Amabhishi Anyamalalayo: Yini engenziwa mayelana nokushoda kwesihlabathi emhlabeni jikelele?

Njengoba uphumela ogwini olukhethile kuleli hlobo, qaphela ngokukhethekile ingxenye ebalulekile yolwandle: isihlabathi. Isihlabathi siyinto esicabanga ukuthi iyinala; ihlanganisa amabhishi emhlabeni wonke futhi iyingxenye eyinhloko yezingwadule. Nokho, akusona sonke isihlabathi esidalwa silingana futhi njengoba inani labantu emhlabeni liqhubeka likhula, isidingo sethu sesihlabathi siyakhula. Ngakho kuya kucaca nakakhulu ukuthi isihlabathi siwumthombo olinganiselwe. Kunzima ukubeka inani kulowo muzwa wesihlabathi phakathi kwezinzwane zakho noma ukwakha i-sandcastle, futhi maduze kungase kudingeke ukuthi njengoba ukunikezwa kwesihlabathi somhlaba kuncipha kancane kancane.   

Isihlabathi empeleni siwumthombo wemvelo esiwusebenzisa kakhulu ngemva komoya namanzi. Cishe kukho konke. Isibonelo, ibhilidi okungenzeka ukuthi uhlezi kulo njengamanje cishe lenziwe ngokhonkolo, okuyisanti nesihlabathi. Imigwaqo yakhiwe ngokhonkolo. Ingilazi yewindi kanye nengxenye yocingo lwakho nayo yenziwe ngesihlabathi esincibilikisiwe. Esikhathini esidlule, isihlabathi besiwumthombo ovamile wamanzi, kodwa manje njengoba kuye kwaba nokushoda kwezinye izindawo, kuye kwafakwa imithetho eyengeziwe.

Isihlabathi sesiphenduke into efunwa kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele. Futhi ngakho sekuyabiza kakhulu.

Ngakho-ke sivelaphi sonke lesi sihlabathi futhi kungenzeka kanjani ukuthi siphele? Isihlabathi ngokuyinhloko sisuka ezintabeni; izintaba ziguga ngenxa yomoya nemvula, zilahlekelwa isisindo njengezinhlayiya ezincane ezihlakazekile. Phakathi nezinkulungwane zeminyaka, imifula iye yathwala lezo zinhlayiya zehla ezintabeni futhi yakha ama-deposits endaweni noma eduze nalapho ihlangana khona nolwandle (noma ichibi) iba yilokho esikubona njengezindunduma zesihlabathi nolwandle.   

Ikhredithi Yesithombe: Josh Withers/Unsplash

Njengamanje, amadolobha ethu anda ngezinga elingakaze libonwe futhi amadolobha asebenzisa usimende kakhulu kunangaphambili. Ngokwesibonelo, iShayina iye yasebenzisa usimende omningi eminyakeni embalwa edlule kunaleyo eyasetshenziswa i-United States kulo lonke ikhulu lama-20. ISingapore isiyizwe elingenisa isihlabathi kwamanye amazwe. Ingeze amakhilomitha-skwele angu-130 endaweni yayo yomhlaba esikhathini esiyiminyaka engama-40. Uvelaphi wonke lowo mhlaba omusha? Ukulahla isihlabathi olwandle. Kukhona futhi izinhlobo ezithile zesihlabathi kuphela ezingasetshenziselwa ukhonkolo kanti ezinye izinhlobo aziwusizo kangako emisebenzini yabantu. Isihlabathi esicolekile ongasithola oGwadule LwaseSahara asinakwenziwa into yokwakha. Izindawo ezingcono kakhulu zokuthola isihlabathi sokhonkolo osebeni lwemifula nasogwini. Isidingo sesihlabathi sibangela ukuba sihlube imifula, amabhishi, amahlathi namasimu ukuze sifinyelele esihlabathini. Ubugebengu obuhleliwe buye baphatha kwezinye izindawo.

I-United Nations Environment Programme yalinganisela ukuthi ngo-2012, umhlaba wasebenzisa amathani acishe abe yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-30 esihlabathi namatshe ukuze enze ukhonkolo.

Leso sanele isihlabathi sokwakha udonga olungamamitha angu-27 ukuphakama namamitha angu-27 ububanzi nxazonke zenkabazwe! Inani lohwebo lesihlabathi cishe liphindwe kasithupha kunalokho elaliyikho eminyakeni engu-25 edlule futhi e-US, ukukhiqizwa kwesihlabathi kukhuphuke ngo-24% eminyakeni engu-5 edlule. Kube khona udlame ngezinsiza zesihlabathi ezindaweni ezifana ne-India, Kenya, Indonesia, China, neVietnam. Ama-mafia esihlabathi kanye nokumbiwa kwesihlabathi ngokungemthetho sekusakazeke kabanzi ikakhulukazi emazweni anokuphatha okubuthakathaka nenkohlakalo. Ngokusho komqondisi woMnyango Wezinto Zokwakha eVietnam, izwe lingase liphelelwe isihlabathi ngonyaka ka-2020. 

Ukumbiwa kwesanti bekuvame kakhulu emhlabeni jikelele. Izimayini zesihlabathi empeleni zaziyizimbotshana ezinkulu ezazidonsa isihlabathi ngasolwandle. Ekugcineni, abantu baqala ukubona ukuthi lezi zimayini zicekela phansi amabhishi futhi izimayini zaqala ukuvalwa kancane. Kodwa-ke, noma sekushiwo lokho, isihlabathi siseyizinto ezimbiwa kakhulu emhlabeni. Isihlabathi namatshe ahlanganisa amaphesenti angama-85 ayo yonke into embiwa emhlabeni wonke unyaka ngamunye. Imayini yokugcina yesihlabathi yasogwini esele e-US izovala ngo-2020.

Ukumbiwa Kwesihlabathi

Ukudonsa isihlabathi, okwenziwa ngaphansi kwamanzi, kungenye indlela lapho isihlabathi sisuswa endaweni ethile siyiswe kwenye. Ngokuvamile lesi sihlabathi sisetshenziselwa “ukondleka kabusha kosebe lolwandle,” esigcwalisa isihlabathi esiye salahleka endaweni evela ku-longshore drift, ukuguguleka, noma eminye imithombo yokuhuzuka. Ukondleka kabusha kolwandle kuyimpikiswano ezindaweni eziningi ngenxa yentengo ehambisana nakho kanye neqiniso lokuthi kuwukulungiswa kwesikhashana. Isibonelo, i-Bathtub Beach e-Martin County, eFlorida ibe nenani elimangalisayo lokuphinda liphinde lidle. Eminyakeni emibili edlule, kusetshenziswe imali engaphezu kwezigidi eziyisi-6 zamaRandi ekondleni kabusha nasekubuyiseleni izindunduma ebhishi lase-Bathtub kuphela. Izithombe ezisuka ogwini kwesinye isikhathi zibonisa isihlabathi esisha sinyamalala olwandle phakathi namahora angama-24 (bheka ngezansi). 

Ingabe likhona ikhambi lalokhu kushoda kwesihlabathi? Kuleli qophelo, umphakathi uthembele kakhulu esihlabathini ukuthi ungavele uyeke ukusisebenzisa ngokuphelele. Enye impendulo kungaba ukugaywa kabusha kwesihlabathi. Isibonelo, uma unesakhiwo esidala sikakhonkolo esingasasetshenziswa noma esishintshwayo, ungakwazi ukuchoboza ukhonkolo oqinile bese usisebenzisa ukwenza ukhonkolo “omusha”. Kunjalo, kukhona okubi ekwenzeni lokhu: kungabiza futhi ukhonkolo osuvele usetshenzisiwe awulungile njengokusebenzisa isihlabathi esisha. I-asphalt ingaphinda isetshenziswe futhi isetshenziswe njengenye indlela kwezinye izinhlelo zokusebenza. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ezinye izinto ezithatha indawo yesihlabathi zihlanganisa izakhiwo zokwakha ngokhuni notshani, kodwa akunakwenzeka ukuthi lezo zizothandwa kakhulu kunokhonkolo. 

