I-Coastal Ecosystems Iwumugqa Wethu Wokuqala Wokuvikela Ukumelana Neziphepho

Iziphepho zakamuva u-Harvey, u-Irma, uJose, no-Maria, okusazwakala imiphumela nokucekelwa phansi kwazo kulo lonke elase-Caribbean nase-United States, zisikhumbuza ukuthi ugu lwethu nalabo abahlala eduze kwabo basengozini. Njengoba izivunguvungu zishuba ngesimo sezulu esishintshayo, yiziphi izinketho zethu ukuze siqhubeke sivikele ugu lwethu ekuhlaseleni kweziphepho nezikhukhula? Izinyathelo zokuzivikela zesakhiwo ezenziwe umuntu, njengezindonga zasolwandle, ngokuvamile zibiza kakhulu. Kudingeka zivuselelwe ngokuqhubekayo njengoba izinga lolwandle likhuphuka, lilimaza ezokuvakasha, futhi ukwengeza ukhonkolo kungalimaza indawo engokwemvelo yasogwini. Nokho, imvelo kamama yakhelwe ohlelweni lwakhe lokunciphisa ubungozi, olubandakanya imvelo yemvelo. Imvelo yasogwini, njengamaxhaphozi, izindunduma, amahlathi ama-oyster, ama-coral reef, utshani basolwandle, namahlathi omhlume angasiza ekuvimbeleni amagagasi neziphepho ekugugulekeni nasekukhukhuleni ugu lwethu. Njengamanje, cishe izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zogu lwase-United States zivikelwe okungenani eyodwa yalezi zinhlelo zemvelo zasogwini. 

Ake sithathe amaxhaphozi njengesibonelo. Abagcini nje ngokugcina i-carbon ngaphakathi kwenhlabathi nezitshalo (ngokuphambene nokuyikhulula emkhathini njenge-CO₂) futhi zisize ekulinganiseni isimo sezulu sembulunga yonke, kodwa futhi zisebenza njengezipontshi ezingabamba amanzi angaphezulu, imvula, ukuncibilika kweqhwa, amanzi angaphansi komhlaba, namanzi ezikhukhula, ziwavimbe angashiki ogwini, bese ziwakhulula kancane kancane. Lokhu kungasiza ukwehlisa amazinga ezikhukhula futhi kunciphise ukuguguleka. Uma besingalondoloza futhi sibuyisele lezi zimiso zemvelo zasogwini, singathola isivikelo esingase sivele ezintweni ezifana nama-levees.

Ukuthuthukiswa kwezindleko ezisheshayo kulimaza futhi kuqede lezi zindawo zemvelo zasogwini. Ocwaningweni olusha lukaNarayan et. al (2017), ababhali banikeze imiphumela ethokozisayo mayelana nenani lamaxhaphozi. Isibonelo, ngesikhathi seSiphepho uSandy ngo-2012, izindawo ezingamaxhaphozi zavimbela ngaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-625 zamaRandi ekulimaleni kwempahla. USandy ubangele okungenani ukufa okuqondile okungama-72 e-US kanye namaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingama-50 emonakalweni wezikhukhula. Ukufa kube ngenxa yezikhukhula ezibangelwa isiphepho. Amaxhaphozi asebenza njengesivikelo ngasogwini ngokumelene neziphepho. Kuzo zonke izifunda ezingu-12 ezisogwini oluse-East Coast, izindawo ezingamaxhaphozi zikwazile ukunciphisa umonakalo obangelwe yiSiphepho uSandy ngesilinganiso esingu-22% kuwo wonke amakhodi e-zip afakwe ocwaningweni. Imigwaqo nemigwaqo emikhulu engaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-1,400 yayivikelwe amaxhaphozi asuka eSiphepho iSandy. E-New Jersey ngokuqondile, amaxhaphozi amboza cishe i-10% yendawo yezikhukhula futhi kulinganiselwa ukuthi yehlise umonakalo weSiphepho uSandy cishe ngo-27% jikelele, okusho ukuthi cishe ama-dollar ayizigidi ezingu-430.

Olunye ucwaningo olwenziwe nguGuannel et. al (2016) bathole ukuthi uma kunezinhlelo eziningi (isb. izixhobo zamakhorali, izimfunda zasolwandle, nemihlume) ezinikela ekuvikelweni kwezindawo ezisogwini, lezi zindawo zokuhlala ndawonye zilinganisela kakhulu noma yimaphi amandla amagagasi angenayo, amazinga ezikhukhula, nokulahlekelwa yinhlabathi. Ngokuhlangene, lezi zinhlelo zivikela kangcono ugu kunohlelo olulodwa noma indawo yokuhlala iyodwa. Lolu cwaningo luphinde lwathola ukuthi imihlume iyodwa inganikeza izinzuzo zokuvikela eziningi. Amakhorali notshani basolwandle kungenzeka kakhulu kusize ukunciphisa ingozi yokuguguleka ogwini futhi kukhuthaze ukuzinza kogu, kunciphise imisinga eseduze nogu, futhi kwandise ukuqina kogu ngokumelene nanoma yiziphi izingozi. Imihlume iphumelela kakhulu ekuvikeleni ugu ngaphansi kwesiphepho nezimo ezingezona iziphepho. 

Lezi zindawo zemvelo zasogwini azibalulekile nje kuphela ngesikhathi sezehlakalo zesimo sezulu esikhulu njengeziphepho. Banciphisa ukulahlekelwa yizikhukhula minyaka yonke ezindaweni eziningi, ngisho neziphepho ezincane. Isibonelo, izixhobo zamakhorali zinganciphisa amandla amagagasi ashaya usebe ngo-85%. Ugu olusempumalanga ye-US kanye ne-Gulf Coast aphansi kakhulu, ugu lunodaka noma lunesihlabathi, okwenza kube lula ukuguguleka, futhi lezi zindawo zisengozini enkulu yezikhukhula kanye nokuqubuka kwesiphepho. Ngisho nalapho lezi zimiso zemvelo sezicekeleke phansi, njengoba kwenzeka kwezinye izixhobo zamakhorali, noma amahlathi omhlume, lezi zimiso zemvelo zisasivikela emagagasini nasezihlahleni. Noma kunjalo, siyaqhubeka nokuqeda lezi zindawo ukuze sivule indawo yezindawo zokudlala igalofu, amahhotela, izindlu, njll. Kule minyaka engu-60 edlule, ukuthuthukiswa kwedolobha kuqede ingxenye yamahlathi omhlume aseFlorida. Siqeda ukuvikela kwethu. Njengamanje, i-FEMA isebenzisa uhhafu webhiliyoni yamadola ngonyaka ekunciphiseni ubungozi bezikhukhula, ukuphendula imiphakathi yendawo. 

Impela zikhona izindlela zokwakha kabusha izindawo ezicekelwe phansi yiziphepho ngendlela ezozenza zilungele kangcono izivunguvungu ezizayo, futhi ezogcina lezi zindawo ezibalulekile zemvelo. Izindawo ezihlala ngasogwini zingaba umugqa wokuqala wokuzivikela ezivunguvungwini, futhi zingase zingabi into exazulula zonke izinkinga zethu zezikhukhula noma iziphepho, kodwa kufanele zisebenzise ngokunenzuzo. Ukuvikela kanye nokulondoloza lezi zindawo zemvelo kuzovikela imiphakathi yethu yasogwini ngenkathi kuthuthukisa impilo yemvelo ezindaweni ezisogwini.