I-Ecosystems yoNxweme nguMda wethu wokuqala woKhuselo ngokuchasene neNkanyamba

Izaqhwithi zakutsha nje uHarvey, u-Irma, uJose, noMaria, eziziphumo zabo kunye nokutshatyalaliswa kwabo kusavakala kulo lonke elaseCaribbean naseUnited States, zisikhumbuza ukuba amanxweme ethu kunye nabo bahlala kufutshane nabo basengozini. Njengoko izaqhwithi ziqina kunye nemozulu eguqukayo, zeziphi iindlela esinokuzikhetha ukuze siqhubeke sikhusela amanxweme ethu kwizaqhwithi kunye nezikhukhula? Imilinganiselo yokhuselo eyenziwe ngumntu, efana neendonga zolwandle, ihlala ineendleko ezimangalisayo. Kufuneka zihlaziywe rhoqo njengoko ulwandle lunyuka, luyingozi kukhenketho, kwaye ukongeza ikhonkrithi kunokonakalisa imo engqongileyo yendalo yonxweme. Nangona kunjalo, indalo kamama yakhelwe kwisicwangciso sakhe sokunciphisa umngcipheko, esibandakanya i-ecosystem yendalo. Indalo engaselunxwemeni, njengemigxobhozo, iindunduma, amahlathi eembatyisi, ii<em>oyster bed, iingqaqa zekorale, iibhedi zengca yolwandle, namahlathi e<em>mangrove zinokunceda ukugcina amaza namaza omoya angakhukuliseki aze akhukulise unxweme lwethu. Ngoku, malunga nesibini kwisithathu sonxweme lwase-United States lukhuselwe ubuncinane yinkqubo enye yonxweme. 

Masithathe imigxobhozo njengomzekelo. Abagcini nje ukugcina i-carbon ngaphakathi komhlaba kunye nezityalo (ngokuchasene nokuyikhulula emoyeni njenge-CO₂) yaye zinceda ekulawuleni imozulu yethu yehlabathi, kodwa zikwasebenza njengeziponji ezinokubamba amanzi angaphezulu, imvula, ukunyibilika kwekhephu, amanzi aphantsi komhlaba, namanzi ezikhukula, ziwagcine ekutyibilikeni elunxwemeni, zize ziwakhulule ngokuthe chu. Oku kunokunceda ukuthoba amaqondo ezikhukula kunye nokunciphisa ukhukuliseko. Ukuba besinokugcina kwaye sibuyisele ezi meko zaselunxwemeni, sinokufumana ukhuseleko oludla ngokuvela kwizinto ezifana ne-levees.

Uphuhliso olukhawulezayo lwamaxabiso luyonakalisa kwaye luyayiphelisa le nkqubo yendalo yonxweme. Kuphononongo olutsha olwenziwe nguNarayan et. al (2017), ababhali banikeze iziphumo ezinomdla malunga nexabiso lemigxobhozo. Ngokomzekelo, ngexesha leNkanyamba uSandy ngo-2012, imigxobhozo ithintele ngaphezu kwe-625 yezigidi zeerandi kumonakalo wepropati. USandy ubangele ubuncinci ukufa okuthe ngqo kwe-72 e-US kunye malunga ne-50 yeebhiliyoni zeedola kumonakalo wezikhukula. Ukubhubha kwabantu ngenxa yezandyondyo zezandyondyo zemvula. Imigxobhozo isebenze njengesikhuseli ngaselunxwemeni ngokuchasene nezaqhwithi. Kuzo zonke iindawo ezili-12 eziselunxwemeni lwase-East Coast, imigxobhozo ikwazile ukunciphisa umonakalo ovela kwiNkanyamba iSandy ngomyinge wama-22% kuzo zonke iikhowudi ze-zip ezibandakanyiweyo kuphononongo. Ngaphezulu kweekhilomitha ezili-1,400 zeendlela kunye noohola beendlela zazikhuselwe yimigxobhozo evela kwiNkanyamba uSandy. ENew Jersey ngokuthe ngqo, umhlaba omanzi ugubungela malunga ne-10% yendawo yezikhukhula kwaye kuqikelelwa ukuba inciphise umonakalo ovela kwiNkanyamba iSandy malunga ne-27% iyonke, eguqulela phantse i-430 yezigidi zeedola.