Ikhredithi Yesithombe: Bogomil Mihaylo/Unsplash

Ngo-2014, iBrithani yakwazi ukuphinda isetshenziswe kabusha i-28% yezinto zayo zokwakha, futhi ngo-2025, i-EU ihlela ukubuyisela kabusha u-75% wezinto zokwakha ingilazi, okufanele kusize ukwehlisa isidingo sesihlabathi sezimboni. I-Singapore ihlela ukusebenzisa uhlelo lwama-dyke namaphampu kuphrojekthi yayo elandelayo yokubuyisela ukuze inganciki esihlabathini. Abacwaningi nonjiniyela bafuna ezinye izindlela ezibambekayo, futhi banethemba lokuthi okwamanje, ukugaywa kabusha kwemikhiqizo yethu eminingi esekelwe esihlabathini kuzosiza ukunciphisa isidingo sesihlabathi. 

Ukumbiwa kwesihlabathi, ukumbiwa kanye nokumbiwa konke kuxhunyaniswe nomthelela ongemuhle kwezemvelo. Ngokwesibonelo, eKenya, ukumba isihlabathi kuye kwahlotshaniswa nezixhobo zamakhorali ezilimazayo. E-India, ukuchithwa kwesihlabathi kuye kwasongela izingwenya ezisengozini yokushabalala. E-Indonesia, iziqhingi sezinyamalele ekumbiweni kwesihlabathi esiningi kakhulu.

Ukukhipha isihlabathi endaweni kungabangela ukuguguleka kogu, kucekele phansi i-ecosystem, kube lula ukusakazeka kwezifo, futhi kwenze indawo ibe sengozini enkulu yezinhlekelele zemvelo.

Lokhu kuye kwaboniswa ezindaweni ezifana ne-Sri Lanka, lapho ucwaningo lwabonisa ukuthi ngenxa yezimayini zesihlabathi ezenzeka ngaphambi kwe-tsunami ka-2004, amagagasi ayebi kakhulu kunalokho ayengaba khona ukube kwakungekho ukumbiwa kwesihlabathi. E-Dubai, ukugwetshwa kudala izivunguvungu zesihlabathi eziminyanisa ngaphansi kwamanzi, ezibulala izinto eziphilayo, zicekele phansi izixhobo zamakhorali, ziguqule amaphethini okujikeleza kwamanzi, futhi zingaminyanisa izilwane njengezinhlanzi ekuvaleni amathambo azo. 

Akukho okulindelekile ukuthi ukugcwala kwesihlabathi emhlabeni wethu kuzomisa i-cold turkey, kodwa akudingekile ukuba kume. Sidinga nje ukufunda indlela yokunciphisa umthelela wokukhipha nokubuyisela. Izindinganiso zokwakha kufanele ziphakanyiswe ukuze kwandiswe isikhathi sokuphila kwesakhiwo, futhi izinto zokwakha eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka kufanele zigaywe kabusha. Isihlabathi sizoqhubeka nokushabalala njengoba inani labantu likhula kanjalo namadolobha ethu. Ukuqaphela inkinga kuyisinyathelo sokuqala. Izinyathelo ezilandelayo zinweba izimpilo zemikhiqizo yesihlabathi, ukugaywa kabusha, nokucwaninga ngeminye imikhiqizo engathatha indawo yesihlabathi. Asikalwi impi esihlulwayo okwamanje, kodwa sidinga ukushintsha amaqhinga ethu. 

Imithombo

https://www.npr.org/2017/07/21/538472671/world-faces-global-sand-shortage
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/sand-shortage-world-how-deal-solve-issue-raw-materials-supplies-glass-electronics-concrete-a8093721.html
https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/04/economist-explains-8
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/29/the-world-is-running-out-of-sand
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/feb/27/sand-mining-global-environmental-crisis-never-heard
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/world-facing-global-sand-crisis-180964815/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/11/28/could-we-run-out-sand-because-we-going-through-fast/901605001/
https://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21719797-thanks-booming-construction-activity-asia-sand-high-demand
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http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/03/asias-hunger-sand-takes-toll-endangered-species