Ukuhlaselwa Kwamahlathi Ashinyeneyo

NGAMINAZAN’ ithile, isijikelezi-langa sethu sasinendawo eluhlaza ebanzi. Kwakukho iintlobo ngeentlobo zemithi kwanemilambo emikhulu apho.

Njengendlu eqhelekileyo yezityalo, yayiyindawo entle nenezinto ezahlukahlukeneyo. Isiqingatha sezilwanyana, iintaka, kwanezinambuzane ezahlukeneyo zazihlala apho. Kodwa nangona yayiyeyona ndawo inkulu emhlabeni, yayicekethekile—iceketheke ngeyona ndlela.

Amahlathi ashinyeneyo akweleenjiko, njengokuba ebizwa njalo, ayekhangeleka emakhulu—yaye phantse ayengenakutshatyalaliswa. Ayengenako. Amahlathi ashinyeneyo aqalisa ukuphela okokuqala kwiziqithi zaseCaribbea. Emva phayaa ngowe-1671—iminyaka elishumi ngaphambi kokutshitsha kwentaka enkulu yamandulo ekwakusithiwa yidodo—amasimi omwoba alitshabalalisa ihlathi laseBarbados.a Kwenzeka okufanayo kwanakwezinye iziqithi kule ndawo, ukungcamla kwangaphambili into eye yanda kule nkulungwane yama-20.

Namhlanje amahlathi ashinyeneyo akweleenjiko agqume kuphela isi-5 ekhulwini somhlaba, xa kuthelekiswa ne-12 ekhulwini kwinkulungwane eyadlulayo. Yaye nyaka ngamnye indawo yehlathi engaphezulu kuneNgilani, okanye eziiskwe khilomitha ezili-130 000, iyagawulwa okanye itshiswe. Oku kutshatyalaliswa kangaka konakalisa amahlathi ashinyeneyo—kwakunye nezinto eziphila kuwo—into efanayo neyenzeka kwintaka idodo. UPhilip Fearnside, umphandi ngamahlathi ashinyeneyo eBrazil ulumkisa ngelithi: “Akunakutshiwo ukuba amahlathi aya kuthi shwaka ngawuphi unyaka, kodwa ngaphambi kokuba izinto ziguquke, amahlathi aza kuthi shwaka.” UDiana Jean Schemo wanikela le ngxelo ngo-Oktobha kunyaka ophelileyo: “Iingxelo kwezi veki zakutshanje ziye zabonisa ukuba ukutsha okwenzekayo eBrazil kulo nyaka kungaphezu koko kwenzekayo eIndonesia, apho iidolophu ezinkulu ziye zagqunywa ngumsi oye wadlulela nakwamanye amazwe. . . . Ukutsha kwendawo iAmazon kuye kwanda ngama-28 ekhulwini kunyaka odlulileyo, ngokwengxelo ye-satellite, nengxelo yokutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi yowe-1994, eyona ikhoyo kutshanje, ibonisa ukuba kuye kwanda ngama-34 ekhulwini ukususela ngowe-1991.”

“Imithi Ekhula Entlango”

Kutheni amahlathi ashinyeneyo, awayephantse angachukunyiswa kwinkulungwane eyadlulayo, etshatyalaliswa ngokukhawuleza kangaka? Amahlathi anemozulu epholileyo, agubungela ama-20 ekhulwini omhlaba, akancitshiswanga kangako kwiminyaka engama-50 edluleyo. Yintoni eyenza amahlathi ashinyeneyo abe sengozini? Kungenxa yendlela ekhethekileyo adalwe ngayo.

UArnold Newman, kwincwadi yakhe ethi Tropical Rainforest, uthi amahlathi ashinyeneyo aye achazwa “njengemithi ekhula entlango.” Ucacisa ngelithi kwezinye iindawo zesidibi saseAmazon nesaseBorneo, “ngokungalindelekanga, amahlathi amakhulu aye axhaswa yintlabathi emhlophe esulungekileyo.” Nangona inkoliso yamahlathi ashinyeneyo asenokungakhuli kwintlabathi, phantse onke akwintlabathi engaphezulu ekumgangatho ophantsi kwanencinane. Nangona umaleko wentlabathi engaphezulu wamahlathi anemozulu epholileyo usenokuba ziimitha ezimbini ubunzulu, kumahlathi ashinyeneyo, awudluli kwiisentimitha ezintlanu. Kungenzeka njani ukuba ezona zityalo zichumayo emhlabeni zisokole kwindawo ekumgangatho ophantsi ngolo hlobo?

