森本秋绘在防治荒漠化国际研讨会开幕式上的讲话（中英对照）

Remarks at the Opening of the International Seminar on Combating Desertification<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

在防治荒漠化国际研讨会开幕式上的讲话

June 17, 2012

2012年6月17日

Minister Zhao Shucong,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

尊敬的赵树丛部长，

尊敬的各位来宾，

女士们，先生们：

Good Morning!

早上好！

It is a great pleasure to be able to join you today at the International Seminar on Combating Desertification and to be able to share some remarks on this important topic on behalf of UNDP. I thank the Ministry of Commerce and the State Forestry Administration for this opportunity and for their commitment to reversing the negative impacts of desertification on the natural environment and on people’s livelihoods.

非常荣幸能够参加防治荒漠化国际研讨会，并代表联合国开发计划署发表讲话。感谢商务部和国家林业局邀请我参加本次研讨会的开幕式，感谢你们为克服荒漠化对自然环境和人民生活导致的不良影响所作出的贡献。

Across the world, desertification and the degradation of land affects around 8 percent of our planets land and resources, while land degradation and drought directly affect 1.5 billion people globally. Meanwhile, remote sensing images from between 1981 and 2003 reveals persistently declining productivity on over 20% of the land on which these people reside.

荒漠化和土壤退化危及全球8%的土地和资源，土地退化和干旱直接影响着15亿人的生活。同时，1981年到2003年的数据统计图显示，这些人群居住的土地生产力持续下降了20%以上。

In China alone, some 400 million people are struggling to cope with water shortages, unproductive land and the breakdown of ecological systems caused by rising temperatures, overgrazing and poor land management. That is equivalent to almost twelve times the global number of people suffering from AIDS, and is one of the principle reasons why desertification is referred to as the greatest challenge of our generation.

仅在中国，由于全球变暖、过度放牧和土地管理不善而遭受水资源短缺、土壤贫瘠和生态系统破坏问题的人口达4亿人之多，相当于全世界艾滋病患者人数的十二倍。因此，荒漠化是我们这代人面临的巨大挑战。

Africa is also no stranger to desertification, with poor agricultural communities in the Sub-Saharan region of the Sahel particularly vulnerable to changes in land productivity. In this regard, the international nature of today’s seminar and the opportunity to engage with experts from the African continent provides an excellent opportunity for the exchange of ideas, experiences and best practices that will be necessary as we move forward.

非洲也存在荒漠化的问题，撒哈拉沙漠以南非洲地区的土地生产率尤其低下。因此，今天的研讨会是具有国际性的研讨会，为我们同来自非洲的专家交换看法和交流经验创造了绝佳机会，这对进一步加强荒漠化的防治工作意义重大。

Ladies and gentlemen!

女士们，先生们。

I am sure by now you are all very well versed on the need to work together, to combine our efforts and consolidate our successes.

我相信大家深知通力合作、巩固成果的重要性。

Therefore, I would like to turn the focus of my remarks to three key issues that will be crucial in determining our ability to effectively combat desertification.

因此，我接下来的讲话将转向对有效防治荒漠化具有重要意义的三个方面。