Ingxenye 2: Umphumela wokuqhuma - lokho ulwandle olukuyisa ekhaya

Ngu-Angel Braestrup, uSihlalo, Ibhodi Labeluleki, I-Ocean Foundation

Emhlabeni wonke, u-2012 no-2013 uzokhunjulwa ngamanani angajwayelekile emvula, iziphepho ezinamandla, kanye nezikhukhula ezingakaze zibonwe kusukela e-Bangladesh kuya e-Argentina; ukusuka eKenya ukuya e-Australia. UKhisimusi ka-2013 ulethe isiphepho esinamandla ekuqaleni kwasebusika esinezikhukhula eziyinhlekelele neminye imiphumela e-St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago; kanye nezinye izizwe eziqhingini, njenge-United Kingdom lapho izivunguvungu ezengeziwe zisanda kwandisa umonakalo kusukela ekuqaleni kwerekhodi likaDisemba lokuqhuma kwesiphepho. Futhi akukhona nje ogwini lolwandle lapho imiphakathi izwa khona ushintsho. 

Kulekwindla nje, iColorado yabhekana nesenzakalo esisodwa seminyaka eyi-1000 yezikhukhula ezivela eziphepho eziya ezintabeni ezivela emanzini afudumele asePacific. NgoNovemba, iziphepho neziphepho zadala umonakalo ongaphezu kwesigidigidi samaRandi kulo lonke elaseMidwest. Futhi, udaba olufanayo lwemfucumfucu lwabhekana naleyo miphakathi ethintekile njengoba kwenzeka eJapane ngemva kwetsunami ka-2011, isiqhingi sase-Philippine i-Leyte esisuka eSiphepho i-Haiyan ngo-2013, eNew York naseNew Jersey ngemva kweSuperstorm Sandy ngo-2012, kanye neGulf Coast. ngemva kukaKatrina, u-Ike, uGustav, nezinye iziphepho eziyishumi nambili kule minyaka eyishumi edlule noma ngaphezulu.

Ibhulogi yami yangaphambilini ikhulume ngezikhukhula zamanzi asuka olwandle, kungaba yiziphepho noma ukuzamazama komhlaba, kanye nomonakalo owushiya emhlabeni. Nokho, akukhona nje ukugeleza kwamanzi okufikayo okwenza umonakalo ongaka emithonjeni yasogwini—kokubili ezakhiwe ngabantu nezemvelo. Yilokho okwenzekayo lapho lawo manzi egeleza aphinde aphume futhi, ephethe imfucumfucu evela ekugijimeni kwawo okulimazayo kanye nesobho eliyinkimbinkimbi elidonsa izithako kuwo wonke amabhilidi alidlulayo, ngaphansi kwawo wonke usinki, kuwo wonke amakhabethe abagadi, isitolo sikamakhenikha wezimoto, nokomile. ukuhlanza, kanye nanoma iyiphi i-detritus amanzi ayicosha emigqomeni kadoti, ezindaweni zokulahla udoti, ezindaweni zokwakha, nakwezinye izindawo ezakhiwe.

Ezilwandle, akumelwe sicabangele nje isiphepho noma i-tsunami, kodwa nemiphumela. Ukuhlanza ngemva kwalezi zivunguvungu kuwumsebenzi omkhulu ongagcini nje ngokumisa amakamelo agcwele izikhukhula, ukushintsha izimoto ezigcwele amanzi, noma ukwakha kabusha imigwaqo yokuhamba ngezinyawo. Futhi ayikhulumi ngezintaba zezihlahla ezidiliziwe, izinqwaba zenhlabathi, nezidumbu zezilwane eziminzile. Ngasinye seziphepho ezinkulu noma izehlakalo ze-tsunami zithwala imfucumfucu, uketshezi olunobuthi, nokunye ukungcola kukubuyisele olwandle.

Amanzi ahlehlayo angathatha zonke izinto zokuhlanza ngaphansi kwezinkulungwane zamasinki, wonke upende omdala ezinkulungwaneni zamagaraji, wonke uphethiloli, uwoyela, neziqandisi ezivela ezinkulungwaneni zezimoto nezinto zikagesi, futhi akuxube kube isobho elinobuthi eligcwele konke. ukugeza okungemuva okuvela ezinsikeni zendle kanye nopulasitiki nezinye iziqukathi ebibanjelwe kuzo. Ngokuphazima kweso okwakuhlezi ngokungenabungozi (ikakhulukazi) emhlabeni kugcwala emanzini asogwini nasogwini, emahlathini emihlume nakwezinye izindawo lapho izilwane nezitshalo zingase zingene khona. kakade bezabalaza emiphumeleni yokuthuthuka komuntu. Engeza amathani ayizinkulungwane ezimbalwa zemilenze yesihlahla, amaqabunga, isihlabathi kanye nezinye izinsalela ezishanelwa kanye naso futhi kukhona amandla okuqothula izindawo ezihlala kahle ezingaphansi kolwandle, kusukela emibhedeni ye-shellfish kuya eziweni zamakhorali kuya ezimfundeni zasolwandle.

Asinakho ukuhlelela okuhlelekile kwemiphumela yakamuva yalokhu kukhukhula okunamandla okucekela phansi kwamanzi kuyo yonke imiphakathi egudle ugu, emahlathini, emaxhaphozini, nezinye izinsiza. Ukube bekuwukuchitheka kwemboni okuvamile, besizoba nenqubo yokukhulisa ukwephulwa kokuhlanza nokubuyisela. Njengoba kunjalo, asinayo indlela yokuqinisekisa ukuthi izinkampani nemiphakathi ivikela kangcono ubuthi bayo ngaphambi kokufika kwesiphepho, noma ukuhlela imiphumela yazo zonke lezo zinto ezigeleza ndawonye emanzini aseduze nogu ngesikhathi esisodwa. Ngemuva kwe-tsunami yase-Japan yango-2011, umonakalo wesikhungo samandla enyukliya i-Fukushima nawo wengeza amanzi angcolile anemisebe kule ngxube—insalela enobuthi manje ebonakala esicutshini sezilwane zasolwandle njenge-tuna.

Kufanele sishintshele ekuzilungiseleleni kangcono iziphepho eziningi ezinamandla kakhulu ezinemvula eningi futhi mhlawumbe namandla angaphezu kwalawo esinawo esikhathini esidlule. Kufanele sicabange ngemiphumela yezikhukhula, isiphepho, nokunye ukukhukhuleka okungazelelwe. Kufanele sicabange ngendlela esakha ngayo nesiyisebenzisayo. Futhi kufanele sakhe kabusha izimiso zemvelo ezisebenza njengezinqamuleli zokwethuka komakhelwane bethu abasengozini enkulu yolwandle namanzi ahlanzekile—amaxhaphozi, amahlathi asogwini, izindunduma—zonke izingongolo zemvelo ezisekela ukuphila okucebile nokuchichimayo kwasemanzini.

Ngakho-ke yini esingayenza lapho sibhekene namandla anjalo? Singawasiza kanjani amanzi ethu ahlale enempilo? Hhayi-ke, singaqala ngalokho esikusebenzisa nsuku zonke. Bheka ngaphansi kukasinki wakho. Bheka egalaji. Yini oyigcinayo okufanele ilahlwe ngendlela efanele? Yiziphi izinhlobo zezitsha ezingangena esikhundleni sepulasitiki? Imiphi imikhiqizo ongayisebenzisa ezovikeleka kangcono emoyeni, emhlabeni, nasolwandle uma kwenzeka okungacabangeki? Ungayivikela kanjani impahla yakho, kuze kufike emigqonyeni yakho kadoti, ukuze ungabi ingxenye yenkinga ngephutha? Umphakathi wangakini ungahlangana kanjani ukuze ucabange kusengaphambili?

Imiphakathi yethu ingagxila ezindaweni zemvelo eziyingxenye yezinhlelo zasemanzini ezinempilo ezingasabela kangcono ekuthelelekeni okungazelelwe kwamanzi, udoti, ubuthi, nenhlabathi. Amaxhaphozi amaphakathi nezwe nasogwini, amahlathi agudle umfula namahlathi, izindunduma zesihlabathi nemihlume kumane nje kungezinye zezindawo ezimanzi esingazivikela futhi sizibuyisele.[1] Amaxhaphozi avumela amanzi angenayo ukuba asakazeke, futhi amanzi aphumayo asakazeke, futhi wonke amanzi ahlungwe ngaphambi kokungena echibini, emfuleni, noma olwandle ngokwalo. Lezi zindawo zokuhlala zingasebenza njengezindawo ezigcina inqolobane, okusivumela ukuthi sizihlanze kalula. Njengezinye izinhlelo zemvelo, izindawo zokuhlala ezihlukahlukene zisekela izidingo zezinhlobo eziningi zasolwandle ukuze zikhule, zizalane futhi zichume. Futhi yimpilo yomakhelwane bethu basolwandle esifuna ukuyivikela ekulimaleni okudalwe abantu kulawa maphethini amasha emvula adala ukuphazamiseka okukhulu emiphakathini yabantu nasezinhlelweni ezisogwini.

[1] Ukuvikela kwemvelo kungavikela kangcono ugu, http://www.climatecentral.org/news/natural-defenses-can-best-protect-coasts-says-study-16864