Amanzi—Abalulekile Ekusekeleni Leplanethi
NAKUBA engenambala, engenaphunga, enambitheka ngokungachazeki futhi engenama-kilojoule, amanzi abalulekile kuzo zonke izinto eziphilayo emhlabeni. Akekho umuntu, isilwane noma isitshalo esingaphila ngaphandle kwawo. Kusuka endlovwini kuya ezilokazaneni, amanzi abalulekile; futhi ayikho into engathatha isikhundla sawo. Umuntu ngamunye kwabangaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezinhlanu emhlabeni kudingeka athole, eziphuzweni nasekudleni, amanzi angaba amalitha amabili nengxenye ngosuku ukuze ahlale engumqemane. Uma amanzi engekho, akukho ukuphila.
Ngaphandle kwamanzi, asinakuzitshala izilimo noma sifuye imfuyo. Uma amanzi engekho, ukudla akunakutholakala—uma ukudla kungekho, ukuphila kungaphela.
Ngokujabulisayo, kunamanzi ayinsada. Lapho kuthathwa isithombe emkhathini, iplanethi yethu enhle eluhlaza ibukeka sengathi kufanele ibizwe ngokuthi Amanzi, hhayi uMhlaba. Yiqiniso, uma amanzi asemhlabeni abengamboza bonke ubuso baleplanethi, abengaba ulwandle lwembulunga yonke olujule ngamakhilomitha amabili nengxenye. Zonke izingxenye zomhlaba eziyizwe zingangena kuyiPacific Ocean, kusale isikhala.
Yebo, ingxenye enkulu yamanzi asemhlabeni isolwandle, futhi amanzi olwandle anosawoti. Uma umuntu ubengaphuza amanzi olwandle kuphela, ngokushesha ubengabulawa ukoma nokuphelelwa amanzi emzimbeni ngoba umzimba wakhe uzama ukukhipha usawoti omningi. Amanzi olwandle awazifanelekeli ezolimo noma ezezimboni—abulala izilimo eziningi futhi agqwalisa imishini eminingi ngokushesha okukhulu. Ngakho, ngokuvamile abantu bangasebenzisa amanzi olwandle kuphela uma bekhipha usawoti, futhi lokho kuyinqubo emba eqolo.
Amaphesenti amathathu kuphela amanzi emhlabeni angenasawoti. Cishe wonke lawo manzi angenasawoti—amaphesenti angaba ngu-99 kuwo—ayizinguzunga nezintaba zeqhwa noma asekujuleni komhlaba. Abantu bathola iphesenti elilodwa vó.
Iphesenti elilodwa akubonakali kungamanzi amaningi. Ingabe azosiphelela amanzi angenasawoti? Ngokunokwenzeka ngeke. Umagazini i-People & the Planet uthi: “Ngisho naleli [phesenti elilodwa], uma belinganikezwa bonke abantu emhlabeni futhi lisetshenziswe kahle, belinganelisa inani eliphindwe kabili noma kathathu labantu abakhona emhlabeni njengamanje.”
Ngokuyinhloko, umthamo ophelele wamanzi akhona emhlabeni awenyuki futhi awunciphi. I-Science World ithi: “Amanzi owaphuzayo namuhla kungenzeka ake aqeda ukoma kwesibankwakazi. Lokho kungenxa yokuthi wonke amanzi esinawo eMhlabeni manje yiwo ebesilokhu sinawo—noma esiyoke sibe nawo.”
Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi amanzi asemhlabeni nawuzungezile ajikeleza ngokungaphezi—asuka olwandle aye emkhathini, ehlele ezweni, agelezele emifuleni, aphindele olwandle. Kunjengoba indoda ehlakaniphile yaloba emandulo: “Yonke imifudlana ingena olwandle, kodwa ulwandle aluchichimi; imifudlana iphindela lapho ivela khona ukuze iphinde igeleze.”—UmShumayeli 1:7, New English Bible.
Nokho, nakuba kunamanzi angenasawoti ayinsada emhlabeni, izindawo eziningi zisenkingeni. Izihloko ezilandelayo zihlola lezi zinkinga namathemba okuzixazulula.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
NASA photo