Ukuzibophezela Ekusasa Elingcono: Kungani Ingqungquthela Yethu Yasolwandle Ingenza Ngihlole Kabusha Inkumbulo Ecacile Yobuntwana

Esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba ngithuthele nabazali bami eCalifornia futhi ngibone amandla olwandle ngamehlo ami, ngangihlala eNew York. Igumbi lami lokulala lobuntwana lalinokhamba oluluhlaza kanye nembulunga enkulu ekhoneni legumbi. Lapho umzala wami uJulia evakasha, saqhwanda izingubo zokulala phansi, futhi leyo mpahla yokulala yaba imikhumbi yasolwandle. Ngokulandelayo, umata wami washintsha waba ulwandle olukhulu, oluluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nolwasendle.

Umata wami oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka wawunamandla futhi uqinile, ugcwele izingozi ezifihliwe. Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi, akuzange kungifikele ukuthi ulwandle lwami lokuzenzisa lwalusengozini ngenxa yezinsongo ezikhulayo zokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, ukungcoliswa kwepulasitiki, nokuncipha kwezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo. Dlulisa phambili iminyaka engu-30 futhi sisemhlabeni ongokoqobo osha wasolwandle. Ulwandle lubhekene nezinsongo zokungcola, imikhuba yokudoba engalawuleki, kanye nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu, okuholela ekwehleni kwezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo njengoba amazinga e-carbon dioxide enyuka olwandle.

Ngo-Ephreli ka-2022, umhlaka-7 Ingqungquthela yethu yoLwandle senzeka eRiphabhulikhi yasePalau futhi kwaholela ekutheni a iphepha lezibopho eyafingqa imiphumela yengqungquthela yamazwe ngamazwe.

Izihloko/izindikimba ezisemqoka eziyisithupha zengqungquthela bezi:

1. Ukuguquka Kwesimo Sezulu: 89 izibopho, ezibiza u-4.9B
2. I-Sustainable Fisheries: 60 izibopho, ezibiza u-668B
3. I-Sustainable Blue Economies: 89 izibopho, ezibiza u-5.7B
4. Izindawo Zasolwandle Ezivikelwe: 58 izibopho, ezibiza u-1.3B
5. Ukuphepha Kwasolwandle: 42 izibopho, ezibiza u-358M
6. Ukungcola Olwandle: 71 izibopho, ezibiza u-3.3B

Njengoba iphepha lezibopho lisho ekhasini le-10, ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kuyingxenye yengqikithi yazo zonke izihloko, naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi kuhlukaniswa ngakunye. Umuntu angaphikisana nokho, ukuthi ukwehlukanisa ukuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu njengendikimba kukodwa kubalulekile ekuboneni ukuxhumana phakathi kwesimo sezulu nolwandle.

Ohulumeni emhlabeni wonke bazibophezele ekubhekaneni nemithelela yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu olwandle. Ngokwesibonelo, i-Australia yazibophezela ekuhlinzekeni ngo-4.7M (USD) kanye no-21.3M (USD) ukuze kusekelwe izigaba zesibili ze-Pacific Regional Blue Carbon Initiative kanye nohlelo lokusekela lwe-Climate and Oceans, ngokulandelana. I-European Union izohlinzeka ngo-55.17M (EUR) ekubhekeni imvelo yasolwandle ngohlelo lwayo lokuqapha ngesathelayithi kanye nesevisi yedatha, phakathi kwezinye izibopho zezimali.

Ibona ukubaluleka kwemihlume, i-Indonesia yabophezela u-1M (USD) ekuvuseleleni lesi sisetshenziswa esibalulekile semvelo. I-Ireland yazibophezela ngo-2.2M (EUR) ukusungula uhlelo olusha locwaningo olugxile ekugcinweni kwekhabhoni eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nokuthathwa kwempahla, njengengxenye yosekelo lwayo lwezezimali. I-United States ihlinzeka ngenani elibanzi losekelo lokubhekana nemithelela yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu olwandle, njenge-11M (USD) yethimba lesayensi Lokulinganisa Ukujikeleza Nezulu Lolwandle (ECCO), 107.9M (USD) ukuze i-NASA idale ithuluzi ukubuka imvelo yasogwini, 582M (USD) ukuze kuthuthukiswe imodeli yolwandle, ukubhekwa, kanye nezinsizakalo, phakathi kwezinye izinto eziningi. 

Ngokuqondile, i-Ocean Foundation (TOF) yenziwe eziyisithupha (6) zezibopho zayo, konke ngama-USD, okuhlanganisa:

1. ukukhulisa i-3M nge-Climate Strong Islands Network (CSIN) yemiphakathi yaseziqhingini zase-US, 
2. ukwenza i-350K ekuqaphelweni kwe-acidity yolwandle eGulf of Guinea, 
3. ukwenza i-800K yokuqapha i-acidification yolwandle kanye nokuqina kwesikhathi eside eziqhingini ze-pacific, 
4. ukukhulisa i-1.5M ukubhekana nezinkinga zokungalingani kwesistimu kumthamo wesayensi yolwandle, 
5. ukutshala imali engu-8M emzamweni wokuqina okuluhlaza ku-Wider Caribbean Region, kanye 
6. raising 1B to support corporate ocean engagement with Rockefeller Asset Management.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-TOF yenza lula ukuthuthukiswa kwe Isibali sekhabhoni sokuqala ngqa sasePalau, ngokuhambisana nengqungquthela.

