Iintaba Zisengozini

“Wonke umntu unokuzuza ngokuqinisekisa ukuba imimandla yeentaba iqhubeka ivelisa ubutyebi obuza kunceda izizukulwana ezininzi ezizayo.”—UKOFI ANNAN, USOSIBA-JIKELELE WEZIZWE EZIMANYENEYO.

XA UCINGA ngeentaba kuthi qatha ubukhulu nokomelela. Yintoni enokutshabalalisa aba rhec’ izulu? Bambi abakholelwa ukuba iintaba zingasengozini. Inyaniso yona ikukuba iintaba zisesichengeni. Izazi ngendalo zibala iingxaki eziliqela ezisenokubangela ingxaki ezintabeni. Zonke ezo ngxaki zinzulu yaye ziya zisiba mbi. Makhe siqwalasele nje ezinye zazo.

◼ UMSEBENZI WOKWAKHA. Kwimimandla yeentaba enokuba ngama-25 ekhulwini ehlabathini lonke kuza kwakhiwa iindlela, imigodi, kuhambe imibhobho, kwakhiwe amadama kuze kwenziwe nezinye izinto kwiminyaka engama-30 ezayo. Ukwakhiwa kweendlela kunokubangela ukukhukuliseka komhlaba kwiindawo ezinamathambeka, yaye iindlela zivulela abo bagawula imithi yaye bona benza ongathethekiyo umonakalo. Emigodini kumbiwa iitoni ezinokuba zizigidi ezingamawaka alishumi zentsimbi ekrwada, yaye inkoliso yayo ifumaneka ezintabeni, nto leyo ebangela zizaliswe yinkunkuma.a

◼ UKUQATSELA KOBUSHUSHU BOMHLABA. IWorldwatch Institute ithi: “Eyona minyaka isithoba ibihamba phambili ngobushushu ibisusela kowe-1990.” Yaye abantu abahlala ezintabeni baye bachaphazeleka ngokukhethekileyo. Oku kuye kwabangela ukunyibilika kwekhephu elehla ezintabeni—nto leyo ngokutsho kwezinye izazinzulu, eza kuchaphazela imithombo yamanzi ize iwukhukulise kanobom umhlaba. Sithethanje kubonakala ngathi amachibi abangelwa kukunyibilika kwekhephu elikwiintaba zeHimalaya aza kuphuphuma nto leyo enokubangela izikhukula ezikhulu, yaye oko sekwenzeke ngokuphindaphindiweyo kumashumi eminyaka edluleyo.

◼ UKUNQONGOPHALA KWESIVUNO. Ukwanda ngokukhawuleza kwabemi kubangela ukuba abantu balime kumhlaba ongenamveliso. Ngokutsho kolunye uhlolisiso, phantse isiqingatha semimandla eneentaba eAfrika singamasimi okanye amadlelo—owamasimi uli-10 ekhulwini kanti owamadlelo ungama-34 ekhulwini. Phofu akanamveliso ingako la masimi, ekubeni iintaba zingeyondawo yokulima.b Kona ukubhuqiswa kweenkomo kubulala utyani olusemadlelweni. Uhlolisiso lwakutshanje lubonisa ukuba ngumhlaba osisi-3 ekhulwini kuphela weentaba ochumileyo.

◼ IMFAZWE. Ukwanda kweemfazwe zamakhaya mvanje kuye kwatshabalalisa imimandla emininzi eneentaba. Abavukeli bazimela kuzo yaye iinkampu zabo zisezintabeni. Ingxelo yeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ibonisa ukuba kummandla ongama-67 ekhulwini weentaba zaseAfrika kuye “kwaliwa.” Ukongezelela, kweminye yale mimandla kuye kwalinywa iziyobisi ezingekho mthethweni, nto leyo edla ngokubangela iingxwabangxwaba nokonakaliswa kwaloo mimandla.

Ngaba Kufanele Kwenziwe Okungakumbi?

Sele ubonakala umonakalo umntu aye wawubangela kummandla weentaba. Izikhukula, ukukhukuliseka komhlaba nokunqongophala kwamanzi yeminye yemiqondiso ebonisa ukuba izinto azihambi kakuhle. Oorhulumente sele bekuphawule oku. Baye baphinda baqalisa ukulima amahlathi, yaye abavumi ukuba imithi igawulwe kweminye imimandla. Kuye kwenziwa iipaki zikarhulumente ukuze kulondolozwe ezona ndawo zintle nezilwanyana ezihlala kuloo mimandla ezisecicini lokutshatyalaliswa.

