Let us hope !

During the twelve preceding emissions, we saw countries superb by their nature and their history. We saw marvelous lakes threatened of disappearance or pollution. People who welcomed us and who presented such wonders to us are themselves threatened by the lack of water and serious environmental catastrophes. Because these countries are at the doors of Europe, because one day they will form part of the European Union but especially because their inhabitants are Men, the World Community has the duty to help them to preserve their environment, their historic legacy and the democracy.

Without wanting to regard Central Asia as a laboratory, mankind however is well obliged to help these countries to solve their environmental problems by applying there techniques for which the long-term effects can be evaluated only by simulation and with a limited precision.

It is often interesting to benefit from the experience of the others. During these last decades, two countries succeeded rather well their fight against the desert: Israel and Libya. The first by saving water thanks to modern irrigation techniques, the second by taking this water at a distance of 1.500 km by means of a partially covered channel. Both techniques are applicable in Central Asia. The judicious use of water does not have normally annoying consequences on the environment. In the same way, it is not very probable that a reduction in the flow of Ob modifies the ecosystem of the Arctic Ocean. But in both cases however, while making the desert move back, we will modify the color of the ground and thus its albedo. Can one do that with impunity? Which would be the climatic behavior of a Earth whose continents would be green to ninety percents?

In studio

Ambassadors ofIsraël and Libya.

Professors of meteorology at UCL Belgium.

Responsables of program TACIS of EEC DG1a.