[ti:UN: Wildfires Getting Worse, Nations Unprepared] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]A new United Nations report says a warming planet [00:04.36]and changes to land use suggest an increase [00:08.60]in wildfires around the world in coming years. [00:13.96]The report says these wildfires will cause an increase in smoke pollution [00:20.76]and other problems that world governments are not prepared for. [00:27.08]The report was released Wednesday [00:29.60]from the United Nations Environment Program. [00:34.16]It said wildfires worldwide could increase by one-third by 2050. [00:42.04]The increase will reach more than 50 percent [00:45.36]by the year 2100, the report said. [00:50.24]The western United States, central India [00:53.72]and eastern Australia are already seeing more wildfires. [00:59.32]Even areas once considered safe from major fires, [01:04.24]such as the Arctic, will "very likely" [01:07.40]experience a major increase in burning. [01:12.64]Tropical forests in Indonesia [01:15.52]and the southern Amazon of South America [01:18.60]also are likely to see increased wildfires, the report found. [01:25.72]Andrew Sullivan is one of the report's writers. [01:30.64]He is with the Commonwealth Scientific [01:33.48]and Industrial Research Organization in Australia. [01:39.00]He said, "Uncontrollable and devastating wildfires [01:43.92]are becoming an expected part of the seasonal calendars [01:47.84]in many parts of the world." [01:51.08]The report describes a worsening series of events. [01:56.16]Climate change will bring more dry periods and higher temperatures [02:01.08]that make it easy for fires to start and spread. [02:06.68]Those fires then release more climate-changing carbon [02:11.20]into the atmosphere as they burn through forests. [02:16.00]Some areas, including parts of Africa, [02:19.84]are seeing a decrease in wildfires. [02:22.72]That is partly because more land is being used for agriculture, [02:29.12]said report co-writer Glynis Humphrey. [02:33.40]She is with the University of Cape Town in South Africa. [02:38.76]But U.N. researchers said many nations continue [02:42.92]to spend too much time and money fighting fires [02:47.08]and not enough trying to prevent them. [02:51.36]Land use changes can make the fires worse. [02:56.16]The report said the remains left behind [02:59.32]by the logging industry can easily burn. [03:04.00]And some forests are purposely burned to clear land for farming. [03:11.04]Poor communities are often hit hardest by fires. [03:16.36]Wildfires can worsen water quality, destroy crops [03:20.68]and reduce land available to grow food. [03:24.80]Humphrey said the fires affect people's jobs [03:28.56]and their economic situation. [03:32.00]She added that it is very important [03:34.76]"that fire be in the same category of disaster management [03:39.20]as floods and droughts." [03:43.24]In the United States, officials recently announced [03:46.88]a $50-billion effort to reduce fire risks [03:51.00]over the next 10 years. [03:54.08]The plan involves thinning forests around areas [03:58.60]where nature and human living spaces meet. [04:03.24]However, the administration of President Joe Biden [04:07.48]has so far identified only a small part [04:11.44]of the funding called for in the plan. [04:15.40]The U.N. researchers also called for more careful attention [04:20.48]to the dangers from wildfire smoke inhalation. [04:25.32]Inhaling, or breathing in, smoke can affect [04:29.24]tens of millions of people each year. [04:34.00]Smoke from major wildfires can travel thousands of kilometers [04:39.56]across international borders. [04:43.28]I'm Jonathan Evans. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM