[ti:Restoration Projects in Jordan Offer Hope for Saving Damaged Land] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]New projects in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan [00:05.08]aim to repair damaged land [00:08.68]in one of the world's most water-starved nations. [00:14.52]The restoration measures include [00:18.16]bringing native plants back to areas where they disappeared, [00:23.32]as well as building modern water collection systems. [00:28.36]Local organizations believe the projects [00:32.64]will help lessen the effects of land mismanagement [00:37.04]and climate change. [00:39.40]The efforts seek to slow expanding desertification, [00:45.56]which happens when land turns into desert. [00:49.84]A United Nations report released April 26 states [00:56.08]that 40 percent of land worldwide is currently degraded. [01:02.12]The report, by the U.N.'s Convention to Combat Desertification, [01:08.36]predicts that by 2030, 700 million people [01:14.04]could be displaced by drought. [01:16.92]It blames the problems on land and water mismanagement, [01:23.20]poor agriculture methods, mining and city development. [01:29.32]Jordan is one of several countries already struggling [01:34.36]with the effects of degradation, the report said. [01:39.08]But environmentalists in Jordan are already taking steps [01:44.60]to prevent further land damage. [01:48.72]One of the efforts is introducing four native plants [01:54.20]to 41 square kilometers of desert in the Sabha area, [02:00.28]about 90 kilometers east of Jordan's capital, Amman. [02:06.48]"We're working on the water, we're working on the green cover [02:12.32]and we're working also with the habitats of the creatures, [02:17.28]from insects to animals..." said Deyala Tarawneh. [02:23.00]She helped create WADI, an organization seeking [02:28.28]to repair forests and grasslands and find ways [02:33.08]to improve water security in Jordan. [02:37.08]"The success rate of these plants is 85 percent, [02:42.48]which is considered a very high percentage," Tarawneh said. [02:48.56]"And they only need to be watered once, [02:52.24]which is also reducing the amount of water needed [02:56.56]for the irrigation of the green areas." [03:00.16]But as WADI's efforts continue, environmentalists [03:05.68]say land restoration in Jordan still faces major difficulties. [03:12.72]One of them is a lack of land areas available for restoration. [03:19.60]In addition, many people in local communities [03:24.12]are not willing to leave the land alone for at least one [03:29.00]or two rainy seasons to let it recover. [03:33.16]The U.N. report calls for financial support [03:38.08]to strengthen restoration efforts in developing countries. [03:43.36]Among other things, it urges the expansion of protected [03:49.24]and conservation areas, better water management [03:54.16]and improved agricultural methods. [03:58.00]If such measures are carried out, [04:01.36]they can lead to reduced biodiversity loss [04:05.48]and improved soil health, the report says. [04:10.32]The efforts could especially help areas in North [04:14.76]and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. [04:20.84]But the report also notes that a lack of action [04:26.12]could result in up to 16 million square kilometers [04:31.60]of land degradation by 2050. [04:35.76]That is an area about the size of South America. [04:41.84]I'm Bryan Lynn. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM