LearnEnglishProfessionals

WATERPROJECTSAUDIOSCRIPT

Listentothisextractfromaradiointerviewwithanenvironmentalscientist,adviseronwaterprojects.
Optionalexercise ReadthesestatementsanddecidewhethertheyareTrueorFalse.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Therearetwoapproachestowatermanagementbasedonsupplyanddemand.
Thesolutionsforeachtypeareverydifferent.
Scientistsarelookingfornewwaystoexploitgroundwater.
Atdesalinationplantswateriscleanedupfordomesticuse.
Icebergsarebeingtowedtoislandswheretheyaremelted.
(Answersbelow)

RH:radiohost AC:guest,AlanClark
RH:SoMrClark,weveheardlotsofworryingdetailsaboutwatershortagearoundtheworldandyouveexplainedalittlebit
aboutsomeparticularcasestudies.Maybewecouldendonamoreoptimisticnoteandyoucouldtellusabitaboutwhat
canbedonetoeasethisproblem?Whatisbeingdone?
AC:Yes,ofcourse.Ishouldstartoffbyexplainingthattherearetwobasicapproachestowatermanagement.Thefirstis
basedonmanagingthesuppliesthatalreadyexistwecallthissupplymanagementandthesecondisrelatedtodemand
management.Sometimessolutionsoverlapbutthisdistinctionisausefulstartingpoint.
RH:So,couldyougiveussomeexamplesofeachone?
AC:Yes.Letsstartoffwithsupply management.Sometimestheproblemisntthatthereisnowater itsactuallythatthe
existingwaterismismanaged,wastedorjustlost.Soprojectsaresetuptocapturesurfacewaterandtostoreitforlater
use.Groundwateralsofallsintothiscategory.Wearecontinuallylookingfornewwaystoexploitandextractgroundwater.
RH:Andwhataboutthepossibilityofusingseawater?
AC:Agoodpoint.Therearedesalinationplantsaroundtheworldwheretheytransformseawaterandmakeitsuitablefor
agriculture.Also,therearelotsofnewwatersharingagreementsbeingdrawnupbetweenneighbouringcountries.Because
inlotsofcasesthewateristherebutthepeoplejustdonthaveaccesstoit.
AC:Andfinallytherespollutionofcourse.Alotofcasesthatwedealwitharecasesofpollutedwaterthatcanbeusedifitis
cleanedupeffectively.
RH:Andcouldyoutellusalittlebitaboutdemandmanagement?
AC:Yes.Thatsamuchmorecomplicatedissuebecausewehavetodealwithallsortsoffactorsthatinfluencethe
measuresweeventuallytake.
RH:Whatkindoffactorsarewetalkingabouthere?
AC:Welleachcountryhasitsownuniqueoptionsdependingonitslevelsofdevelopment,itshydrologicalsituationof
course,politicalandsocialinfluences,financialresourcesandmanyotherfactors.
RH:Yes,Iunderstandbutwhenyouvemanagedtocutthroughtheredtapeandyouvegotthenecessaryfunds,what
sortsofthingscanyoudoinaplacewhichdoesntactuallyhaveanywater?
AC:Wellthereareconventionalsolutionssuchasirrigationprojects,waterrecyclingplantsand insomecases mobile
watertanks.Thenthereareotherquiteingeniousbutunconventionalideassuchastowingicebergsandmeltingthemnear
waterconsumers!
RH:Really?
AC:Yes.Itsoundscrazybutitsalreadystartingtohappen.Insomecaseswaterisbeingregularlytowedbyseatankers,for
exampletoislandswithoutwaterresources.
RH:Soitseemsasthoughattheendofthedaythesolutionsareoutthere.Itsjustacaseoffindingthemoneytoput
themintopractice?
AC:Exactly!
Answers1T,2F,3T,4F,5F
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TheBritishCouncil,2007
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