11 (73) Ex. 4, p. 120 — Module 4

Unit 4.11, exercise 4, page 120 Disasters A Valley of the Geysers.0:01

Located on the Kamchat Peninsula in eastern Siberia, Russia's world famous Valley of the Geysers is one of only five places on Earth where hot springs punch holes through the earth's crust to eject boiling water and steam skywards.0:30

Until recently, the area consisted of some 90 Giza's and hundreds of thermal pools, steam jets and mud pots.0:49

Sadly, this natural wonder was all but obliterated by a massive landslide in 2007.0:59

An entire mountainside collapsed in a nearby valley, hurling mud, stones, gravel, snow and ice into the Giza Valley, uncovering two thirds of it in the blink of an eye.1:07

Following the natural disaster, officials met to consider removing the landslide debris in order to return the valley to its former glory.1:22

But it was agreed by all that it would be inherently wrong not to allow nature to take its course.1:31

The Kamchato area is a strictly controlled nature reserve established to observe natural processes, and the landslide was a natural process.1:38

The opportunity to witness the amazing natural transformation of a landscape and the birth of a completely new valley is, officials concluded, a unique opportunity that should be embraced.1:49

B. The Volga River.2:04

During the 20th century, large swaves of the Volga river were poisoned and its natural flow was destroyed.2:17

The impact on its wildlife was devastating.2:25

Breeding areas were affected and the poisonous water meant that the number of fish plummeted.2:29

Imposing dams, overfishing and the poaching of fish for caviar were some of the other problems affecting Russia's main river.2:36

Fortunately, the Russian government started taking steps towards restoring the river.2:45

Programs were established to make the water cleaner and safer and to minimize the industrial pollution affecting the river.2:52

Fish farms were also introduced in order to help repopulate the water.3:00

The world's largest freshwater fish, the Beluga sturgeon, which has inhabited the river for hundreds of years, is now benefiting from a rise in numbers.3:05

Today, work is continuing and the Volga river is well on its way to full recovery.3:16

The fish are plentiful and able to breed naturally in the cleaner water.3:23

Further action is being taken to limit the pollution deposited in the river by factories and fines are being imposed on illegal fishing.3:29

Due to efforts by the Russian government, the future looks brighter for the Volga river as it is restored to its former glory.3:38

C. Rice Terraces at the Philippine Cordilleras.3:48

The rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are man made terraces, 2,000 to 6,000 years old, carved into the Cordillera mountain range of Luzon island in the Philippines.4:04

A UNESCO World Heritage site.4:18

The terraces are so extraordinary that many people regard them as the eighth wonder of the world.4:21

Rising majestically from deep valleys to altitudes of 1,500 metres, these spectacular structures were painstakingly carved out of the harsh mountain terrain by ancient tribes of people using nothing more than primitive hand tools.4:28

They are an absolutely astounding testament to man's engineering genius and span some 10,500 square kilometers.4:47

If placed end to end, archaeologists estimate they would encircle half the globe.4:57

Tragically, a series of factors, including environmental degradation, erosion and neglect by the indigenous culture, are threatening the survival of the terraces.5:04

Many of the once green and fertile terraces now sit as eroded grasslands due to lack of care, as rice farming has fallen out of favour with the younger generation.5:17

The situation is so serious that UNESCO has placed the terraces on its endangered sites list.5:29

Fortunately, the gravity of the situation is realised.5:38

In 1993, the Ifugao rice Terraces Commission was created to save the terraces from total devastation.5:42

Currently, terrace rehabilitation and preservation programs, as well as programs to increase appreciation among the young of their priceless cultural heritage are in place.5:51

There are grave problems to overcome, but with effort, the terraces will endure for generations to come.6:04