Ukuntywila ngaphantsi komphezulu: Intshayelelo ye-Deep Seabed Mining

Ukumbiwa kolwandle olunzulu (DSM) lishishini elinokubakho lezorhwebo elizama ukugrumba iidipozithi zezimbiwa phantsi kolwandle, ngethemba lokukhupha izimbiwa ezinexabiso kurhwebo ezifana nemanganese, ubhedu, icobalt, i-zinc, kunye nezimbiwa zomhlaba ezinqabileyo. Nangona kunjalo, lo mgodi ujonge ukutshabalalisa inkqubo yendalo echumayo nedibeneyo ebamba uluhlu olumangalisayo lweentlobo ngeentlobo zezinto eziphilayo: enzulwini yolwandle.

Iidipozithi zeminerali zomdla zifumaneka kwiindawo zokuhlala ezintathu ezikumgangatho wolwandle: amathafa abyssal, seamounts, kunye ne-hydrothermal vents. Amathafa e-Abyssal yimithamo emikhulu yomgangatho onzulu wolwandle ogqunywe yintlenga kunye neediphozithi zezimbiwa, ezikwabizwa ngokuba ngamaqhuqhuva epolymetallic. Ezi zezona njongo ziphambili zangoku ze-DSM, kugxilwe kuMmandla weClarion Clipperton (CCZ): ummandla wamathafa abiyelweyo abanzi njengelizwekazi lase-United States, abekwe kumanzi ezizwe ngezizwe kwaye asuka kunxweme olusentshona yeMexico ukuya kumbindi welizwe. kuLwandlekazi lwePasifiki, kumazantsi eZiqithi zaseHawaii.

Ingozi kuLwandle lwaseLwandle kunye noLwandle oluPhezulu kwalo

I-DSM yoRhwebo ayikaqalisi, kodwa iinkampani ezahlukeneyo zizama ukwenza ukuba ibe yinyani. Iindlela ezicetywayo ngoku zokumbiwa kwamaqhuqhuva ziquka ukusasazwa kwe isithuthi semigodi, ngokuqhelekileyo umatshini omkhulu kakhulu ofana netrektara enemigangatho emithathu ubude, ukuya kumgangatho wolwandle. Xa sele iphantsi kolwandle, isithuthi siya kutyhutyha ii-intshi ezine eziphezulu kumhlaba wolwandle, sithumele intlenga, amatye, izilwanyana ezityumkileyo, namaqhuqhuva ukuya kwinqanawa elindele phezu komhlaba. Enqanaweni, iiminerali ziyahlelwa kwaye udaka lwamanzi amdaka aseleyo (umxube wentlenga, amanzi, kunye neearhente zokulungisa) zibuyiselwa elwandle ngendlela yokukhupha. 

I-DSM ilindeleke ukuba ichaphazele onke amanqanaba olwandle, ukusuka emigodini ebonakalayo kunye nokugruzuka komgangatho wolwandle, ukuya ekulahleni inkunkuma kuluhlu oluphakathi kwamanzi, ukuya ekuchithekeni kodaka olunokuba yityhefu kumphezulu wolwandle. Imingcipheko kwi-ecosystem enzulu yolwandle, ubomi baselwandle, ilifa lenkcubeko yangaphantsi kwamanzi, kunye nekholamu yonke yamanzi avela kwi-DSM yahlukile kwaye inzima.

Uphononongo lubonisa ukuba imigodi enzulu yolwandle iya kubangela ilahleko engenakuthintelwa yeentlobo ngeentlobo zezinto eziphilayo, kwaye bafumene i-net zero impact ayifumaneki. Ukulinganisa kweempembelelo ezibonakalayo ezilindelekileyo ezivela emigodini yolwandle lwenziwa kunxweme lwasePeru ngeminyaka yoo-1980. Xa isiza siphinde sajongwa kwakhona ngo-2015, indawo yabonisa ubungqina obuncinane bokuchacha. 

Kukwakho neLifa leMveli leNkcubeko engaphantsi kwamanzi (UCH) esemngciphekweni. Izifundo zamva nje zibonisa iintlobo ngeentlobo zelifa lenkcubeko phantsi kwamanzi kuLwandlekazi lwePasifiki nakwimimandla yemigodi ecetywayo, kubandakanywa izinto zakudala kunye nendalo engqongileyo enxulumene nelifa lemveli lenkcubeko yeMveli, urhwebo lwaseManila Galleon, kunye neMfazwe Yehlabathi II.