Noko ke, kusekho iingxaki nakwimimandla ekhuselweyo. (Bona ibhokisi ethi “Eminye Imimandla Yemvelo.”) Ukutshatyalaliswa ngokukhawuleza kwezinye izinto kubonisa ukuba umlo wokukhuselwa kwemimandla esezintabeni uphelel’ emoyeni. Iingcali ziyazazi ezi ngxaki, kodwa azikayifumani indlela yokukhusela le mimandla. Isazi esidumileyo sebhayoloji uEdward O. Wilson wathi: “Sinolwazi oluhle gqitha lwenzululwazi kodwa kuyadanisa ukubona imimandla enezinto ezahlukahlukeneyo zendalo itshatyalaliswa.”

Ngaba sifanele sixhalabe kangako ngenxa yokutshatyalaliswa kwendalo? Izazi ezininzi zebhayoloji zithi, abantu bazuza gqitha ngokulondolozwa kwendalo. Ngokomzekelo, bathetha ngesityalo ekuthiwa yirosy periwinkle esifumaneka kwiintaba zaseMadagascar, ummandla onezityalo ezininzi. Esi sityalo siye saliyeza elibalulekileyo lesifo ileukemia. Ukongezelela, iquinine namanye amayeza okunyanga isifo seengcongconi kangangamashumi eminyaka ebefumaneka kumthi okuthiwa yicinchona okhula kwiiNtaba zeAndes. Ezinye izityalo ezininzi ezikhula ezintabeni ziye zasindisa ubomi babantu abaninzi. Liyinyaniso elokuba, ezinye zezi zityalo zikhula ezintabeni ziyalinywa zize zikhule nakwimimandla engenazintaba. Noko ke, ingxaki ikukuba ekubeni umntu etshabalalisa izityalo ezininzi ezifumaneka ezintabeni, kusenokwenzeka ukuba atshabalalise nezityalo ezisenokuba liyeza okanye ukutya okunesondlo.

Ngaba le ntshabalaliso ingaka inokuthintelwa? Ngaba le ngxaki isenokulungiswa? Ngaba iintaba ziza kuqhubeka ziyindawo entle neneendidi ezininzi zezityalo? Inqaku elilandelayo liya kuyisingatha le mibandela.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 23]

Izilwanyana Zasezintabeni

Ingonyama yasezintabeni, ekwabizwa ngokuba yipuma, ngokuyintloko ifumaneka ezintabeni njengokuba negama layo libonisa—ngokuyintloko kwiintaba iiRockies neeAndes. Njengezilwanyana ezininzi ezikhulu zasendle ezitya inyama, ngokuthe ngcembe iye yangena ngakumbi enzulwini yamahlathi ngenxa yokukhathazwa kwayo ngabantu.

Ired panda ifumaneka kuphela kwiintaba zeHimalaya (nakwimiwewe yeMount Everest). Noko ke, nakuba ihlala ezingqaqeni, ired panda isengozini ngenxa yokutshatyalaliswa kwamahlathi oqalo ekukutya kwayo.

[Inkcazelo]

Cortesía del Zoo de la Casa de Campo, Madrid

Ibhere emdaka (brown bear) ngaphambili yayindolosa phantse kuyo yonke iYurophu, iAsia nakuMntla Merika. Kungokunje ifumaneka kuphela kwiintaba ezithile ezimbalwa zaseYurophu, nangona inganqabanga kangako kwiiRockies zaseKhanada, eAlaska naseSiberia. Iye yancipha ngama-99 ekhulwini eUnited States ebudeni benkulungwane edluleyo.

Ukhozi olukhulu (golden eagle) luxhaphakile kwinkoliso yeentaba eziseMantla eIkhweyitha. Okulusizi kukuba, amanani alo aye ancipha eYurophu de aya kufikelela kwiimazi neenkunzi ezinokuba ngama-5 000 ngenxa yokuba yayiyintaka ‘ethiyiweyo netshutshiswayo.’

Igiant panda “iya kusindiswa kuphela zizinto zintathu” sitsho njalo isazi semvelo saseTshayina, uTang Xiyang. Ezi zinto “ziintaba eziphakamileyo nemiwonyo enzulu, amahlathi ashinyeneyo oqalo, nemisinga enkcenkceza amanzi.” Olunye uqikelelo lubonisa ukuba zinokuba zingaphantsi kwe-1 600 iipanda eziphila ezindle.