Izazinzulu ziye zafumana isicombululo kule nkalo ingenakuqondwa ngeminyaka yee-1960 neyee-1970. Ziye zafumanisa ukuba amahlathi ngokoqobo ayazondla ngokwawo. Inkoliso yezondlo ezifunwa zizityalo ziyafumaneka kumasebe nakwinkunkuma engamagqabi agqume umhlaba wehlathi yaye—kungenxa yobushushu nokufuma—ngokukhawuleza zivundiswa ziintubi, ukungunda, kwanezinye izinto eziphilayo. Akukho nto iyinkcitho; konke kuguqulelwa kwenye into enokuphinda isetyenziswe. Ngokumfimfa kwanomphunga osuka kumphezulu wehlathi, amahlathi ashinyeneyo aphinde asebenzise malunga nama-75 ekhulwini emvula ayifumanayo. Kamva, amafu abumbeke ebudeni bale nkqubo ankcenkceshela amahlathi kwakhona.

Kodwa le nkqubo intle isengozini. Ukuba yonakele kakhulu, ayinakuzihlaziya. Gawula nje indawo encinane yamahlathi ashinyeneyo, yaye kwiminyaka nje embalwa, aya kuphinda akhule; kodwa gawula indawo enkulu, yaye kusenokwenzeka ingaphinde ikhule. Imvula enkulu ikhukulisa izondlo, yaye ilanga elitshisayo ligqatsa umaleko omncinane wentlabathi de ekugqibeleni kukhule kuphela ingca emfutshane.

Umhlaba, Imithi Neehamburger

Kumazwe asakhasayo angenamhlaba ungako wokulima, ezona ndawo zawo ezinkulu zamahlathi angekaphazanyiswa zibonakala zikulungele ukusetyenziswa. Isicombululo “esilula” yayikukukhuthaza abalimi abangamahlwempu, nabangenamihlaba ukuba bacoce ummandla othile wamahlathi nalowo bawunikiweyo—umhlaba onokulingana nalowo wabemi basemzini baseYurophu eNtshona Merika. Noko ke, imiphumo yaba mibi kumahlathi nakubalimi.

La mahlathi ashinyeneyo achumileyo asenokubonakala ngathi kunokukhula nantoni na kuwo. Kodwa emva kokuba imithi igawuliwe, akubonakali ukuba kuza kuchuma into. UVictoria, ibhinqa laseAfrika olime kumhlaba omncinane oye wafunyanwa yintsapho yakhe ehlathini kutshanje, uchaza le ngxaki.

“Ubawozala usandul’ ukugawula waza watshisa le ndawana yeli hlathi ukuze ndikwazi ukulima amandongomane, i-cassava, kwaneebhanana. Kulo nyaka ndifanele ndifumane izilimo ezintle, kodwa kwiminyaka emibini okanye emithathu, lo mhlaba uza kuba sele udiniwe, yaye kuya kufuneka sigawule enye indawo. Ngumsebenzi onzima, kodwa ayikho enye indlela esinokuphila ngayo.”

Kukho ubuncinane izigidi ezingama-200 zabalimi abatshisayo nabagawulayo njengoVictoria nentsapho yakhe! Yaye batshabalalisa ama-60 ekhulwini amahlathi ashinyeneyo minyaka le. Nangona aba balimi babhadulayo basenokukhetha enye indlela elula yokulima, abanandlela yimbi. Bejamelene nomzamo wamihla le wokuziphilisa, bakufumanisa ukugcina amahlathi ashinyeneyo kuyinkcitha xesha abangenakuhlangabezana nayo.

