Okwenza Ukuba Sizidinge Izintaba
“Khwela ezintabeni zikulandise izindaba ezinhle. Ukuthula kwemvelo kuyosabalala emzimbeni wakho wonke kuhle kwemisebe yelanga ethubeleza phakathi kwemithi. Imimoya ehelezayo iyokuqabula, iziphepho zikunike amandla, futhi izinkathazo zakho ziyowohloka kuhle kwamaqabunga ekwindla.”—UJOHN MUIR, UMLOBI NESAZI SEMVELO SASEMELIKA.
NJENGOBA uJohn Muir aqaphela eminyakeni engaphezu kwekhulu edlule, izintaba zinamandla okusenza sibe nogqozi. Ubuhle bazo busihlaba umxhwele, izilwane eziphila kuzo ziyasijabulisa, kanti nokuthula kwazo kusenza sizole ngaphakathi. Izigidi zivakashela izintaba minyaka yonke ukuze zijabulele ubuhle bazo ziqabuleke nasemoyeni. UKlaus Toepfer, umqondisi omkhulu we-United Nations Environment Programme, wathi: “Selokhu kwathí nhló izintaba bezilokhu zishiya umphakathi wesintu ukhexile futhi ziwenze ube nogqozi.”
Kodwa isimo sezintaba asisihle kangako. Sekuyizizukulwane ngezizukulwane kunzima ukuba abantu bazonakalise ngenxa yokuthi zazingafinyeleleki kalula. Nokho, manje seziyasongelwa. Umbiko wamuva nje wezindaba weZizwe Ezihlangene uyachaza: “Ezinye zalezi zindawo zasendle ezisekhona zinyamalala ngokushesha ngenxa yezolimo, ukuthuthukiswa kwengqala-sizinda, nezinye izinto eziwumthelela.”
Izintaba zithatha ingxenye enkulu yomhlaba. Ingxenye yomphakathi emhlabeni wonke ixhomeke emithonjeni yazo. Futhi izintaba ziyikhaya lezigidi zabantu. Izintaba aziyona nje indawo eyisimangaliso eyengamele imvelo enokuthula. Ake sicabangele ezinye zezindima ezifezwa yizintaba enhlalakahleni yesintu.
Okwenza Izintaba Zibaluleke
◼ ZIGCINA AMANZI. Izintaba ziwumthombo wemifula emikhulu esinayo kanye namanzi atholakala emithonjeni eminingi yamanzi ethu. ENyakatho Melika cishe wonke amanzi oMfula omkhulu iColorado kanye nomfula iRio Grande avela eziNtabeni ZaseRocky. Abantu abacishe babe ingxenye yomphakathi womhlaba bahlala eningizimu nasempumalanga ye-Asia. Futhi iningi lalaba bantu lithembele emvuleni ena ezintabeni zokhahlamba ezifundazweni zaseHimalaya, eKarakoram, ePamirs naseTibet.
UToepfer uyachaza: “Izintaba, eziwumthombo wamanzi emhlabeni, zibalulekile kukho konke okuphilayo nasenhlalakahleni yabantu kuyo yonke indawo.” Futhi uyanezela: “Okwenzeka lé esiqongweni sentaba ephakeme kuthinta ukuphila kwezinto ezingaphansi kwentaba, ezisemachibini ngisho nasolwandle.” Emazweni amaningi, izintaba zigcina iqhwa elikhithika ebusika, bese likhipha umswakama walo obalulekile kancane kancane entwasahlobo nasehlobo. Ezindaweni ezomile zomhlaba, ukunisela ngenkasa kuxhomeke emanzini atholakala ngokuncibilikisa iqhwa elisezintabeni eziqhelile. Izintaba eziningi zinemithambeka enamahlathi abamba amanzi emvula njengesiponji, abese ewadedela kancane kancane agelezele emifuleni, kunokuba abe yizikhukhula ezibhubhisayo.
◼ ZIYIKHAYA LEZILWANE ZASENDLE NEZINHLOBONHLOBO ZEZINTO EZIPHILAYO. Ukuqhela kwezindawo zethu ezinezintaba, kanye namathuba amancane okuba zisetshenziselwe ezolimo, kuye kwanciphisa amathuba okuba abantu baziphazamise. Ngenxa yalokho, izintaba ziye zaba yisivikelo sezimila nezilwane okungenzeka azisatholakali kakade ezindaweni ezingamathafa. Ngokwesibonelo, iKinabalu National Park eMalaysia, indawo enezintaba kodwa encane kuneNew York City, inezinhlobo zezimila ezingaba ngu-4 500—ezingaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezine zenani lezinhlobo zezimila ezitholakala kulo lonke elase-United States. Ama-panda amakhulu aseChina, amanqe ase-Andes ohlobo lwama-condor, kanye nezingwe zaseqhweni e-Asia ephakathi zixhomeke ezindaweni ezisezintabeni, njengoba kunjalo nangezinye izinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo ezisengcupheni yokuqothulwa.
Ngokukamagazini i-National Geographic, izazi ezithile zokulondolozwa kwemvelo ziye zalinganisela ukuthi “inani elingaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zezimila ezisezweni nezilwane ezinomhlandla litholakala endaweni engaphansi kwamaphesenti amabili embulunga yonke.” Inani elikhulu lezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo liminyene ezindaweni ezinothile, ezingakathintwa lezo ososayensi abazibiza ngokuthi izizinda zemvelo. Lezi zizinda zemvelo—eziningi zazo eziyizindawo ezisezintabeni—zinezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo sonke esiye sazuza kuzo. Ezinye zezilimo ezibalulekile ezidliwayo emhlabeni zivela ezimileni zasendle ezisamila ezintabeni—ummbila ezintabeni zaseMexico, amazambane notamatisi eziNtabeni zase-Andes ePeru, nokolo eCaucasus, uma sibala nje ezimbalwa.
◼ ZIYINDAWO YOKUZIJABULISA NOBUHLE. Izintaba zilondoloza nobuhle bemvelo. Zinezimpophoma ezikhexisayo, amachibi amahle, kanye nengxenye enkulu yezindawo eziwumbukwane emhlabeni. Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi kungani ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yazo zonke izindawo ezivikelwe ngokomthetho emhlabeni itholakala ezindaweni ezinezintaba. Futhi ziyizindawo izivakashi ezithandayo ukuzihambela.
Ngisho nezindawo eziqhelile zokulondoloza imvelo zihanjelwa yizigidi zezivakashi ezivela emhlabeni wonke. Abantu banqamula amazwe beya eDenali National Park e-Alaska beyobona iNtaba iMcKinley, ephakeme kunazo zonke izintaba eNyakatho Melika. Abaningi bavakashela eGreat Rift Valley beyobona isimanga seziNtaba iKilimanjaro neMeru noma beyobona imihlambi emikhulu yezilwane zasendle ezihlala ngaphansi kwalezi ziqongo ezimbili eziphakeme. Abantu abaningi abakhé ezintabeni bayazuza ngalokhu kuthutheleka kwezivakashi, nakuba ukuvakasha kwabantu okungalawulwa kahle kungase kube usongo kule mvelo entekenteke.
Ulwazi Lugcinwé Ezintabeni
Phakathi namakhulu eminyaka, abantu abakhé ezintabeni baye bafunda ukuphila esimweni esinzima. Baye bavula amasimu emimangweni asasetshenziselwa ezolimo nakuba sekwadlula iminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezimbili. Baye bafuya izilwane zendawo, njengama-llama nama-yak, ezikwazi ukubhekana nobunzima bokuphila ezindaweni eziphakeme. Futhi ulwazi oselunesikhathi lukhona oluye lwaqongelelwa abantu abakhé ezintabeni lungase lube yigugu ekuvikeleni izintaba sonke esithembele kuzo.
U-Alan Thein Durning wenhlangano okuthiwa i-Worldwatch Institute uyachaza: “Abantu bomdabu bawukuphela kwabavikeli bezindawo ezibanzi, ezingaphazanyisiwe ezisemajukujukwini awo onke amazwekazi. Banenqolobane yolwazi lwemvelo . . . olunjengalolo olutholakala emitatsheni yesayensi yanamuhla.” Lo mtapo wolwazi kudingeka uvikelwe njenganoma imaphi amagugu asezintabeni.
I-United Nations Environment Programme yaxhasa uNyaka Wezintaba Wamazwe Ngamazwe ngo-2002. Ukuze bagcizelele ukuthembela kwabantu kulezi zintaba, abagqugquzeli bale mbizo baqamba inkulumo ethi “Sonke Singabantu Basezintabeni.” Babehlose ukwenza abantu bazi ngezinkinga ezihlasela izintaba emhlabeni wonke bese befuna amakhambi okuzivikela.
Ngempela kunengqondo ukukhathazeka ngale ndlela. Isikhulumi esiqavile eNgqungqutheleni YaseBishkek Yezintaba Yamazwe Ngamazwe, eyaqhutshelwa eKyrgyzstan, sathi: “Ngokuvamile, izintaba zibhekwa njengemithombo emikhulu yengcebo yemvelo, kodwa abantu abakhé kuzo abanakwa kanjalo nokulondolozwa kwemvelo ekuzo.”
Yiziphi ezinye zezinkinga ezihlasela izintaba emhlabeni wonke kanye nabantu abakhé kuzo? Lezi zinkinga zisithinta kanjani sonke?