土壤沙化 desertification
A top U.N. advisor said on Friday that every minute, 23 hectares of land are degraded by drought and desertification.
一名联合国高级顾问本周五说，因为干旱和土壤沙化，现在的每一分钟，都有23公顷的土地退化。
"Now, globally speaking, we're losing 12 million hectares of productive land. We're losing them every single year due to drought and desertification. 12 million hectares, it is even more than the size of my country, Benin," he said.
"现在，在全球范围内，我们每年要失去1200万公顷的可耕作土地。就是因为干旱和土壤沙化。1200万公顷，这甚至比我的祖国贝宁的国土还要多。"他诉说道。
