Yiza Sikubonise Umlambokazi IMekong
UMLAMBO IMEKONG uthubeleza usenza amajiko-jiko phakathi kwamazwe amathandathu aseAsia, usondla abantu abanokuba zizigidi ezili-100 bezizwe neentlanga eziphantse zibe li-100. Nyaka ngamnye, kulo mlambo kubanjiswa iintlanzi ezinokuba ziitoni ezisisi-1,3 zesigidi—iintlanzi eziziphinda kane ezo zibanjiswa kwiNorth Sea! Ekubeni lo mlambo uziikhilomitha ezingama-4 350 ubude, ngowona mlambo mde eMzantsi-mpuma Asia. Yaye ngenxa yokuba unqumla kumazwe amaninzi, lo mlambo unamagama amaninzi, yaye elona laziwa gqitha—lelithi Mekong—isishunqulelo solwimi oluthethwa eThailand segama elithi Mae Nam Kong, okanye “uNozala Wemilambo.”
Iliso lomlambo iMekong liphezulu kwiintaba zeHimalaya, yaye uwubona uqukuqela usihla loo mathambeka ukusa ezantsi ezingontsini. Xa lo mlambo udlula eTshayina, apho ubizwa ngokuba yiLancang, amanzi awo aba sele ehambe isiqingatha sawo wonke lo mlambo yaye sel’ ehle nakwiingxangxasi eziziimitha ezingama-4 500 ukuphakama. Inxalenye esezantsi yeMekong inengxangxasi eziimitha ezingama-500 kuphela ukuphakama. Ngenxa yoko, elo cala lomlambo lizolile. Xa udlula eTshayina, lo mlambo uba ngumda weMyanmar neLaos uze ube yinxalenye enkulu yomda weLaos neThailand. Ufika eKhambodiya ube ziimbaxa uze wenjenjeya ukuya kungena eVietnam uyimijelo emibini uze uphinde wahlukane xa usiya kutyekeza kwiSouth China Sea.
Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yee-1860, amaFrentshi azama ukungena eTshayina ngomlambo iMekong. Noko ke, yonke loo mizamo yahamba namanzi xa agagana neengxangxasi ezincinane kufuphi nedolophu yaseKratie, eKhambodiya, nothotho lweengxangxasi ezinkulu ezibizwa ngokuba ziiKhone Falls, emazantsi eLaos. Kwezi ngxangxasi kukho amanzi amaninzi angaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye ekhoyo emhlabeni, amanzi aphindwe kabini kunalawo eNiagara Falls, exananaze kwimida yeKhanada neUnited States.
Amanzi Obomi
Umlambo iMekong ubalulekile kwezoqoqosho eMzantsi-mpuma Asia. Idolophu elikomkhulu laseLaos, iVientiane, nedolophu iPhnom Penh, ikomkhulu laseKhambodiya, zombini ezi zixeko zikwizibuko lalo mlambo. Xa usehlela ngezantsi, abantu baseVietnam baxhomekeke kwiMekong. Apho ifika ihlukane ibe ziimbaxa ezisixhenxe ezakha iinyoba ezinokuba zizikweri zeekhilomitha ezingama-25 000 nezigubungela umgama onokuba ziikhilomitha ezingama-3 200 ubude. La manzi maninzi kangaka ankcenkceshela amasimi erayisi aze atyebise umhlaba wawo ngentlenge enezondlo zomhlaba, nto leyo ebangela abalimi berayisi bakwazi ukulima kathathu ngonyaka. Ngenxa yoko, iVietnam lilizwe lesibini elithumela irayisi eninzi kwamany’ amazwe emva kweThailand.
Kulo mlambo iMekong kufumaneka iindidi zeentlanzi ezinokuba li-1 200 yaye ezinye zazo kuquka neenqonci zifuywa kumaqula amancinane. Enye intlanzi edumileyo ekuhlaleni yitrey riel—imali yaseKhambodiya ekuthiwa yiriel ithiywe ngayo. Kwakhona kwiMekong kufumaneka intlanzi icatfish esengozini yokuphela edla ngokukhula ibe ziimitha ezisisi-2,75 ubude. Ngowe-2005, abalobi babambisa icatfish eziikhilogram ezingama-290 ubunzima, mhlawumbi eyona ntlanzi inkulu eyakha yabanjiswa naphi na emhlabeni! Enye into esengozini yokuphela efumaneka kwiMekong, ngumnenga okuthiwa yi-Irrawaddy. Abaphandi bathi kusenokwenzeka ukuba ayidlulanga e-100 ephilayo.
Phezu kwako nje ukondla izigidi zabantu, iMekong ikwahamba izikhephe enoba zingakanani na ubukhulu—izikhephe ezithutha abantu, iinqanawa zokuthutha impahla kanti nezinkulu kakhulu ezihamb’ elwandle. Kwakhona lo mlambo uyathandwa ngabakhenkethi, yaye abaninzi babo bayakuthanda ukudlulela ngaphaya kweeNgxangxasi iKhone ukuze baye kubona iVientiane. Ekubeni esi sixeko sidumile ngenxa yemijelo yaso yamanzi, iitempile zamaBhuda nezindlu ezakhiwe phezu kwezinti, besiphithizela ngabarhwebi, abezobupolitika nabezonqulo kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwe-1 000. Xa useVientiane, usenokuthanda ukunyuka ngalo mlambo uye eLouangphrabang. Esi sixeko siselunxwemeni sasilikomkhulu selizwekazi elikhulu iThailand neLaos, yaye xa esi sixeko sasiphantsi kwamaFrentshi, kuso kwakuhlala iindwalutho zaseLaos. Nanamhlanje isabonakala impembelelo yamaFrentshi kwesi sixeko.
Mvanje zininzi izinto ezingaginyisi mathe ezenzeka kufuphi neMekong. Ezi ziquka iindlela zokuloba ezibulal’ iintlanzi, ukugecwa kwamahlathi nokwakhiwa kwamadama amakhulu okubhexa umbane. Kubantu abaninzi abakubonayo oku, kubonakala ngathi akukho nto inokwenziwa ngale meko. Kodwa kukho ithemba.
IBhayibhile ithembisa ukuba kungekudala uMdali wethu onothando uza kungenelela kwimicimbi yabantu ngoBukumkani bakhe. (Daniyeli 2:44; 7:13, 14; Mateyu 6:10) Xa ihlabathi lilawulwa ngulo rhulumente ugqibeleleyo, wonke umhlaba uza kuhlaziywa, yaye imilambo ngokufuziselayo iya ‘kuqhwab’ izandla’ ngenxa yovuyo. (INdumiso 98:7-9) Ngamana nayo iMekong inganenxaxheba xa imilambo iqhwab’ izandla.
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(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
CHINA
MYANMAR
LAOS
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
VIETNAM
UMlambo IMekong
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Amasimi erayisi, eMekong Delta
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Iindidi zeentlanzi ezinokuba li-1 200 zihlala kuMlambo iMekong
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Imarike esemanzini, eVietnam
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Amasimi erayisi: ©Jordi Camí/age fotostock; abalobi: ©Stuart Pearce/World Pictures/age fotostock; imifanekiso engasemva: © Chris Sattlberger/Panos Pictures
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 25]
Imarike: ©Lorne Resnick/age fotostock; ibhinqa: ©Stuart Pearce/World Pictures/age fotostock