Ikholomu ye-mesopelagic, okanye ephakathi kwamanzi, nayo iya kuziva iimpembelelo ze-DSM. Iintsinga zentlenga (ezaziwa ngokuba zizivunguvungu zothuli oluphantsi kwamanzi), kunye nengxolo kunye nongcoliseko lokukhanya, ziya kuchaphazela uninzi loluhlu lwamanzi. Iintsinga zentlenga, zombini ezisuka kwisithuthi sokumba kunye namanzi amdaka asemva kokutsalwa, zinokusasazeka Iikhilomitha ezingama-1,400 kwiindlela ezininzi. Amanzi amdaka anezinyithi kunye neetyhefu anokuthi achaphazele indalo ephakathi kwamanzi ngokunjalo nezokuloba.. 

I-“Twilight Zone”, elinye igama le-mesopelagic zone yolwandle, iwela phakathi kwe-200 kunye ne-1,000 yeemitha ngaphantsi komphakamo wolwandle. Lo mmandla uqulathe ngaphezu kwe-90% ye-biosphere, exhasa ushishino nokhuseleko lokutya olufanelekileyo kubandakanywa. ityhuna kwindawo yeCCZ esikelwe ukugrunjwa. Abaphandi bafumanise ukuba intlenga ekhukulisekayo iya kuchaphazela iintlobo ngeentlobo zeendawo zokuhlala eziphantsi kwamanzi kunye nobomi baselwandle, okubangela uxinzelelo lwempilo kwiikorali zolwandle ezinzulu. Izifundo nazo ziphakamisa iiflegi ezibomvu malunga nongcoliseko lwengxolo olwenziwa ngoomatshini basemigodini, kwaye ibonisa ukuba iintlobo ngeentlobo zeecetaceans, kubandakanywa neentlobo ezisengozini yokuphela njengeminenga eblue, zisemngciphekweni omkhulu weempembelelo ezimbi. 

Ngokwindla ngo-2022, iNkampani yeeMetals Inc. (TMC) yakhululwa udaka lwentlenga ngqo elwandle ngexesha lovavanyo lomqokeleli. Kuncinci kakhulu okwaziwayo malunga neempembelelo zodaka lwakuba lubuyiselwe elwandle, kubandakanywa ukuba zeziphi izinyithi kunye neearhente zokulungisa ezinokuxutywa eludaka, ukuba lunokuba netyhefu, kwaye zeziphi iziphumo olunokuthi lube nazo kwizilwanyana zaselwandle ezahlukeneyo kunye nezinto eziphilayo eziphila. ngaphakathi kweengqimba zolwandle. Ezi mpembelelo zingaziwayo zokuchitheka kodaka ziqaqambisa indawo enye ye izithuba ezibalulekileyo zolwazi ekhoyo, echaphazela ukubanako kwabaqulunqi bomgaqo-nkqubo ukuyila iziseko ezisekelwe kwimo engqongileyo kunye nemida ye-DSM.

Ulawulo kunye noLawulo

Ulwandle kunye namazantsi olwandle alawulwa ikakhulu yi INgqungquthela yeZizwe eziManyeneyo kuMthetho woLwandle (i-UNCLOS), isivumelwano samazwe ngamazwe esimisela ubudlelwane phakathi kweZizwe kunye nolwandle. Phantsi kwe-UNCLOS, ilizwe ngalinye liqinisekisa ulawulo, oko kukuthi ulawulo lwesizwe, phezu kokusetyenziswa kunye nokukhusela - kunye nemithombo equlethwe ngaphakathi - iimayile zokuqala ezingama-200 zolwandle ukuya elwandle ukusuka elunxwemeni. Ukongeza kwi-UNCLOS, uluntu lwamazwe ngamazwe lwavuma ngoMatshi ka-2023 kwimvumelwano eyimbali yolawulo lwale mimandla engaphandle kolawulo lwesizwe (ebizwa ngokuba siSivumelwano soLwandle oluPhezulu okanye isivumelwano seBiodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction “BBNJ”).

Imimandla engaphandle kweemayile zokuqala ezingama-200 ze-nautical ziyaziwa ngokuba ziiNdawo eziNgaphaya koLawulo lweSizwe kwaye zihlala zibizwa ngokuba “zilwandle eziphakamileyo”. Umhlaba ongaphantsi kolwandle kunye nomhlaba ongaphantsi kolwandle, okwakwaziwa ngokuba “yiNdawo,” ilawulwa ngokukodwa liGunyabantu leZizwe ngezizwe ngeSeabed Authority (ISA), umbutho ozimeleyo owasekwa phantsi kwe-UNCLOS. 