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 24, 25]

Eminye Imimandla Yemvelo

IYosemite National Park (eKhalifoniya, eUnited States) yabakho ngowe-1890 ngenxa yemizamo yesithandi semvelo uJohn Muir. Ubuhle bayo butsala iindwendwe ezinokuba zizigidi ezine nyaka ngamnye. Noko ke, amagosa alo myezo akufumanisa kunzima ukuwulondoloza nokwakha iindawo ezifanele zisetyenziswe ngabakhenkethi.

IPodocarpus National Park (e-Ecuador) ifumaneka kummandla wamahlathi afumileyo kwiintaba zeAndes ezinezilwanyana nezityalo ezininzi zasendle—iindidi zeentaka ezingaphezu kwama-600 nezityalo ezinokuba ngama-4 000. Iquinine, iyeza elisindise abantu abaninzi, lafunyanwa kulo mmandla. Njengemiyezo emininzi, abantu ngokungekho mthethweni bagawula imithi baze bazingele.

IMount Kilimanjaro (eTanzania) yenye yezona ntaba-mlilo ziphakamileyo neyona ntaba iphakamileyo eAfrika. Iindlovu zitya kumathambeka ale ntaba, yaye kukho izityalo ezifumaneka kuphela kulo mmandla njengegiant lobelia negiant groundsel. Ingxaki ekhoyo kukuba abantu bazingela ngokungekho mthethweni, yaye bagawula nemithi, kanti neenkomo zibhuqiswa kwalapha.

ITeide National Park (kwiiCanary Islands) inezityalo ezininzi ezifumaneka apha kuphela nezihombisa le ntaba-mlilo. Iziqithi ezineentaba-mlilo zisoloko zinezityalo ezibuthathaka ngenxa yezityalo ezivela kwezinye iindawo.

IPyrenees National Park neOrdesa National Park (eFransi naseSpeyin) zilondoloze imimandla emihle eenentaba kuquka nezilwanyana nezityalo zasendle. Njengolunye udederhu lweentaba zaseYurophu, iintaba zePyrenees zizaliswe zizinto zemidlalo nezinye izinto zokonwabisa abakhenkethi. Nokuyeka kwabantu ukulima kuye kwawonakalisa lo mmandla.

ISǒraksan National Park owona myezo udumileyo kwiRiphabliki yaseKorea. Iintaba zayo ezinelitye lenyengane namahlathi asemathambekeni aba mahle gqitha ekwindla. Kodwa indlela ethandwa ngayo le ndawo ibangela ukuba ngeempelaveki iindledlana zayo zixakeke njengeendlela zezixeko ezikhulu.

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]

Izityalo Zasezintabeni

I-tower of jewels. Le ntyatyambo intle ikhula ibe ngangomntu ebudeni beeveki zasentwasahlobo. Ifumaneka kwiinduli ezimbini kuphela ezikwiiCanary Islands eziziimitha ezili-1 800 ukuphakama. Nezinye izityalo zasezintabeni zifumaneka kwiindawo ezithile kuphela.

I-carline thistles ikhula kwiintaba zeAlps nakwiiPyrenees. Imibala yazo eqaqambileyo ihombisa ezo nduli ngasekupheleni kwehlobo, yaye izinambuzane zitsho zibe nentaphane yokutya.

I-English iris. Iindidi zale ntyatyambo yasendle zilinywa nakwizitiya zasekhaya. Iintyatyambo ezininzi zasekhaya zivela kwizityalo zasezintabeni.

I-mountain houseleek yenye yezityalo ezikhula ezintabeni nebambelela kwiimfanta zamatye. Esi sityalo sifumaneka kwiintaba ezisemazantsi eYurophu, yaye kuthiwa siphila ngonaphakade (live-forever) ngenxa yokomelela nokuhlala kwaso ixesha elide.

Ii-bromeliads. Iindidi ezininzi zeebromeliad neeorchids zikhula kumahlathi afumileyo kweleeNjiko. Zikhula kwiintaba eziziimitha ezingama-4 500 ukuphakama.

I-Algerian iris ikhula kwiintaba ze-Er Rif nezeAtlas eMantla Afrika, ummandla ochumileyo wezityalo zeMeditera.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

Umgodi wesinyithi negolide kufutshane neeNtaba zeMaoke, eIndonesia

[Inkcazelo]

© Rob Huibers/Panos Pictures

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

I-rosy periwinkle