Ukushokoxeka Kobuncwane Bomhlaba
“Kukho unxibelelwano phakathi kwazo zonke izinto zendalo, yaye sibekek’ ityala ngeempazamo esiye sazenza ngaphambili.”—Iphephancwadi iAfrican Wildlife.
ABANYE bayibiza ngokuthi yiecological footprint. Le yindlela yokuqonda indlela obusetyenziswa ngayo ubuncwane bomhlaba ngabantu xa kuthelekiswa namandla omhlaba okuphinda uvelise obo buncwane. IWorld Wildlife Fund ithi, iecological footprint ibonisa ukuba ukususela ngeminyaka yee-1980, abantu bebesebenzisa ubuncwane bomhlaba ngomkhamo omkhulu kunokuba ukwazi ukuphinda ubuvelise.a Noko ke, le yenye nje kwiindlela ezininzi ezibonisa iingxaki ejamelene nazo imekobume.
Enye indlela okubonakala ngayo oku kukuqwalasela izinto eziphilayo zomhlaba. Xa kuthethwa “ngezinto eziphilayo” kubhekiselwa kunxibelelwano lwazo zonke izinto zendalo, kuquka eziphilayo nezingaphiliyo. Ukuhlolisiswa kwemeko yezinto eziphilayo—njengoko kuboniswa zizinto eziliqela eziphila emahlathini, emanzini, naselwandle—iWorld Wildlife Fund ikubiza ngokuthi yiLiving Planet Index. Ukususela kowe-1970 ukusa kowama-2000, le index iye yabonisa ukuba izinto eziphilayo zidodobala ngomlinganiselo omalunga nama-37 ekhulwini.
Ngaba Ubuncwane Obukhoyo Bunokwanela Bonke Abantu?
Ukuba uhlala kumazwe aseNtshona apho iivenkile zihlala ziphuphuma yinto yonke nabantu bethenga imini nobusuku, kunganzima ukukholelwa ukuba bunqongophele ubuncwane bomhlaba. Ukanti, baligcuntswana nje abantu abaxhamla ubunewunewu bomhlaba. Abaninzi batsala nzima bezabalazela ukuphila. Ngokomzekelo, kuqikelelwa ukuba bangaphezu kwamawaka amabini ezigidi abantu abaphila ngemali elinganiselwa kwiidola ezintathu okanye ngaphantsi ngosuku yaye abo bantu abakwazi ukufumana nombane lo wembala.
Ngokuphathelele ubuhlwempu bamazwe asakhasayo, abanye babek’ ityala kwiinkqubo zorhwebo zamazwe afumileyo. IVital Signs 2003 ithi, “Ngandlela zonke, inkqubo yoshishino yehlabathi icinezela amahlwempu.” Njengokuba besanda abantu abazama ukuxhamla kobu “buncwane”, nobuya bunqaba okwezinyo lenkuku, abo bangenazo iinkozo abakwazi kuxhamla kweli qhekeza. Ngoko ke, iphinda ibe ziingcungcu ezimilomo itsolo ezikwaziyo ukufikelela kubuncwane bomhlaba.
Ukunyamalala Kwamahlathi
Kuqikelelwa ukuba bangama-80 ekhulwini abantu baseAfrika abapheka ngeenkuni. Ukongezelela, iphephancwadi laseMzantsi Afrika iGetaway lithi: “Ehlabathini lonke iAfrika lelona lizwe linabemi abanda kakhulu nelona lizwe linabantu abaninzi abahlala ezixekweni.” Ngenxa yoko, ummandla ongqonge izixeko ezikhulu ezithile ezikwiSahel, ummandla omkhulu oyinkqantosi emazantsi ekupheleni kweNtlango yeSahara ugawulwe yaphela imithi kangangeekhilomitha ezili-100 nxa zonke. Loo mithi ayisukanga yagawulwa nje ngaphandle kwenjongo. UNjingalwazi Samuel Nana-Sinkam uthi: ‘Inkoliso yabantu baseAfrika itshabalalisa imekobume kuba ifuna indlela yokuphila.’
Le meko yahluke gqitha kweyaseMzantsi Merika. Ngokomzekelo, eBrazil kukho iinkampani zokugawula ezingama-7 600 ezibhaliswe kumahlathi ashinyeneyo alapho. Inkoliso yazo ixhaswa ngoosomashishini abame kakuhle. Umthi imahogany uxabisa malunga nee-R200 kwinkampani yokugawula. Kodwa xa sele usezandleni zoosomashishini nabo bawulungiselela ukwenza imveliso, ixabiso lawo liba selibetha kwii-R850 000 ngaphambi kokuba kwenziwe ngawo ifanitshala. Kungenxa yoko imahogany igqalwa njengomthi oxabiso lilingana negolide.