Ukusukela ekusekweni kwe-ISA ngo-1994, umbutho kunye naMazwe angaMalungu (amazwe angamalungu) anikwe uxanduva lokuyila imithetho nemimiselo ejikeleze ukhuselo, ukuhlola, kunye nokusetyenziswa kolwandle. Ngelixa imimiselo yophononongo kunye nophando ikhona, uphuhliso lwemigaqo yokwembiwa kwemigodi kunye noxhaphazo ixesha elide luhlala lungangxamanga. 

NgoJuni 2021, indawo yesiqithi sasePacific iNauru yabangela ilungiselelo le-UNCLOS apho uNauru akholelwa ukuba imimiselo yemigodi igqitywe ngoJulayi 2023, okanye ukuvunywa kwezivumelwano zemigodi zorhwebo nangaphandle kwemimiselo. Abaninzi Amazwe angamaLungu e-ISA kunye nabakhi-mkhanyo bathethe phandle ukuba esi sibonelelo (maxa wambi sibizwa ngokuba “ngumgaqo weminyaka emibini”) ayinyanzelisi i-ISA ukuba igunyazise ukumbiwa kwemigodi. 

Amazwe amaninzi awazicingeli ukuba abophelelekile ekuhloleni imigodi ye-greenlight, ngokutsho pungeniso olukhoyo ngokuphandle lwengxoxo kaMatshi ka-2023 apho amazwe ebexoxa ngamalungelo noxanduva lwawo olunxulumene nokuvunywa kwesivumelwano semigodi. Nangona kunjalo, i-TMC iyaqhubeka ukuxelela abatyali-mali abaxhalabileyo (kude kube nge-23 kaMatshi 2023) ukuba i-ISA kufuneka ivume isicelo sabo semigodi, kwaye i-ISA isendleleni yokwenza oko ngo-2024.

Ukungafihli, ubulungisa, kunye namaLungelo oLuntu

Abasebenzi-mgodini abalindelekileyo baxelela uluntu ukuba ukuze kususwe ikhabhoni, kufuneka siwuphange umhlaba okanye ulwandle, rhoqo ukuthelekisa imiphumo emibi yeDSM kwimigodi yasemhlabeni. Akukho nto ibonisa ukuba i-DSM iya kuthatha indawo yemigodi yomhlaba. Enyanisweni, kukho ubungqina obuninzi bokuba ibingayi. Ke ngoko, i-DSM ayinakuwathoba amalungelo oluntu kunye neenkxalabo ze-ecosystem emhlabeni. 

Akukho midla yemigodi yasemhlabeni evumileyo okanye ethembise ukuvala okanye ukucutha umva umsebenzi wabo ukuba omnye umntu wenza imali ngemigodi yezimbiwa ezantsi kolwandle. Uphononongo olugunyaziswe yi-ISA ngokwayo lufumanise ukuba I-DSM ayinakubangela ukuveliswa okugqithisileyo kwezimbiwa kwihlabathi jikelele. Abaphengululi baye bayiphikisa loo nto I-DSM inokugqibela ngokuyenza mandundu imigodi yomhlaba kunye neengxaki zayo ezininzi. Inkxalabo, ngokuyinxenye, kukuba “ukwehla kancinane kwamaxabiso” kunokuthoba ukhuseleko nemigangatho yolawulo lokusingqongileyo kwimigodi esekwe emhlabeni. Ngaphandle kwe-facade yoluntu egcweleyo, nokuba i-TMC iyavuma (kwi-SEC, kodwa hayi kwiwebhusayithi yabo) ukuba “[i]nakho kwakhona ukungakwazi ukuchaza ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba ingaba impembelelo yokuqokelelwa kwamaqhuqhuva kwizityalo nezilwanyana zehlabathi iya kubaluleka kangako kunezo ziqikelelwa kwimigodi esekwe emhlabeni.”