Lezi zibopho zibalulekile njengesinyathelo sokuqala sokuxhumanisa amachashazi phakathi kokushintsha kwesimo sezulu nempilo yolwandle. Nokho, omunye angase abuze, “yini ukubaluleka kwalezi zibopho?”

Izibophezelo Ziqinisa Umbono Wokuthi Ukuguquguquka Kwesimo Sezulu kanye Nolwandle Kuxhumene

Izinhlelo zemvelo zixhumene, futhi ulwandle lunjalo. Lapho isimo sezulu sifudumala, kuba nomthelela oqondile olwandle kanye nendlela yokuphendula engamelwa umdwebo womjikelezo wekhabhoni ongezansi. Abantu abaningi bayaqaphela ukuthi izihlahla zihlanza umoya, kodwa bangase bangazi ukuthi imvelo yasogwini ingasebenza ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-50 kunamahlathi ekugcineni ikhabhoni. Ngakho, ulwandle luwumthombo omangalisayo, okufanele uvikelwe, ukuze lusize ekubhekaneni nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu.

Izibophezelo Zisekela Umbono Wokuthi Ukuguquguquka Kwesimo Sezulu Kulimaza Izinhlobonhlobo Zezinto Eziphilayo Nezempilo Yasolwandle

Lapho ikhabhoni ingena olwandle, kuba nezinguquko zamakhemikhali emanzini ezingenakugwema. Omunye umphumela uwukuthi i-pH yolwandle iyehla, okuholela ekubeni ne-asidi ephezulu emanzini. Uma ukhumbula ngekhemistri yesikole samabanga aphezulu [yebo, kwakukudala, kodwa sicela ucabange emuva ngalezo zinsuku] lapho i-pH ephansi, i-acidic eyengeziwe, futhi ukuphakama kwe-pH, okuyisisekelo kakhulu. Inkinga eyodwa impilo yasemanzini ebhekene nayo ukuthi ingaba khona ngenjabulo kuphela phakathi kwebanga le-pH elijwayelekile. Ngakho, ukukhishwa kwekhabhoni okufanayo okubangela ukuphazamiseka kwesimo sezulu nakho kuthinta ubumuncu bamanzi olwandle; futhi lolu shintsho kumakhemikhali emanzini luthinta nezilwane ezihlala olwandle. Bona: https://ocean-acidification.org.

Izibophezelo Zibeka Eqhulwini Ulwandle Njengomthombo Wemvelo Osekela Impilo

Akuyona into encane ukuthi ingqungquthela yalo nyaka ibe sePalau - lokho i-TOF ebhekisela kuyo ngokuthi iLarge Ocean State (kunokuba iSifundazwe Esithuthukayo SesiQhingi Esincane). Imiphakathi ephila ngokubuka kuqala ulwandle yileyo ebona umthelela wokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu ngokushesha nangokumangalisayo. Le miphakathi ayikwazi ukuziba noma ihlehlise imiphumela yokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu. Nakuba zikhona izindlela zokunciphisa ukukhuphuka kwamanzi okushintsha kwesimo sezulu, la masu awayixazululi inkinga yesikhathi eside yokuthi ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu kubathinta kanjani ubuqotho bendawo ezungezile yolwandle. Okushiwo yizibophezelo wukufezeka komthelela ukuguquka kwesimo sezulu okuyoba nawo olwandle futhi ngaleyo ndlela ezinhlotsheni zesintu zibonke, kanye nesidingo sokuthatha isinyathelo sokubheka phambili.

Ngakho-ke, izibopho ezenziwa eNgqungqutheleni Yethu Yolwandle ziyizinyathelo ezilandelayo ezisebenzayo ekubekeni phambili ukubaluleka kolwandle emhlabeni wethu kanye nezinhlobo zabantu. Lezi zibopho ziyawabona amandla olwandle, kodwa futhi nokuba sengozini kwalo. 

Uma ngicabanga emuva komata olwandle oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka egumbini lami lokulala laseNew York, ngiyabona ukuthi kwakunzima ngaleso sikhathi ukuxhuma lokho okwakukhona “ngezansi” kolwandle kulokho okwakwenzeka esimweni sezulu “ngaphezulu” kwawo. Nokho, umuntu akakwazi ukuvikela ulwandle ngaphandle kokuqonda ukubaluleka kwalo embulungeni yonke. Impela, izinguquko zesimo sezulu sethu zinomthelela olwandle ngezindlela esisazithola. Okuwukuphela kwendlela eya phambili “ukwenza amagagasi” - okuthi, endabeni yeNkomfa Yethu Yasolwandle - kusho ukuzibophezela ekusaseni elingcono.