Olunye uphononongo olwenziwe nguGuannel et. al (2016) bafumanise ukuba xa kukho iinkqubo ezininzi (umz. iingqaqa zekorale, amadlelo engca yolwandle, kunye neemangrove) ezinegalelo ekukhuselweni kweendawo eziselunxwemeni, ezi ndawo zokuhlala zidibene zimodareyitha kakhulu nawaphi na angenayo amandla amaza, amanqanaba ezikhukula, kunye nokulahleka kwentlenga. Zizonke, ezi nkqubo zikhusela ngcono unxweme kunenkqubo enye okanye indawo yokuhlala yodwa. Olu phononongo lukwafumanise ukuba imimango iyodwa inokubonelela ngezona zibonelelo zokhuseleko. Iikorali kunye neengca zolwandle zidla ngokunceda ukunciphisa umngcipheko wokhukuliseko elunxwemeni kwaye zikhuthaze uzinzo lonxweme, ukunciphisa imisinga engaselunxwemeni, kwaye zandise ukomelela kwamanxweme ngokuchasene nazo naziphi na iingozi. Iimangrove zezona zisebenza kakuhle ekukhuseleni amanxweme phantsi kweemeko zoqhwithela nezingezizo izaqhwithi. 

Ezi zityalo zaselunxwemeni azibalulekanga nje ngexesha lezehlo zemozulu ezinkulu njengezaqhwithi. Banciphisa ilahleko yezikhukhula minyaka le kwiindawo ezininzi, nokuba kukho izaqhwithi ezincinci. Umzekelo, iingqaqa zekorale zinokunciphisa amandla amaza abetha unxweme ngama-85%. Unxweme oluseMpuma lwase-US kunye neGulf Coast luhle kakhulu, iindawo ezingaselunxwemeni zinodaka okanye zinesanti, nto leyo eyenza kube lula ukukhukuliseka, kwaye ezi ndawo zisesichengeni sokukhukula kunye nokubhudla kwesiphango. Kwanaxa le nkqubo yezinto eziphilayo sele yonakalisiwe, njengoko kunjalo ngezinye ii<em>coral reef, okanye amahlathi e<em>mangrove , ezi nkqubo zezinto eziphilayo zisasikhusela kumaza namaza. Nangona kunjalo, siyaqhubeka nokuphelisa ezi ndawo zokuhlala ukuze senze indawo yemidlalo yegalufa, iihotele, izindlu, njl. Kwiminyaka engama-60 edlulileyo, uphuhliso lwedolophu luphelise isiqingatha sembali yamahlathi e-mangrove eFlorida. Siphelisa ukhuseleko lwethu. Ngoku, i-FEMA ichitha isiqingatha sebhiliyoni yeedola ngonyaka ekunciphiseni umngcipheko wezikhukula, ukuphendula kuluntu lwasekuhlaleni. 

Ngokuqinisekileyo zikho iindlela zokwakha kwakhona imimandla edlakazwe ziinkanyamba ngendlela eya kuyenza ilungele ngakumbi izaqhwithi ezizayo, kwaye iya kulondoloza ezi zinto zibalulekileyo zendalo. Iindawo zokuhlala ezingaselunxwemeni zinokuba ngumgca wokuqala wokuzikhusela kwizaqhwithi, kwaye zisenokungabi yinto esombulula zonke iingxaki zethu zokhukula okanye izaqhwithi, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo zifanelekile ukuzisebenzisa. Ukukhusela nokugcina le mixokomelwano yokuphilisana kwezilwanyana nezityalo ezohlukeneyo kuya kukhusela uluntu lwethu oluselunxwemeni lo gama kuphuculwa impilo ye-ikholoji kwimimandla yonxweme.