UN Says One in Four Do Not Have Safe Drinking Water

2023-03-23

00:00 / 00:00
复读宝 RABC v8.0beta 复读机按钮使用说明
播放/暂停
停止
播放时:倒退3秒/复读时:回退AB段
播放时:快进3秒/复读时:前进AB段
拖动:改变速度/点击:恢复正常速度1.0
拖动改变复读暂停时间
点击:复读最近5秒/拖动:改变复读次数
设置A点
设置B点
取消复读并清除AB点
播放一行
停止播放
后退一行
前进一行
复读一行
复读多行
变速复读一行
变速复读多行
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1
  • The United Nations said 26 percent of the world's population does not have safe drinking water in a report released Tuesday.
  • 2
  • The U.N. World Water Development Report 2023's release comes at the start of a three-day meeting on water resources and usage in New York City.
  • 3
  • Richard Connor is the main editor of the report.
  • 4
  • He told reporters at the release that the estimated cost of meeting the U.N.'s goals for water is between $600 billion and $1 trillion.
  • 5
  • Connor said it was just as important to develop partnerships with investors, financiers, governments and climate change groups.
  • 6
  • These forms of cooperation, Connor said, would ensure that the money spent would provide drinkable water to 2 billion people who do not have it and sanitation to 3.6 billion who lack it.
  • 7
  • The report warns that water use around the world is growing one percent a year "and is expected to grow at a similar rate to 2050..."
  • 8
  • Connor said the increase in demand is happening in developing countries and emerging economies.
  • 9
  • That is because urban areas and industries are using more water.
  • 10
  • Agriculture alone, Connor said, uses 70 percent of the world's water supply and has to be better planned.
  • 11
  • The report also said that seasonal lack of water will increase in Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America.
  • 12
  • That is in addition to areas that already have water scarcity such as the Middle East and the Sahara area of Africa.
  • 13
  • The report said this is the result of temperature increases in the Earth's atmosphere.
  • 14
  • The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is responsible for the latest water report.
  • 15
  • It said, on average, "10 percent of the global population lives in countries with high or critical water stress."
  • 16
  • And 3.5 billion people live under conditions of water stress at least one month out of the year.
  • 17
  • The report also commented on weather events.
  • 18
  • It said floods in tropical areas near the Equator have increased by 2.5 times.
  • 19
  • But Connor said weather conditions involving lack of rain, or drought, were more difficult to establish.
  • 20
  • He said, "...an increase in intensity or frequency of droughts and 'heat extremes' can be expected in most regions as a direct result of climate change."
  • 21
  • Connor added that the biggest producer of pollution is untreated wastewater.
  • 22
  • He said 80 percent of wastewater around the world is untreated.
  • 23
  • But in developing countries, it is "pretty much 99 percent."
  • 24
  • An estimated 171 countries and 100 ministers are attending the three-day meeting.
  • 25
  • I'm Mario Ritter Jr.
  • 1
  • The United Nations said 26 percent of the world's population does not have safe drinking water in a report released Tuesday.
  • 2
  • The U.N. World Water Development Report 2023's release comes at the start of a three-day meeting on water resources and usage in New York City.
  • 3
  • Richard Connor is the main editor of the report. He told reporters at the release that the estimated cost of meeting the U.N.'s goals for water is between $600 billion and $1 trillion.
  • 4
  • Connor said it was just as important to develop partnerships with investors, financiers, governments and climate change groups. These forms of cooperation, Connor said, would ensure that the money spent would provide drinkable water to 2 billion people who do not have it and sanitation to 3.6 billion who lack it.
  • 5
  • The report warns that water use around the world is growing one percent a year "and is expected to grow at a similar rate to 2050..."
  • 6
  • Connor said the increase in demand is happening in developing countries and emerging economies. That is because urban areas and industries are using more water.
  • 7
  • Agriculture alone, Connor said, uses 70 percent of the world's water supply and has to be better planned.
  • 8
  • The report also said that seasonal lack of water will increase in Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America. That is in addition to areas that already have water scarcity such as the Middle East and the Sahara area of Africa. The report said this is the result of temperature increases in the Earth's atmosphere.
  • 9
  • The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is responsible for the latest water report. It said, on average, "10 percent of the global population lives in countries with high or critical water stress." And 3.5 billion people live under conditions of water stress at least one month out of the year.
  • 10
  • The report also commented on weather events. It said floods in tropical areas near the Equator have increased by 2.5 times. But Connor said weather conditions involving lack of rain, or drought, were more difficult to establish. He said, "...an increase in intensity or frequency of droughts and 'heat extremes' can be expected in most regions as a direct result of climate change."
  • 11
  • Connor added that the biggest producer of pollution is untreated wastewater. He said 80 percent of wastewater around the world is untreated. But in developing countries, it is "pretty much 99 percent."
  • 12
  • An estimated 171 countries and 100 ministers are attending the three-day meeting.
  • 13
  • I'm Mario Ritter Jr.
  • 14
  • Edith Lederer reported this story for the Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 15
  • __________________________________________________________________
  • 16
  • Words in This Story
  • 17
  • editor -n. a person who decides what parts of a written work are published or changed
  • 18
  • sanitation -n. the activity of removing, treating or dealing with wastewater and solid waste in a healthy and acceptable way
  • 19
  • scarcity -n. the condition of not having enough of something
  • 20
  • stress -n. a state of tension often caused by the apparent lack of something or inability to understand something
  • 21
  • frequency -n. how often something happens
  • 22
  • ___________________________________________________________________
  • 23
  • How is the water where you live? We want to hear from you.
  • 24
  • Here is how our comment system works:
  • 25
  • Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.