Ngaba Iintlekele Zemvelo Ziyanda?
“Kuyoyikisa ukucinga ukuba iziganeko ezibangelwa kukutshintsha kwemozulu ziya kuba nemiphumo emibi gqitha kwixesha elizayo. Into ethetha ukuba simele silindele umonakalo ongakumbi. . . . Kuya kuba kuhle ukuba silindele ukutshintsha kwezinto ngomlinganiselo ongaphaya kwengqondo.”—“Topics Geo—annual Review: Natural Catastrophes 2003.”
IHLOBO lowama-2003 kweminye imimandla yaseYurophu lalishushu ngendlela engathethekiyo. Obo bushushu baba negalelo ekufeni kwabantu abamalunga nama-30 000 eBelgium, eBritani, eFransi, eItali, eNetherlands, ePortugal, naseSpeyin. Ubushushu obugqithiseleyo ngaphambi kwexesha lezivondoviya zomoya eBangladesh, eIndiya, nasePakistan baphumela ekufeni kwabantu abali-1 500, ngoxa imbalela nobushushu obugqithiseleyo eOstreliya babangela imililo yamadlelo eyatshabalalisa ngaphezu kwezigidi ezisixhenxe zeehektare.
Ngokutsho kweWorld Meteorological Organization, “ngowama-2003 kwabakho iindidi zeenkanyamba ezili-16 ezahlukeneyo kwiAtlantiki, umlinganiselo ongaphezulu kowe-1944 ukuya kutsho kowe-1996 owawusisi-9,8, yaye ezi nkanyamba bezisanda ngokuthe ngcembe minyaka le kwiitropiki ukususela phakathi kwiminyaka yee-1990.” Lo mlinganiselo wanda nangowama-2004, yaye kwabakho iinkanyamba kwiCaribbean nakwiSiqithi saseMexico, apho zabulala abantu abamalunga nama-2 000 zaza zenza nomnye umonakalo omkhulu.
Ngowama-2003, iSri Lanka yantlithwa sisitshingitshane esabangela izikhukula ezinamandla ezabulala ubuncinane abantu abangama-250. Ngowama-2004, kwabakho izaqhwithi ezingama-23 kwintshona yePasifiki, umlinganiselo owaphul’ izikeyi. Ezilishumi kuzo zantlitha iJapan, zabangela umonakalo ongathethekiyo zaza zasuba imiphefumlo engaphezu kwe-170. Izikhukula ezihambisana nezivondoviya zomoya zachaphazela abantu abamalunga nezigidi ezingama-30 kuMzantsi Asia, ingakumbi eBangladesh. Izigidi ngezigidi zabantu zasala zingenamakhaya, yaye malunga nezigidi ezithathu zashiya amakhaya zingathandi, yaye abangaphezu kwe-1 300 bafa.
Ngowama-2003 kwabakho iinyikima eziliqela nezinamandla. NgoMeyi 21, eAlgiers, eAlgeria, inyikima yenzakalisa abantu abali-10 000 yaza yashiya abangama-200 000 bengenamakhaya. Ngeye-5:26 ekuseni ngoDisemba 26, umhlaba wanyikima kwisithuba seekhilomitha ezisibhozo ukusuka kumazantsi esixeko saseBam eIran. Le nyikima inomlinganiselo osisi-6,5 yadlakaza ama-70 ekhulwini eso sixeko yaza yabulala abantu abangama-40 000—isinye kwisithathu sabemi balapho—yaza yashiya abantu abangaphezu kwe-100 000 bengenamakhaya. Yayiyeyona ntlekele yemvelo yabulala abantu abaninzi kuloo nyaka. Kanti yayishiya iyingqushu inqaba yaseBam iArg-e-Bam endala kangangeminyaka engama-2 000, yaye le ngingqi yalahlekelwa kuba esi sakhiwo sasithandwa ngabakhenkethi.
Kanye kwisithuba esingangonyaka kamva, inyikima enomlinganiselo osisi-9,0 yahlasela kufutshane nonxweme olusentshona kumantla eSumatra, eIndonesia, ibangela enye yezona tsunami ziyingozi embalini. La maza ayingozi asuba imiphefumlo engaphezu kwama-200 000 yaza yashiya abantu abaninzi benzakele yaye bengenamakhaya. Kwanonxweme olukwimpuma yeAfrika, olukwisithuba seekhilomitha ezingama-4 500 nangaphezulu kwintshona yendawo eyehla kuyo le ntlekele lwachatshazelwa yile tsunami.
Ngaba Kuseza Ezinye Ezimbi Nangakumbi?
Ngaba ezi ziganeko zisengamaqalela nje? Ngokuphathelele iintlekele ezinxulumene nemozulu, izazinzulu ezininzi zivakalelwa kukuba utshintsho olubangelwa ngabantu kwiatmosfera luyayonakalisa imozulu yehlabathi yaye lunegalelo kwimozulu embi. Ukuba luyinyaniso, olu qikelelo alubonisi ukuba izinto ziza kuba ntle kwixesha elizayo. Ukongezelela kule ngozi, abantu abangakumbi bahlala kwiindawo ezithandwa ziintlekele, ngokuzithandela—okanye kuba benyanzelekile.
Uhlolisiso lubonisa ukuba ama-95 ekhulwini abo bonke abantu ababulawa zezi ntlekele bakumazwe asakhasayo. Kwelinye icala, amazwe afumileyo akafelwa kangako ngabantu kwezi ntlekele kodwa alahlekelwa kangangama-75 ekhulwini ngokwezoqoqosho. Ezinye iinkampani zeinshorensi aziqiniseki enoba zinokuqhubeka zikwazi ukuhlawulela le lahleko.
Kwinqaku elilandelayo, siza kuhlolisisa ezinye iinkqubo zemvelo ezikhokelela kwezi ntlekele negalelo labantu kuzo. Kanti siza kuhlolisisa enoba abantu banawo amandla nomdla wokutshintsha umhlaba ukuze ube likhaya elikhuselekileyo nelinokuhlalwa zizizukulwana ezizayo.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]
EFRANSI NGOWAMA-2003 Ubushushu behlobo obungathethekiyo bubulala abantu abangama-30 000 eYurophu; eSpeyin iqondo lobushushu lifikelela kuma-44,8°C.
[Inkcazelo]
Alfred/EPA/Sipa Press
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 20, 21]
EIRAN NGOWAMA-2003 Inyikima ihlasela iBam ize ibulale abantu abangama-40 000; la mabhinqa alilela izizalwane ezingcwatywa ngaxeshanye
[Inkcazelo]
Background and women: © Tim Dirven/Panos Pictures