Ininzi inkcazelo eye yapapashwa ngokuphathelele ukutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi ashinyeneyo aseBrazil. Imifanekiso yesatellite ibonisa ukuba phakathi kowe-1995 nowama-2000, nyaka ngamnye kumahlathi aseBrazil bekutshatyalaliswa ummandla ongaphezu kwezikwekhilomitha ezingama-20 000. Iphephancwadi laseBrazil iVeja lithi: “Lo mlinganiselo uxhomis’ amehlo wokutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi uthetha ukuba rhoqo emva kwemizuzwana esibhozo kutshatyalaliswa ummandla olingana nebala lebhola.” Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, kuthiwa ngowama-2000 ngaphezu kwama-70 ekhulwini emithi yemahogany yaseBrazil yathengwa lelaseUnited States kuphela.
Amahlathi atshatyalaliswa ngendlela efanayo nakwamanye amazwe. Ngokomzekelo, isiqingatha samahlathi namatyholo aseMexico siye satshatyalaliswa kule minyaka ingama-50 idluleyo. Imeko emandundu nangakumbi kukuphela kwamahlathi akwiiPhilippines. Elo lizwe liphulukana nommandla wamahlathi oziihektare ezili-100 000 rhoqo ngonyaka, yaye emva phayaa ngowe-1999 kwakuqikelelwa ukuba phantse isibini kwisithathu samahlathi elo siza kutshatyalaliswa kwiminyaka nje elishumi.
Ukuze ukhule ngokupheleleyo, umthi uthabatha iminyaka engama-60 ukusa kweli-100 ngoxa ukuwugawula kunokuthabatha imizuzu nje engephi. Xa kunjalo, yintoni ke esimangalisayo xa amahlathi engakwazi ukumelana nokugawulwa?
Ukukhukuliseka Komhlaba
Xa umhlaba uncothulwa zonke izinto ezikhula kuwo, umhlaba ongaphezulu otyebileyo ukhawuleza wome uze umke nomoya okanye namanzi. Yiloo nto ke ukukhukuliseka komhlaba.
Ukukhukuliseka komhlaba yinto eyenzeka ngokwemvelo yaye akudli ngokuba yingxaki kangako—ngaphandle kokuba umntu wenza izinto eziza kukukhawulezisa xa esonakalisa umhlaba. Ngokomzekelo, iphephancwadi iChina Today lithi iinkqwithela, nezinye izinto ezinjengokugawulwa kwamahlathi nokudliswa kwamadlelo ngokugqithiseleyo, “kuye kwayandisa ngokukhawuleza” imimandla eyintlango. Imbalela engaqhelekanga kwiminyaka yakutshanje ishiye amaphondo akwintshona nomntla-ntshona weTshayina welo lizwe ethwaxwa yimimoya yaseSiberia ebhudlayo. Intlabathi eninzi emthubi nothuli iphephetheke de yaya kufikelela eKorea naseJapan. Phantse ama-25 ekhulwini ommandla omkhulu waseTshayina ngoku yintlango.
Nomhlaba waseAfrika wonakaliswa ngendlela efanayo. IAfrica Geographic ithi: “Etshabalalisa amahlathi ngenjongo yokulima ukutya, amafama aye awonakalisa ngendlela engenakuphinda ilungiswe umhlaba.” Kuqikelelwa ukuba emva kokugawulwa, kwiminyaka nje emithathu loo mmandla uphulukana nokuchuma okumalunga nama-50 ekhulwini. Ngoko eli phephancwadi longezelela lithi: “Izigidi zeehektare sele zonakele ngendlela engenakuphinda ilungiswe yaye izigidi ezingakumbi zisendleleni yokonakala njengoko ezolimo ziyekelela ukuvelisa kakuhle nyaka ngamnye.”
Kuthiwa minyaka le iBrazil iphulukana nezigidi ezingama-50 zeetoni zomhlaba ngenxa yokukhukuliseka. EMexico iDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources ithi ukukhukuliseka komhlaba kuchaphazela ama-53 ekhulwini emithana eshinyeneyo, ama-59 ekhulwini amatyholo nama-72 ekhulwini amahlathi. Ingxelo yeUnited Nations Development Programme ithi konke oku “kukhukuliseka komhlaba kuchaphazela phantse isibini kwisithathu somhlaba wokulima ehlabathini. Ngenxa yoko, umhlaba uya uphelelwa ngokothusayo ngamandla okuvelisa ukutya ngoxa besanda abantu abafuna ukondliwa.”
Amanzi—Akathengwa, Kodwa Axabiseke Ngaphezu Kwemali
Umntu unokuphila malunga nenyanga engafumani kutya, kodwa angafa kwisithuba nje seveki xa engafumani manzi. Ngenxa yoko, iingcali zithi ukushokoxeka kwamanzi okusela kuseza kubangela olona kruthakruthwano lukhulu kwiminyaka ezayo. Ingxelo yowama-2002 yephephancwadi iTime ithi, ehlabathini lonke bangaphezu kwewaka lezigidi abantu abangenawo amanzi okusela acocekileyo.
