[ti:Turkey’s Lake Tuz Dries up Because of Climate Change, Farming Policies] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Lake Tuz, Turkey's second-largest lake [00:03.60]and home to several kinds of birds, [00:06.28]has entirely dried up this year. [00:10.48]Water has also gone down [00:12.84]at several other lakes across Turkey. [00:17.20]Experts say the lakes are victims of drought [00:21.16]brought on by climate change [00:23.56]and harmful agricultural policies. [00:28.32]They warn that the entire area [00:31.20]around the Mediterranean Sea is especially at risk. [00:36.76]Levent Kurnaz is a scientist at Bogazici University's [00:41.32]Center for Climate Change and Policy Studies. [00:46.36]He told the Associated Press, [00:49.00]"We have rising temperatures and decreasing rain, [00:52.76]and on the other side, the water needs [00:55.56]for irrigation in agriculture. [00:58.32]It's a bad situation all over Turkey at the moment." [01:04.12]For hundreds of years, Lake Tuz has been home [01:07.68]to huge groups of flamingos that travel [01:11.32]and reproduce there when the weather is warm. [01:15.96]But this summer, thousands of dead flamingos [01:19.92]were found spread out across the dried-up lakebed. [01:25.52]"There were about 5,000 young flamingos. [01:29.32]They all perished because there was no water," said Fahri Tunc. [01:35.28]He is the wildlife photographer [01:37.84]who took pictures of the dead birds. [01:41.00]He also heads the local office of a Turkish environmental group. [01:47.32]Tunc said, "I hope I do not come across such a scene again." [01:53.52]Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported [01:57.32]that a study conducted by Ege University [02:00.56]shows that water levels at Lake Tuz began to drop in 2000. [02:07.48]The study noted that the lake dried up this year [02:10.96]because of rising temperatures, [02:13.12]increased evaporation and a lack of rain. [02:17.88]The study also noted a sharp decrease [02:21.04]in underground water levels around Lake Tuz. [02:26.44]Environmental groups say poor government agricultural policies [02:31.16]play a major part in the lack of water in Turkey's lakes. [02:37.04]Farms in the area have started growing profitable [02:40.68]but water-intensive crops such as corn, sugarbeets and alfalfa. [02:48.36]These crops have used up groundwater supplies, Tunc said. [02:54.20]He added that farmers have dug thousands of unapproved wells, [02:59.44]while streams supplying water to the lake have dried up. [03:04.88]Tunc is a native of Aksaray, a city to the south of Lake Tuz. [03:11.44]He is saddened by the thought that he will not be able [03:14.56]to enjoy the flamingos with his 7-month-old son [03:18.16]as he did with his 21-year-old son. [03:21.56]He remains hopeful, however, that Lake Tuz [03:25.60]may replenish itself if the government stops [03:29.04]the water-intensive agriculture. [03:32.84]But climate scientist Kurnaz is less hopeful. [03:37.72]He said, "They keep telling people [03:40.40]that they shouldn't use groundwater for this agriculture [03:44.00]and people are not listening." [03:47.32]Kurnaz noted, "If you don't pay them enough money, [03:50.88]the farmers, they will plant whatever is water-intensive [03:55.00]and will make money for them." [03:58.20]I'm Jonathan Evans. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM