I-Tsunami Plus 10: Ukubonakaliswa Kokuqina, Ithemba, Nokusimama

Ibhalwe nguMark J. Spalding

Ekuqaleni kwale nyanga, uFred Pearce wabhala ucezu oluhle kakhulu Yale 360 mayelana nemizamo yokubuyisela ngasogwini lwaseSumatra kulandela ukuzamazama komhlaba okukhulu kanye ne-tsunami ebhubhisayo leyo kwalandela ngeBoxing Day 2004.  

Amandla anamandla ashanela amakhulu amakhilomitha, athinta amazwe ayishumi nane, ngokubi kakhulu umonakalo owenzeka eThailand, Indonesia, India naseSri Lanka. Cishe abantu abangu-300,000 bafa.  Amakhulu ezinkulungwane ezengeziwe asuswa. Izinkulungwane zemiphakathi zazingokomzimba, ngokomzwelo, nokucekeleka phansi kwezomnotho. Izinsiza zobuntu zomhlaba zazinjalo welulelwe ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zabaningi ezindaweni eziningi kangaka endaweni ebanzi kangaka geography—ikakhulukazi njengoba lonke ugu lwaseludwetshwe kabusha futhi lwangaphambili izindawo zokulima manje zase ziyingxenye yolwandle.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwalolo suku olubi, ngathola isicelo esivela kuDkt. Greg Stone owayeseNew ngaleso sikhathi I-England Aquarium icela i-Ocean Foundation ukuthi ixhase uhlobo oluhlukile lwempendulo.  Ingabe inhlangano yethu esafufusa ingasiza ngezimali ucwaningo olukhethekile ukuze ithole ukuthi imiphakathi yasogwini nezinye izindawo ezinamahlathi ezihlahla zomhlume ezinempilo zazithuthuke kangcono umphumela we-tsunami kunalabo abangenawo? Ngomnikeli ozimisele kanye nabanye bethu ngezimali eziphuthumayo ze-tsunami, sinikeze isibonelelo sikahulumeni esincane ukuze sisize ukusekela lolu hambo. UDkt Stone futhi ososayensi ayekanye nabo babonakala belungile—izimiso zasogwini ezinempilo, ikakhulukazi imihlume amahlathi, ahlinzeka ngokuvikeleka emiphakathini nasezindaweni ezingemuva kwawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, i- izindawo lapho ukufuywa kwezimfanzi noma ukuthuthukiswa okungahlakaniphile kuye kwacekela phansi amahlathi asele, umonakalo emiphakathini yabantu kanye nemithombo yemvelo wawukubi kakhulu—ubambezeleka ukululama yezokudoba, ukulima, neminye imisebenzi.

I-Oxfam Novib nezinye izinhlangano zibambisene ukuze zifake ukutshala kabusha ngosizo lwabantu.  Futhi kwavela ukuthi kwakufanele bavumelane nezimo endleleni yabo yokuqhuba—ngemva kwenhlekelele, yona kwakunzima emiphakathini ecekeleke phansi ukuthi igxile ekutshaleni ukuze ivikeleke esikhathini esizayo, nokunye kwavela nezithiyo. Akudingekile ukusho, igagasi elingamamitha angu-30 lihambisa isihlabathi esiningi, ukungcola, kanye imfucumfucu. Lokho kwakusho ukuthi imihlume yayingakwazi futhi itshalwe lapho kunodaka olumanzi olufanele indawo yokwenza kanjalo. Lapho isihlabathi sasibusa khona, kwatshalwa ezinye izihlahla nezitshalo ngemva kwaso kwacaca ukuthi imihlume ngeke isachuma lapho. Kanti ezinye izihlahla nezihlahla zazikhona etshalwe phezulu kusukela kulabo.

Eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva, kunamahlathi asogwini akhula kahle eSumatra nakwezinye izindawo indawo yomthelela we-tsunami. Inhlanganisela yezimali ezincane, uxhaso, nempumelelo ebonakalayo yasiza ukugqugquzela imiphakathi ukuthi izibandakanye ngokugcwele njengoba ibukela imboni yokudoba nezinye izinsiza vuselela in izimpande zomhlume. Thanda ulwandle lwasolwandle izimfunda namaxhaphozi asogwini, amahlathi omhlume azigcini nje ngokukhulisa izinhlanzi, izinkalankala, nezinye izilwane, ziphinde zigcine ikhabhoni. Okuningi nangaphezulu izifundo ezivela eGulf of Mexico kuya enyakatho-mpumalanga ye-United States ziye zaqinisekisa ukubaluleka amasistimu asogwini anempilo ukuze athwale ubunzima beziphepho namanzi agubhayo, anciphise imiphumela yawo imiphakathi yasogwini nengqalasizinda. 

Njengozakwethu abaningi, ngingathanda ukukholelwa ukuthi lesi sifundo sokuvikela ugu singakwazi sibe yingxenye yendlela esicabanga ngayo nsuku zonke, hhayi nje ngemva kwenhlekelele. Ngingathanda ukukholwa nini sibona amaxhaphozi anempilo nama-oyster reefs, sikholelwa ukuthi yipholisi yethu yomshwalense ngokumelene nenhlekelele. Ngingathanda ukukholelwa ukuthi singaqonda ukuthi singayithuthukisa kanjani ukuphepha kwemiphakathi yethu, ukuphepha kokudla kwethu, kanye nempilo yethu yesikhathi esizayo ngokuvikela nokubuyisela yethu ulwandle lwasolwandle izimfunda, amaxhaphozi asogwini nemihlume.

Ikhredithi yesithombe: AusAID / Flickr, Yuichi Nishimura / Hokkaido University)