Zininzi izinto ezenza amanzi anqongophale. EFransi, ukungcola ngoyena thunywashe uphambili yaye kuxhalabisa ngakumbi. ILe Figaro ithi: “Imilambo yaseFransi ikwimeko emaxongo xa kuthethwa ngezempilo.” Izazinzulu zifumanise ukuba le ngxaki ibangelwa yinitrate eza namanzi emvula, ngokuyintloko ephuma kwizichumiso ezisetyenziswa emasimini. Eli phepha lithi: “Ngowe-1999 imilambo yaseFransi iye yatyekezela iitoni ezingama-375 000 zenitrate kulwandle lweAtlantiki, phantse umlinganiselo ophindwe kabini kulowo wowe-1985.”
Kwenzeka okufanayo naseJapan. Ukuze kondliwe abemi belo, “amafama akanandlela-mbini kodwa ayanyanzeleka ukuba asebenzise izichumiso zamachiza nezibulala-zinambuzane,” utsho uYutaka Une umphathi oyintloko kumbutho wokhuseleko kwiifama ezingashishineli kwenza ingeniso. Oku kuye kwakhokelela ekungcolisweni kwamanzi aphantsi komhlaba—nto leyo iIHT Asahi Shimbun yaseTokyo ithi “yeyona ngxaki inkulu kulo lonke elaseJapan.”
Iphephandaba iReforma lithi eMexico, ama-35 ekhulwini kubantu abagulayo “bagula ngenxa yezifo ezibangelwa kukonakaliswa kwemekobume.” Ukongezelela, uhlolisiso olwenziwa lisebe lezempilo lwabonisa ukuba “ummi om-1 kwaba-4 akanayo inkqubo yokugutyula ilindle; bangaphezu kwezigidi ezisi-8 abantu abakha amanzi abo emithonjeni, emilanjeni, emachibini, okanye emifuleni; yaye bangaphezu kwesigidi abasebenzisa amanzi eza ngeelori.” Ayimangalisi ke into yokuba kusithiwa ukugula kwabantu abangama-90 ekhulwini kwabo bahanjiswa sisisu eMexico kubangelwa ngamanzi angcolileyo!
Iphephancwadi laseBrazil iVeja lithi: “Amanxweme aseRio akapheleli nje ekubeni nelanga eligqatsa kamnandi, intlabathi emhlophe nolwandle oluhle. Kwalapho kuwo afihle intlaninge yeentsholongwane maxa wambi aba neoli endandayo.” Oku kubangelwa kukuba imisele yelindle engaphezu kwama-50 ekhulwini yaseBrazil ityekezela ngqo emilanjeni, kumachibi naselwandle ingakhange icocwe. Ngenxa yoko, amanzi acocekileyo anqongophele. Imilambo engqonge isixeko esikhulu saseBrazil iSão Paulo, ingcole kangangokuba amanzi okusela atsalwa kummandla omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-100 ukusuka apho.
Kwelinye icala lomhlaba, ukunqongophala kwamanzi eOstreliya ubukhulu becala kubangelwa ngamanzi anetyuwa. Kumashumi eminyaka eyadlulayo kwakhuthazwa abanini mhlaba ukuba bashiye iindawo zabo ukuze kulinywe izityalo. Ekubeni kwasala imithi embalwa eza kufunxa amanzi angaphantsi komhlaba, loo manzi enyuka esiza neetoni zetyuwa yomhlaba ngaphezulu. ICommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) yaseOstreliya ithi: “Malunga nezigidi ezi-2.5 zeehektare zomhlaba sele zinamanzi anetyuwa. Inkoliso yaloo mhlaba ngowona mhlaba wokulima uchumileyo waseOstreliya.”
Abanye bathi ukuba urhulumente waseOstreliya wayenganyekanga nzuzo ngaphezu kweemfuno zabantu, ingxaki yamanzi anetyuwa ngeyaphetshwayo. UHugo Bekle we-Edith Cowan University yasePerth, eOstreliya uthi: “Urhulumente waxelelwa kwasekuqaleni kowe-1917 ukuba umhlaba olungele ukulima ingqolowa uba lixhoba eliphambili lamanzi anetyuwa. Inkcazelo ephathelele ukugawulwa kwemithi ethintela ukunyuka kwamanzi anetyuwa yapapashwa ngeminyaka yee-1920, yaye ngeminyaka yee-1930 yamkelwa njengenyaniso liSebe Lezolimo. Ngowe-1950, lo mbandela waxutyushwa ngamandla yiCSIRO norhulumente [waseOstreliya], . . . ukanti abaphathi baqhubeka bezibetha ngoyaba ezi zilumkiso, bemi ngelithi izazinzulu zinekhethe.”
