VOA标准英语2009年-Expert Says Days of 'Easy Water' Are Over

The fifth World Water Forum¹ opened on Monday in Istanbul, Turkey. Thousands of people are at the meeting - from heads of state and environmental and business leaders to scientists and activists² - to discuss ways to manage and conserve³ the precious resource. The meeting comes as the United Nations warns of potential conflicts over water scarcity⁴.

Water scarcity is one of the key issues dominating the Forum. Last week, the United Nations released its latest research on water, which paints a bleak⁵ picture of increasing demand and diminishing supplies.

UN report is wake-up call

Gerhard Payen is an adviser⁶ on water to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of The International Federation⁷ of Private Water Operators - association that connects international organizations with private sector⁸ providers of water and sanitation⁹ services. He says the U.N. report is an important wake up call to the world.
　
Woman waits to fill bucket with water in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

"The reality today is that water scarcity is increasing in many parts of the world because of increasing usage and also partly due to climate change," Payen explained. "This is a reality. So easy water [i.e., easily accessible drinking water] is over. So in the future, we will have to manage water more carefully. There are potential conflicts. So if the governments don't care that conflicts will emerge, this is at local regional and international level. This is a collective responsibility; all of us have a role to play. We have to realize we are so numerous on this planet. Easy water is over."

Middle East is potential flashpoint

The Middle East, according to the U.N. report, is a potential flashpoint - particularly between Israel and its neighbors - because of dwindling¹⁰ water supplies.

Turkey, the host of the World Water Forum, is offering a solution that could help ease those tensions. The Turkish government is proposing to sell water to Israel from its eastern Mediterranean¹¹ coast.

Dogan Altinbilek, the former head of the Turkey's General Directorate of State Hydraulic¹² Works, is one of the architects of the plan.

"This is the most water-short area in the world. I have a stack of books at home on the topic of the water wars in the Middle East," he said. "There at least a dozen authors who mention that if there will be a war in the Middle East, it will be because of water. We [i.e., Turkey] will make a profit, but not a large amount [from selling and transporting water]. It is a resource that is really in short supply and we are going to make available."

The project is still in the planning stages with discussions over security, logistics and cost under way with Israel. However, some experts have raised environmental concerns over the plan. The commercialization of water and the role of the private sector is a major issue at the forum.

Protesters disagree with water 'privatization'

Outside the World Water Forum, hundreds of protesters demonstrated against what they call the "privatization" of water. Critics of the Forum accuse it of being too closely associated with business interests.

An alternative forum set up by dozens of non-governmental organizations is expected to open in Istanbul later this week.

Mark Hayes of Corporate¹³ Accountability International says water privatization offers no solution to the world's water problems.

"Right now, if you look at how water policy has played out over the past 10 or 15 years, these private companies working closely with the World Bank, working closely even with some parts of the U.N., have really dictated¹⁴ the agenda," Hayes said. "And the result has been privatization fiascos in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa as well as the growing trend toward commoditization of water, where there is a huge explosive growth in the bottled water market. So they have had their chance - privatization can solve this problem. And it's pretty clear, even from their own sources, that it is not a panacea¹⁵."

Role for private, public sectors¹⁶ in finding solution

The role of the private sector in helping¹⁷ to deal with the growing challenges of conserving¹⁸ and delivering safe water to the world's population is another key issue at the forum.

Gerhard Payen of The International Federation of Private Water Operators says there is a role for both the private and public sectors. He adds that pragmatism should triumph over ideology¹⁹.

"Today there is a divide between 3.5 billion people who have access to tap water and the other three billion who have no access to tap water - either at home or in the immediate²⁰ vicinity," Payen said. "There is a big divide in the world between those who benefit from the public water service and those who don't benefit from it. In the past 15 years, the private sector has provided access to water to 25 million people or more. So the issue today is: When do we want that all people get safe and reliable access to water? This is the main issue. For those people, the most important thing is access to water."

The World Water Forum also offers a week-long venue²¹ for government representatives. These meetings are being held behind closed doors, away from the main venue.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

4 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。

5 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

10 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

11 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

12 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

13 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

14 dictated   

v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布

参考例句：

• He dictated a letter to his secretary. 他向秘书口授信稿。
• No person of a strong character likes to be dictated to. 没有一个个性强的人愿受人使唤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 panacea   

n.万灵药；治百病的灵药

参考例句：

• Western aid may help but will not be a panacea. 西方援助可能会有所帮助，但并非灵丹妙药。
• There's no single panacea for the country's economic ills. 国家经济弊病百出,并无万灵药可以医治。

16 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网

19 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

20 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

21 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。