Ngokutsho kwe-UNCLOS, ulwandle kunye nemithombo yalo yezimbiwa ilifa eliqhelekileyo loluntu, kwaye ungowoluntu lwehlabathi. Ngenxa yoko, uluntu lwamazwe ngamazwe kunye nabo bonke abaqhagamshelwe kulwandlekazi lwehlabathi bangabachaphazelekayo kumazantsi olwandle kunye nommiselo owulawulayo. Ukutshatyalaliswa okunokwenzeka kolwandle kunye nezityalo nezilwanyana ezohlukeneyo zolwandle kunye nendawo ye-mesopelagic yeyona nto iphambili yamalungelo oluntu kunye nenkxalabo yokhuseleko lokutya. Kunjalo ke ukungabikho kokubandakanywa kwinkqubo ye-ISA yabo bonke abachaphazelekayo, ngokubhekiselele kumazwi eMveli kunye nabo banxibelelana nenkcubeko emanzini, ulutsha, kunye neqela elahlukileyo lemibutho yokusingqongileyo kuquka nabakhuseli bamalungelo oluntu lokusingqongileyo. 

I-DSM iphakamisa imingcipheko eyongezelelweyo kwi-UCH ebonakalayo nengabonakaliyo, kwaye inokubangela ukutshatyalaliswa kweendawo zembali kunye nezenkcubeko ezibalulekileyo kubantu kunye namaqela enkcubeko kwihlabathi jikelele. Iindlela zokuhamba, iinqanawa ezilahlekileyo ezivela kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi II kunye iSiqendu esiPhakathi, yaye iintsalela zabantu zithe saa elwandle. Ezi zixhobo ziyinxalenye yembali yethu yoluntu kunye basemngciphekweni wokulahleka ngaphambi kokuba bafunyenwe kwi-DSM engalawulwayo. 

Ulutsha kunye nabemi bomthonyama kwihlabathi liphela bathetha ukukhusela ubunzulu bolwandle kuxhatshazo. I-Sustainable Ocean Alliance ibambene ngempumelelo neenkokeli zolutsha, kunye nabantu bomthonyama beSiqithi sasePasifiki kunye noluntu lwasekuhlaleni bephakamisa amazwi abo ekuxhaseni ukukhusela ubunzulu bolwandle. KwiSeshoni yama-28 ye-International Seabed Authority ngoMatshi wama-2023, Iinkokeli zeMveli zasePacific icele ukubandakanywa kwabantu bomthonyama kwiingxoxo.

Ubiza iMoratorium

INkomfa yoLwandle lweZizwe eziManyeneyo ngo-2022 yabona ukutyhala okukhulu kwe-DSM, kunye neenkokheli zamazwe ngamazwe ezifana no-Emmanuel Macron. ukuxhasa umnxeba. Amashishini aquka uGoogle, BMW Group, Samsung SDI, kunye ne Patagonia, basayine ingxelo yeWorld Wildlife Fund ukuxhasa ukumiswa. Ezi nkampani ziyavuma ukuba azinakukhupha izimbiwa kulwandle olunzulu, ukuba zingayixhasi iDSM ngezimali, kwaye zingaquki ezi zimbiwa kumakhonkco azo okubonelela. Oku kwamkelwa okunamandla kokupheliswa kweshishini kunye necandelo lophuhliso kubonisa ukuthambekela kude nosetyenziso lwezixhobo ezifunyenwe kumazantsi olwandle kwiibhetri kunye ne-elektroniki. I-TMC iye yavuma ukuba iDSM isenokungabi nangeniso, ngenxa yokuba abanako ukuqinisekisa umgangatho weentsimbi kwaye - ngexesha lokukhutshwa - abanakudingeka.

I-DSM ayiyomfuneko ukuguquka kude kumafutha e-fossil. Ayilotyalo-mali olukrelekrele noluzinzileyo. Kwaye, akuyi kubangela ulwabiwo olulinganayo lwezibonelelo. Uphawu olushiywe elwandle yiDSM aluyi kuba lufutshane. 

I-Ocean Foundation isebenzisana noluhlu olwahlukeneyo lwamaqabane, ukusuka kumagumbi ebhodi ukuya kwimililo yomlilo, ukuchasa amabali obuxoki malunga ne-DSM. I-TOF ikwaxhasa ukwanda kokubandakanyeka kwabachaphazelekayo kuwo onke amanqanaba encoko, kunye nokumiswa kwe-DSM. I-ISA idibana ngoku ngoMatshi (landela umfundi wethu oqeqeshwayo UMaddie Warner kwi-Instagram yethu njengoko egubungela iintlanganiso!) kwaye kwakhona ngoJulayi - kwaye mhlawumbi ngo-Oktobha 2023. Kwaye i-TOF iya kuba lapho kunye nabanye abachaphazelekayo abasebenza ukukhusela ilifa lemveli loluntu.

Ngaba ufuna ukufunda ngakumbi malunga nemigodi enzulu yolwandle (DSM)?

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