Ingabe Amanzi Ayasiphelela? — Watchtower UMTAPO OKUYI-INTHANETHI

Ingabe Amanzi Ayasiphelela?

Kunesisho sesi-Uzbek esithi, “uma uphelelwa amanzi, uphelelwa ukuphila.” Abanye ochwepheshe bathi lawo mazwi empeleni awasona nje isisho, kodwa ayisibikezelo. Unyaka ngamunye kufa abantu abangaba yizigidi ezimbili ngenxa yezinga eliphansi lokukhucululwa kwendle namanzi angcolile, futhi abangamaphesenti angu-90 kubo yizingane.

WENA uwathola kanjani amanzi? Ingabe umane uvule umpompi? Noma, njengoba kuvamile kwamanye amazwe, ingabe kufanele uhambe ibanga elide, ume emgqeni, bese uthwala ibhakede elisindayo elinalolu ketshezi oluyigugu ubuyele ekhaya? Ingabe kukuthatha amahora amaningi usuku ngalunye ukuthola nje amanzi anele okuwasha nokupheka? Emazweni amaningi, amanzi awekho ngaleyo ndlela futhi kunzima kangako ukuwathola! Encwadini yakhe ethi Water Wars—Drought, Flood, Folly, and the Politics of Thirst, uDiane Raines Ward uthi amaphesenti angu-40 abantu emhlabeni “akha amanzi emithonjeni, emifuleni, emachibini noma ezichibini ezingekho ekhaya.” Kwamanye amazwe, abesifazane bangase bachithe cishe amahora ayisithupha beyokhelela umkhaya amanzi, bawathuthele ekhaya ngezigubhu, okuthi uma zigcwele, zibe nesisindo esingaphezu kwamakhilogremu angu-20.

Iqiniso liwukuthi abantu abangaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu emhlabeni basenkingeni enkulu yamanzi nokukhucululwa kwendle. Le nkinga yimbi kakhulu e-Afrika, lapho abantu abayisithupha kwabayishumi bengenayo indlu yangasese efanele—inkinga umbiko we-World Health Organization ochaza ukuthi ibangela “ukusakazeka kwamagciwane atholakala endleni yabantu . . . angcolisa imithombo yamanzi, inhlabathi nokudla.” Lo mbiko uphawula ukuthi ukungcola okunjalo “kuyimbangela eyinhloko yesifo sohudo, esiwumbulali wesibili omkhulu wezingane emazweni asathuthuka, futhi esiholela kwezinye izifo eziyingozi njengekholera, i-schistosomiasis, nesifo samehlo.”

Amanzi aye abizwa ngokuthi igolide eliwuketshezi, uwoyela wekhulu lama-21. Kodwa, amazwe ayalusaphaza lolu ketshezi oluyigugu kakhulu kangangokuba imifula ayisenalutho eluthela olwandle. Njengoba ukunisela ngenkasa nokuhwamuka kwamanzi kwanda, imifula emikhulu iyoma, kuhlanganise noMfula iColorado entshonalanga ye-United States, umfula iYangtze eChina, i-Indus ePakistan, iGanges eNdiya kanye neNayile eGibhithe. Yini eyenziwe ukuze kuxazululwe le nhlekelele? Liyini ikhambi eliyogcina liphumelele?

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 3]

IMITHOMBO YAMANZI IYASONGELWA

◼ “ULwandle i-Aral e-Asia Ephakathi lwaluyichibi lesine ngobukhulu emhlabeni ngo-1960. Ngo-2007 lwase lunciphe lwaba amaphesenti ayishumi kunobukhulu balo basekuqaleni.”—I-Scientific American.

◼ AmaChibi Amakhulu amahlanu ase-United States naseCanada—iChibi i-Erie, iHuron, iMichigan, i-Ontario neSuperior—ancipha “ngezinga elishaqisayo.”—I-Globe and Mail.

◼ Ngaphambili isigayo saseDeniliquin e-Australia sasigaya okusanhlamvu okwanele ukondla abantu abayizigidi ezingu-20. Kodwa manje isivuno serayisi sinciphe ngamaphesenti angu-98, futhi lesi sigayo savalwa ngo-December 2007. Yayiyini imbangela? “Isomiso esathatha iminyaka eyisithupha.”—I-New York Times.

[Isithombe]

Isikebhe esisele dengwane oLwandle olushile i-Aral

[Umthombo]

[Ibhokisi/Amabalazwe ekhasini 4]

‘UKUMUNCA WONKE AMANZI ASEMIFULENI NASEMISELENI’

“IChibi iChad e-Afrika, osonkanyezi ababelibona lapho bezungeza umhlaba, sekunzima manje ukuba balibone. Njengoba lizungezwe izwe [laseCameroon,] iChad, iNiger neNigeria . . . , leli chibi selinciphe ngamaphesenti angu-95 kusukela ngawo-1960. Isidingo esikhulu samanzi okunisela kuleyo ndawo simunca wonke amanzi asemifuleni nasemiseleni ethela kuleli chibi. Ngenxa yalokho, iChibi iChad lingase linyamalale ngokuphelele maduze, lingaziwa nhlobo ezizukulwaneni ezizayo.”—I-Plan B 2.0—Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, kaLester R. Brown.

[Amabalazwe]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

■ Amanzi

☒ Uhlaza

□ Izwe

1963

NIGER

CHAD

IChibi Chad

NIGERIA

CAMEROON