Ubomi Babantu Busengozini
Akuthandabuzeki ukuba abantu baye benza izinto ezininzi beneenjongo ezintle. Kodwa njengokuba kusoloko kunjalo, asinalwazi lungako ngemekobume ukuze siyazi kusengaphambili imiphumo yezenzo zethu. Sifumana imiphumo ebuhlungu. UTim Flannery, umalathisi kwiSouth Australian Museum uthi: “Indalo siyiphazamise kangangokuba sisongela nomhlaba lo sixhomekeke kuwo.”
Siyintoni isicombululo? Ngaba abantu baya kuze bafunde ukuphila ngokuvisisana nemekobume? Eneneni, ngaba uMhlaba unokuhlangulwa?
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a Ngokomzekelo, kuqikelelwa ukuba ngowe-1999 loo kratya wafikelela kuma-20 ekhulwini. Oku kuthetha ukuba ubuncwane bomhlaba obasetyenziswa ngabantu kwiinyanga ezili-12 umhlaba wathabatha iinyanga ezili-14 ukuze uphinde ubuvelise.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 6]
Thontsi Ngalinye Lamanzi Libalulekile
Kufuneka amanyathelo nje ambalwa ukuze kongiwe imigqomo yamanzi.
● Lungisa iitephu ezivuzayo.
● Sukuchitha ixesha elide eshawareni.
● Yivale impompo ngoxa usacheba iindevu okanye uhlamba amazinyo.
● Zisebenzise kabini okanye kathathu iitawuli ngaphambi kokuba uphinde uzihlambe.
● Linda impahla emdaka de ibe nokuzalisa umatshini ngaphambi kokuba uyihlambe. (Yenza okufanayo naxa uza kusebenzisa umatshini wokuhlamba izitya.)
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Xa Ungasafazi Awuyi Kuhlwempuzeka
● Nakuba iOstreliya ilelona lizwekazi lomileyo ehlabathini, ngaphezu kwama-90 ekhulwini kwiindlela zayo zokunkcenkceshela “kuvulelwa amanzi ahamba ngeefolo,” itsho njalo iThe Canberra Times. Le nkqubo “ifana naleyo yayisetyenziswa xa oofaro babesakha iipiramidi.”
● Ehlabathini lonke, umlinganiselo wamanzi asetyenziswa ngumntu ngamnye (kuquka amanzi asetyenziswa ekunkcenkcesheleni nakwimizi-mveliso) umalunga neelitha ezingama-550 000 ngonyaka. Noko ke, ummi oqhelekileyo waseMntla Merika usebenzisa phantse iilitha ezisisi-1 600 000 ngonyaka. Elo lalisakuba yiriphabliki yaseRashiya lelona linomlinganiselo ophakamileyo, ummi wakhona usebenzisa ngaphezu kweelitha ezizizigidi ezi-5,3 ngonyaka.
● Lizwe ngalinye lifuna ummandla othile womhlaba ukuze lilime ukutya kwabemi balo. IAfrica Geographic ithi, “ngokomlinganiselo, mmi ngamnye waseMzantsi Afrika usebenzisa ukutya okunokulinywa kummandla weehektare ezi-4,0 ngonyaka ngoxa elo lizwe linokuvelisela kuphela mntu ngamnye ukutya okulinywe kwiihektare ezi-2,4 ngonyaka.”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 5]
Ummandla ogawulwe amahlathi aphela waseSahel, eBurkina Faso. Le ndawo yayishinyene yimithi kwiminyaka eli-15 edluleyo
[Inkcazelo]
© Jeremy Hartley/Panos Pictures
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
Ukugawula nokutshisa imithi ngenjongo yokulima kutshabalalisa amahlathi ashinyeneyo eCameroon
[Inkcazelo]
© Fred Hoogervorst/Panos Pictures
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]
Ukungcoliswa komoya ngumsi weemoto kubangela inkxalabo eUnited States
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8, 9]
Nyaka ngamnye phakathi kowe-1995 nowama-2000 kwatshatyalaliswa izikwekhilomitha ezimalunga nama-20 000 kumahlathi aseBrazil
[Inkcazelo]
© Ricardo Funari/SocialPhotos.com
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]
Amanzi angaphantsi komhlaba elixhomekeke kuwo iqula lale dolophana yaseIndiya angcoliswe kukufuywa kwee“prawn”
[Inkcazelo]
© Giacomo Pirozzi/Panos Pictures
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]
Bangaphezu kwezigidi ezibini zamawaka abantu abaphila ngeedola ezintathu okanye ngaphantsi ngosuku
[Inkcazelo]
© Caroline Penn/Panos Pictures