2030年中國將面臨用水危機大綱
After each Presidential election, The National Intelligence Council (NIC), the Washington, D.C., agency that provides long-term strategic analysis to America's intelligence community, releases a report on security risks. Its newest report, issued on December 10th and called Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds, covers many topics from cross-border conflict to terrorism to regional economic collapse.
每次總統大選結束後，位於華盛頓特區的美國國家情報委員會（The National Intelligence Council，NIC）都會發布一份關於安全風險的報告，爲美國情報界提供長期戰略分析。該委員會於12月10日發佈了最新報告《2030年全球趨勢：不一樣的世界》（Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds），其中涉及跨邊境衝突、恐怖主義和區域經濟崩潰等諸多話題。
One theme in particular that stands out this year is the coming food and water crisis in China. According to the report, climate change coupled with China's move toward urbanization and middle class lifestyles will create huge water demand and therefore crop shortages by 2030. As the report states: "Water may become a more significant source of contention than energy or minerals out to 2030."
其中有一個主題尤爲引人注意，即中國可能面臨的糧食與水資源危機。報告稱，氣候變化，加上中國的城市化進程和中產階級生活方式的興起，至2030年，中國將產生巨大的用水需求以及伴隨而來的糧食短缺。報告中寫道：“到2030年，水將成爲比能源或礦產更爲搶手的資源。”
Globally, demand for food is estimated to increase by more than 35% by 2030 and that means the world will need more water. After all, agriculture and livestock account for 70% of our water use. According to a major international study, global water requirements—mostly to sustain agriculture and livestock—will rise to 40% above our current sustainable water supplies.
截至2030年，全球食物需求預計將增加超過35%，而這意味着世界需要更多的水。畢竟，農業與畜牧業佔到全球總用水量的70%。根據一項重要的國際研究顯示，全球水需求量將比當前的可持續供水量高出40%以上。
China is particularly vulnerable to this trend. The report points out, for example, that cereal production in China faces significant challenges from environmental stresses relating to water scarcity—the melting Himalayan glaciers aren't helping—soil depletion, and pressures on land availability from urbanization. China is a major wheat producer and the second-largest producer and consumer of corn after the US.
中國將是最容易受到這種趨勢影響的國家。比如，報告指出，水荒（正在融化的喜馬拉雅冰川無濟於事）、土壤貧化等環境壓力，以及城市化帶來的農業可用地壓力，將使中國穀物產量面臨巨大挑戰。中國是世界主要小麥生產國，也是第二大玉米生產國與消費國，僅次於美國。
By 2030, though, China may no longer be self-sufficient in these crops and might be forced to increase its imports potentially triggering, the NIC concludes, "a significant price run-up on international markets."
但到2030年，中國甚至可能無法實現小麥和玉米的自給自足，將不得不增加進口，而NIC得出的結論是，這可能引發“國際市場糧食價格大幅上漲。”
None of this needs to happen if China—as well as other developing nations—pursue new methods to increase crop yields and preserve water. The NIC suggests three new technologies that need to be developed: GMO crops, precision agriculture, and high-tech irrigation.
如果中國和其他發展中國家能夠找到提高作物產量和維護水資源的新方法，以上預測的狀況便不會發生。NIC推薦了三項需要開發的新技術：轉基因作物、精細農業和高科技灌溉。
The NIC believes that breakthroughs in plant genetics—enabled by molecular biology—hold great promise for achieving food security in the next 15-20 years. Insect and drought resistant crops that require small amounts of fertilizer can be designed through molecular plant breeding. Nations like China will have to overcome consumer and international regulatory resistance.
NIC認爲，在分子生物學的推動下，植物遺傳學取得重大突破，前景廣闊，將實現未來15 - 20年內的糧食安全。通過分子植物育種，可以設計出需要少量化肥的抗蟲抗旱作物。中國等國家可能需要克服來自消費者和國際監管機構的阻力。
Robotics might be able to help farmers reduce the amount of water, fertilizer and seed they need. The NIC says that with in the next five to 10 years, "autonomous tractors"—think of them as highly automated manufacturing facilities on wheels—can use computer technology to farm more efficiently. The NIC also reports that "vertical" farming in high-rise structures could help raise yields and reduce water consumption.
機器自動化技術將幫助農民減少所需要的水、化肥和種子數量。NIC稱，未來五至十年，“自動拖拉機”將使用計算機技術進行更高效的耕種。所謂“自動拖拉機”可以看成是高度自動化的移動生產設施。NIC報告還稱，高層結構的“垂直”農業，也有助於提高產量和降低用水量。
Irrigation systems on farms waste roughly 60% of the water used. Micro-irrigation systems that use IT to gauge exactly how much water needs to be dripped on plants could boost yields dramatically. The cost of today's micro-irrigation systems, however, is still high.
農業灌溉系統所用的水約有60%被浪費。微灌系統利用IT技術測量植物所需水量，可以大幅提高產量。但目前的微灌系統成本仍然過高。
As with any set of predictions it difficult to say how fast or even whether any of these new technologies will gain traction. At the very least, they do present some intriguing ideas for investors looking for a way to profit on the 21st century economy.
與任何預測一樣，我們很難說這些技術多久就可以產生影響力，或者是否能夠產生影響力。但至少對於希望在21世紀經濟中尋找獲利途徑的投資者來說，這些技術確實是很有吸引力的想法。
