native species⁴, and a lack of enforcement of
protection laws.

Many African countries are beginning to deal with some of these environmental problems. But experts say more

efforts are needed by African countries and other countries. They say more could be done to reduce Africa’s
debt, increase aid and help give local communities more power. They say countries need to help enforce
environmental agreements, produce clean technologies and open international markets to African goods and
services.

The head of the U-N Environmental Program says the report will be important for nations meeting at the World
Summit⁵ on Sustainable Development. That meeting opens at the end of this month in Johannesburg, South
Africa.

This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by Cynthia Kirk.

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1 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

3 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。

4 species   

n.物种，种群

参考例句：

• Are we the only thinking species in the whole of creation?我们是万物中惟一有思想的物种吗？
• This species of bird now exists only in Africa.这种鸟现在只存在于非洲。

5 summit   

n.最高点，峰顶；最高级会议；极点

参考例句：

• They climbed up the mountain and reached the summit.他们爬山，最终达到了山顶。
• The summit of the mountain is lost in the cloud and mist.山顶隐没在云雾之中。