ISiphepho u-Isaac kanye Nenani Lezindawo Ezimanzi Ezisogwini

nguMark J. Spalding, uMongameli we-The Ocean Foundation

UHelen Wood Park e-Alabama Ngemva kweSiphepho u-Isaac (8/30/2012)
 

Phakathi nenkathi yesiphepho, kungokwemvelo ukuthi ingxoxo mayelana nobungozi obungaba khona emiphakathini yabantu ibusa abezindaba, izimemezelo ezisemthethweni, nezindawo zokuhlangana zomphakathi. Thina esisebenza kwezokongiwa kolwandle siphinde sicabange ngokulahleka kwezimpahla zokudoba kanye nezindawo ezintsha zemfucumfucu kulandela ukuhlasela kwesiphepho ezindaweni ezisogwini. Sikhathazeka ngokugezwa kwenhlabathi, ezinobuthi, kanye nezinto zokwakha ezisuka emhlabathini naselwandle, zishisa imibhede ye-oyster ekhiqizayo, ulwandle lwasolwandle izimfunda, nezindawo ezingamaxhaphozi. Sicabanga ukuthi imvula eningi ingakhukhula kanjani izinhlelo zokukhuculula indle, ilethe izingozi zempilo ezinhlanzini nakubantu ngokufanayo. Sibheka omatila betiyela, izitiyela zikawoyela, nezinye izinto ezintsha ezingcolisa umoya ezingangena emanzini asogwini, emabhishi nasemathekwini ethu.

Sithemba ukuthi isenzo esithile segagasi lesiphepho sisiza ukuphehla amanzi, silethe umoya-mpilo kulezo zindawo esizibiza ngokuthi ama-dead zones. Sithemba ukuthi ingqalasizinda yemiphakathi egudle ugu—izikebhe, imigwaqo, izakhiwo, amaloli nakho konke okunye—izohlala injalo futhi iphephile ogwini. Futhi sihlanganisa izihloko ukuze sithole izindaba mayelana nemiphumela yesiphepho emanzini ethu asogwini kanye nezilwane nezitshalo ezithi ziyikhaya.

Ngemuva kweTropical Storm Hector kanye neCyclone Ileana eLoreto, eMexico ngenyanga edlule kanye neSiphepho u-Isaac eCaribbean naseGulf of Mexico, izimvula ezinamandla zidale ukuchichima okukhulu kwendle. E-Loreto, abantu abaningi bagula ngenxa yokudla ukudla kwasolwandle okungcolile. E-Mobile, e-Alabama, amalitha angu-800,000 endle aphatheke emanzini, okuholele ekutheni izikhulu zendawo zikhiphe izexwayiso zezempilo emiphakathini ethintekile. Izikhulu zisahlola izindawo ezisengozini ukuthola ezinye izimpawu zokungcola, kokubili imithelela elindelekile yamakhemikhali kanye ne-petroleum. Njengoba i-Seafood News ibike kuleli sonto, “Ekugcineni, ukuhlolwa kuqinisekisile ukuthi iSiphepho u-Isaac sawageza ngempela amagilobhu kawoyela we-BP, asala ekuchithekeni kuka-2010, emabhishi ase-Alabama naseLouisiana. Izikhulu bezilindele ukuthi lokhu kuzokwenzeka njengoba izisebenzi ezivele zisebenza ukukhuculula uwoyela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ochwepheshe basheshe baveza ukuthi inani likawoyela oveziwe 'ubusuku nemini' uma kuqhathaniswa no-2010.

Bese kuba nezindleko zokuhlanza ongase ungacabangi ngazo. Isibonelo, ukuqoqwa nokulahlwa kwamathani ezidumbu zezilwane. Ngemuva kwesiphepho esiphindelelayo seSiphepho u-Isaac, i-nutria elinganiselwa ku-15,000 yakhukhuleka ogwini lwaseHancock County, eMississippi. Esifundeni esiseduze saseHarrison, izisebenzi ezisemthethweni zazikhiphe amathani angaphezu kuka-16 ezilwane, kuhlanganise ne-nutria, emabhishi ayo ezinsukwini zokuqala ngemva kokuba u-Isaac eshaye ugu. Izilwane eziminzile—kuhlanganise nezinhlanzi nezinye izilwane zasolwandle—akuyona into engavamile ngemva kwesiphepho esikhulu noma izimvula ezinamandla—ngisho nogu lwaseLake Pontchartrain lwalugcwele izidumbu zama-nutria, ama-feral hogs, nengwenya, ngokwemibiko yabezindaba. Ngokusobala, lezi zidumbu zimele izindleko ezengeziwe emiphakathini efisa ukuvula kabusha ezokuvakasha zasogwini ngemuva kwesiphepho. Futhi, kungenzeka kube nalabo abashayela ihlombe ukulahleka kwe-nutria-izinhlobo ezihlaselayo eziphumelela ngokuphawulekayo ezizala kalula futhi kaningi, futhi ezingabangela umonakalo omkhulu.

Njengombiko ovela ohlelweni lwe-Wildlife Services lwe-USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service uthi¹, “I-nutria, igundane elikhulu elihlala emanzini, lalethwa e-United States ngo-1889 ngenxa yoboya balo. Lapho [leyo] makethe iwa ngawo-1940, izinkulungwane zama-nutria zadedelwa endle ngabafuyi ababengasenakukwazi ukuyithenga…I-Nutria igcwele kakhulu ezifundeni zaseGulf Coast, kodwa futhi idala izinkinga kwezinye izifundazwe eziseningizimu-mpumalanga kanye eduze ne-Atlantic. ugu…i-nutria ibhubhisa usebe lwemisele, amachibi, nezinye izindawo zamanzi. Okubaluleke kakhulu, nokho, umonakalo ongapheli ongadalwa yi-nutria emaxhaphozini nakwamanye amaxhaphozi.

Kulezi zindawo, i-nutria idla izitshalo zendabuko ezibamba umhlabathi omanzi ndawonye. Ukucekelwa phansi kwalezi zitshalo kubhebhethekisa ukonakala kwamaxhaphozi asogwini okuye kwakhuthazwa ukukhuphuka kwamazinga olwandle.”
Ngakho-ke, mhlawumbe singabiza ukuminza kwezinkulungwane ze-nutria ulwelwesi lwesiliva lwezinhlobo zamaxhaphozi anciphayo adlale indima ebalulekile ekuvikeleni iGulf futhi angakwazi futhi ngosizo. Ngisho nalapho ozakwethu kanye nezibonelelo ezigudle iGulf bezabalaza ngezikhukhula, ukuphelelwa ugesi, nezinye izinkinga ngemva kweSiphepho u-Isaac, kwaba nezindaba ezinhle futhi.

Iqhaza elibalulekile lamaxhaphozi laziwa emhlabeni wonke ngaphansi kweNgqungquthela ye-Ramsar, lapho owayengumfundi we-TOF, u-Luke Elder asanda kuthumela kubhulogi ye-TOF. I-TOF isekela ukulondolozwa nokubuyiselwa kwamaxhaphozi ezindaweni eziningi. Omunye wabo use-Alabama.

Abanye benu bangase bakhumbule imibiko yangaphambilini mayelana nephrojekthi yomfelandawonye ephethwe yi-TOF engu-100-1000 e-Mobile Bay. Inhloso yale phrojekthi ukusungula kabusha i-oyster reef engamamayela angu-100 kanye namahektha ayi-1000 ogwini olugudle ugu lwaseMobile Bay. Umzamo endaweni ngayinye uqala ngokusungulwa kwe-oyster reef eqhele ngamayadi ambalwa ukusuka emhlabathini endaweni eyenziwe yindoda. Njengoba inzika ikhula ngemva kolwandle, utshani bexhaphozi buphinde bumise indawo yabo eyingqopha-mlando, busiza ukuhlunga amanzi, ukunciphisa umonakalo wesiphepho, futhi buhlunge amanzi aphuma ezweni engena e-Bay. Izindawo ezinjalo zisebenza njengenkulisa ebalulekile yezinhlanzi ezisencane, izimfanzi nezinye izidalwa.

Eyokuqala yamaphrojekthi okufeza umgomo we-100-1000 yenzeke e-Helen Woods Memorial Park, eduze kwebhuloho eliya e-Dauphin Island e-Mobile Bay. Okokuqala kwaba nosuku olukhulu lokuhlanza lapho ngajoyina khona amavolontiya asebenza kanzima avela ku-Mobile Baykeeper, Alabama Coastal Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy kanye nezinye izinhlangano ekuthutheni amathayi, udoti, nezinye izibi. Ukutshala kwangempela kwenzeka ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva lapho amanzi esefudumele. Utshani bexhaphozi bephrojekthi bugcwale kahle. Kuyajabulisa ukubona ukuthi inani elincane lokungenelela komuntu (nokuhlanza thina) lingasekela kanjani ukubuyiselwa kwemvelo kwezindawo ezinomlando onamaxhaphozi.

Ungacabanga ukuthi sayilinda ngokukhathazeka kangakanani imibiko mayelana nomsebenzi ngemva kwezikhukhula neziphepho ezibangelwa iSiphepho u-Isaac. Izindaba ezimbi? Ingqalasizinda yaleli paki izodinga ukulungiswa okukhulu. Izindaba ezinhle? Izindawo ezintsha zamaxhaphozi ziqinile futhi zenza umsebenzi wazo. Kuyasiqinisa idolo ukwazi ukuthi uma umgomo we-100-1000 usufeziwe, abantu kanye neminye imiphakathi yase-Mobile Bay izohlomula ezindaweni ezintsha ezinamaxhaphozi—ngenkathi yeziphepho kanye nonyaka wonke.

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