Nangona inkoliso yabalimi iye yagawula amahlathi ukuze ilime, abanye bayawageca ukuze benze amadlelo emfuyo. Kumahlathi ashinyeneyo akuMbindi noMzantsi Merika, ukufuya iinkomo ngomnye unobangela omkhulu wokutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi. Le nyama esuka kwezi nkomo ngokuqhelekileyo iphelela kuMntla Merika, apho iindawo zokutya okukhawulezileyo zifuna ihamburger enexabiso eliphantsi.

Noko ke, abafuyi beenkomo nabo bafumana ingxaki efanayo nabo banemihlaba emincinane yokulima. Amadlelo akhula kwintuthu yamahlathi ashinyeneyo akanakuxhasa iinkomo ngokuqhelekileyo ngaphezu kweminyaka emihlanu. Ukwenza amahlathi ashinyeneyo abe yindawo yenyama yenkomo kusenokuba yingenelo kubantu abambalwa, kodwa yeyona ndlela enenkcitho yokuvelisa ukutya umntu owakhe wayiyila.b

Esinye isisongelo esiyintloko kumahlathi ashinyeneyo kukugawulwa kwamahlathi. Akuthethi kuthi ukugawulwa kwamahlathi ngokuyimfuneko kutshabalalisa amahlathi ashinyeneyo. Ezinye iinkampani zorhwebo zivuna izinto ezithile ezincinane ngendlela yokuba ziphinde zikhule kungekudala. Kodwa umhlaba osisibini kwisithathu kumahlathi aziiskwekhilomitha ezingama-45 000 apho iinkampani zamaplanga zigawula minyaka le kugawulwe kuwo kakhulu kangangokuba ngumthi om-1 kwemi-5 ehlathini ophinda ukhule kakuhle.

Ingcaphephe yezityalo uManuel Fidalgo ithi: “Ndiyakhathazeka xa ndibona ihlathi elihle litshatyalalisiwe ngokugawulwa ngokungalawulekiyo. Nangona liyinyaniso elokuba izityalo kwanemithi isenokukhula kwindawo egeciweyo, ukukhula okutsha kuba lihlathi lesibini—olukumgangatho ophantsi ngenxa yokuba nezityalo ezimbalwa. Kuya kuthabatha iinkulungwane okanye amawaka eminyaka ukuze ihlathi lokuqala lihlume kwakhona.”

Iinkampani ezigawula imithi nazo ziyakhawulezisa ukutshabalalisa amahlathi ngezinye iindlela. Abafuyi beenkomo kwanabalimi ababhadulayo ngokuyintloko basebenzisa iindlela esele zivulwe ngabagawuli. Ngamanye amaxesha iingceba abagawuli abazishiyayo zibangela umlilo wehlathi, nto leyo etshabalalisa ihlathi elingakumbi kunelo ligawulwe ngabagawuli. EBorneo, umlilo onjalo uye watshabalalisa iihektare ezisisigidi esinye ngowe-1983.

Yintoni Eyenziwayo Ukuze Kukhuselwe Ihlathi?

Ekuhlangabezaneni nezi zisongelo, kuye kwenziwa imigudu ukugcina amahlathi aseleyo. Kodwa lo msebenzi mkhulu ngokwenene. Iipaki zelizwe zinokukhusela nje iindawana zamahlathi ashinyeneyo, kodwa ukuzingela, ukugawula, kwanokutshisa kwabalimi kusaqhubeka nto leyo engaphezu kwamandla eepaki. Amazwe asakhasayo akanamali ingako anokuyisebenzisa ekulawuleni amasebe ezamahlathi.

Oorhulumente abangenamali baqhathwa lula ziinkampani zamazwe ngamazwe ekubeni bathengise amalungelo okugawula—kwezinye iimeko enye yeendlela ezimbalwa ezikhoyo zokuhlawula amatyala akwamanye amazwe. Yaye izigidi zabalimi ababhadulayo abanayo enye indawo abanokuya kuyo ngaphandle kokuya bengena nzulu kumahlathi ashinyeneyo.

Kweli hlabathi lizungezwe ziingxaki ezininzi kangaka, ngaba kubaluleke kangako ukulondoloza amahlathi ashinyeneyo? Yintoni eza kusilahlekela xa engekho?

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]