2006年VOA标准英语-Conference: Africa More Vulnerable to Climate C

By Alisha Ryu
Naivasha, Kenya
15 November 2006

Environmentalists and scientists attending a major U.N. climate change conference in Nairobi, Kenya are warning that Africa is significantly more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than any other continent.  Climate change in east Africa is worsening environmental problems, especially pollution and deforestation. 

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		In one visible example of cliamte change in east Aftica, combo satellite images show two perspective views of Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro on Feb. 17, 1993 (top) and Feb. 21, 2000 (bottom)

Michael Mukasa, 57, has lived near the shores of Lake Naivasha for most of his life.  In the past seven years, he has been working here as a fisherman, hoping to provide for his wife and eight children.

Watching dark storm clouds gather over the 250-square-kilometer lake, Mukasa's weathered face breaks into a smile.  Rain is coming and that is good news for him.

Mukasa says he has noticed that droughts in Kenya have become longer and more frequent in recent years, sometimes leaving the water levels in the lake dangerously low.  But he says it has been raining much more than usual this year and the fish are thriving.

In the Eastern Rift¹ Valley, it is not just fishermen who depend on the fresh waters of Lake Naivasha for their survival. 

The lake hosts a large number of hippos and nearly 500 species of birds, which attract thousands of tourists every year.

The lake also plays a vital role in Kenya's economy by irrigating² some 100 square kilometers of vegetable and flower farms in Naivasha that generate net revenues of nearly $65 million a year.

The farms employ an estimated 30,000 migrant workers, who, along with Naivasha's 250,000 permanent residents, rely on the lake for much of their daily water needs.

But the monitoring officer for a local wetlands association, Bogo Kamau, says the lake has begun showing clear signs of stress and degradation³ in recent years.

"What I have noted⁴ is that the lake levels have gone down,” he said.  “It is tending toward a saline lake.  Also, the color of the water has changed."

Kamau says the changes are occurring because tributaries⁵ of the two main rivers which feed Lake Naivasha, are no longer bringing as much fresh water as is needed to dilute⁶ some of the waste, salts, and minerals in the lake.

Environmentalists say the tributaries are contributing less water because severe deforestation in the local mountains, combined with warmer temperatures, is affecting the amount of rain that falls in the area every year.

George Otiang'a-Owiti is the head of Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute in Naivasha.  He notes that the lake's ecosystem⁸ is so extensive, interdependent, and fragile, anything that upsets the balance can devastate⁹ it. 

For example, Owiti says African cape¹⁰ buffalos, which have lost much of their nearby forest habitat, are threatening the health of the lake.

"Because of deforestation, the buffalos have now moved toward the lake area here,” he noted.  “And because of that, the buffalos are trodding over the papyrus¹¹, which is a very good filter for the water in the lake.  And the buffalos graze on the papyrus and this, of course, does not allow regeneration of the papyrus."

In the Kenyan capital Nairobi, many of the specialists attending the two-week U.N. talks on climate change have been urging the world's wealthy nations to pay greater attention to the effects of global warming, which they say could soon destroy entire communities in poverty-striken areas of Africa.

The United States and Australia have been especially criticized for not signing the 1997 Kyoto Protocol¹², which requires industrialized countries to greatly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions¹³ by 2012.  The emissions, caused by burning of fossil fuels, are believed to be largely responsible for the earth's rising temperatures that have affected¹⁴ weather patterns.

But Bogo Kamau says he thinks local people must also be educated and taught to do their part in protecting and preserving their environment and livelihoods¹⁵.

"We do not need to criticize what other people are doing,” he said.  “We need to also change, to realize that you are also part of the problem."

John Stanton is the vice⁷ president of National Environmental Trust, a Washington-based, non-profit organization.  He says to increase local participation¹⁶ in conservation efforts, one option being discussed at the U.N. climate change conference is to provide incentives¹⁷ for communities to preserve their forests.

"For communities that allow the forests to remain standing¹⁸, they would actually be provided a financial reward and that would serve many developmental goals, including habitat conservation, clean-water benefits," he explained.

In Lake Naivasha, undisturbed forests mean financial security and a better life for many people, including fisherman Michael Mukasa.

Scooping¹⁹ up some water with his hands, Mukasa says he cannot imagine what his life would like if something were to happen to the lake. 

"It would be very bad and everyone here would know what suffering really is," he said.

1 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。

2 irrigating   

灌溉( irrigate的现在分词 )； 冲洗（伤口）

参考例句：

• Derrick and I have been laying out the system of irrigating ditches. 德里克跟我在一起修建那个灌溉网。
• He had been in command at the irrigating ditch the day before. 上一天，在灌溉渠边，是他担任指挥的。

3 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。

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 tributaries   

n. 支流

参考例句：

• In such areas small tributaries or gullies will not show. 在这些地区，小的支流和冲沟显示不出来。
• These tributaries are subsequent streams which erode strike valley. 这些支流系即为蚀出走向谷的次生河。

6 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 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。

9 devastate   

v.使荒芜，破坏，压倒

参考例句：

• A few days before,a fire had devastated large parts of Windsor Castle.几天前，温莎城堡的大部分被一场大火烧毁。
• Earthquakes can also cause tsunamis,which devastate coastal regions.地震还引发海啸，它直接破坏海岸地区。

10 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

11 papyrus   

n.古以纸草制成之纸

参考例句：

• The Egyptians wrote on papyrus.埃及人书写用薄草纸。
• Since papyrus dries up and crumble,very few documents of ancient Egypt have survived.因草片会干裂成粉末所以古埃及的文件很少保存下来。

12 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。

13 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。

14 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。

15 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

16 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

17 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 scooping   

n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• Heated ice cream scoop is used for scooping really cold ice cream. 加热的冰淇淋勺是用来舀非常凉的冰淇淋的。 来自互联网
• The scoop-up was the key phase during a scooping cycle. 3个区间中，铲取区间是整个作业循环的关键。 来自互联网