Ingabe Izinhlekelele Ezingokwemvelo Ziyanda?

“Kungalindeleka ukuthi izenzakalo ezimbi ngokwedlulele ezingase zibangelwe ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu ziyoba nemiphumela ebulala kakhulu esikhathini esizayo. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kumelwe sizilungiselele ukubhekana nezingozi ezintsha ezibangelwa isimo sezulu kanye namathuba okulahlekelwa kakhulu. . . . Ngokuvumelana nesimiso sokwenza okuthile ukuze uvike ingozi, siyobe sibonisa ukuhlakanipha ngokuzilungiselela kusengaphambili ukubhekana noshintsho olukhulu.”—“I-topics Geo—esihlokweni Sika-2003 Sombiko Waminyaka Yonke Wezinhlekelele Ezingokwemvelo.”

NGEHLOBO lika-2003 kwaba nesivuvu ezingxenyeni ezithile zaseYurophu. Amazinga aphakeme ngokwedlulele okushisa aba nomthelela ekufeni kwabantu abacishe babe ngu-30 000 eBelgium, eBrithani, eFrance, e-Italy, eNetherlands, ePortugal naseSpain. Isivuvu esaqala ngaphambi kwesikhathi esivamile sezimvula ezinkulu eBangladesh, eNdiya nasePakistan saphumela ekufeni kwabantu abangu-1 500, kuyilapho isomiso nokushisa okwaqopha umlando e-Australia kwabangela umlilo wequbula owaqothula indawo engaphezu kwamahektare ayizigidi ezintathu.

Ngokwe-World Meteorological Organization, “inkathi yeziphepho ka-2003 e-Atlantic yabangela iziphepho ezingu-16 ezaqanjwa ngamagama athile, okuyisilinganiso esingale kwesonyaka ka-1944 kuya ku-1996 esingu-9,8, kodwa lokhu kwanda kweziphepho kulingana nokwanda okuphawulekayo kwesilinganiso saminyaka yonke sezinhlekelele ezibangelwa isimo sezulu ezindaweni ezishisayo kusukela maphakathi nawo-1990.” Lesi simo saqhubekela phambili ngo-2004, lapho iziphepho ezonakalisayo zikhukhula iCaribbean neGulf of Mexico, futhi zadlula nokuphila kwabantu abangaba ngu-2 000 zashiya abantu bebhekene nemiphumela ebuhlungu yale nhlekelele ebhubhisayo.

 Ngo-2003, eSri Lanka kwasuka isikhwishikhwishi esinamandla esabangela isikhukhula esikhulu, kwaphumela ekufeni kwabantu abangaba ngu-250. Ngo-2004, kwaqopheka umlando lapho kusuka izivunguvungu ezingaba ngu-23 entshonalanga yePacific. Izivunguvungu eziyishumi kulezi zagadla eJapane, lapho zadala khona umonakalo omkhulu ngokwedlulele futhi zadlula nokuphila kwabantu abangaphezu kuka-170. Izikhukhula ezabangelwa izimvula ezinkulu zathinta abantu abacishe babe izigidi ezingu-30 eNingizimu Asia, ikakhulu eBangladesh. Izigidi zasala zingasenamakhaya, kanti izigidi ezingaba ntathu zaphoqeka ukuba zishiye amakhaya azo, futhi kwafa abantu abangaphezu kuka-1 300.

Umhlaba wazamazama ngamandla izikhathi eziningana ngo-2003. Ngo-May 21, e-Algiers, e-Algeria, ukuzamazama kwalimaza abantu abangu-10 000 kwashiya abangu-200 000 bengasenamakhaya. Ngo-December 26 ngo-5:26 ekuseni, umhlaba wandindizela ngamandla endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-8 eningizimu yedolobha laseBam e-Iran. Loko kuzamazama okwakunamandla alinganiselwa ku-6,5 kwacekela phansi amaphesenti angu-70 alelo dolobha, kwadlula nokuphila kwabantu abangu-40 000, futhi kwashiya abantu abangaphezu kuka-100 000 bengasenamakhaya. Kwakuyinhlekelele engokwemvelo eyabulala abantu abaningi kunazo zonke ngalowo nyaka. Futhi lokhu kuzamazama kwashiya izakhiwo eziningi zenqaba yaseBam, i-Arg-e-Bam, eyakhiwa eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule, ziyinqwaba yemfucumfucu, okwasho ukucekelwa phansi kwendawo ebalulekile engenisa umnotho ethandwa izihambeli ezibuka indawo.

Ngemva konyaka owodwa waleyo nhlekelele, umhlaba wazamazama ngamandla alinganiselwa ku-9,0 ngasogwini olusentshonalanga lwenyakatho yeSumatra, e-Indonesia, futhi lokho kwabangela ukuba ulwandle lugubhe amagagasi amakhulu (ama-tsunami) abulala kunawo wonke ake abikwa emlandweni ogciniwe. La magagasi abulalayo adlula nokuphila kwabantu abangaphezu kuka-200 000 futhi ashiya abaningi belimele, bengasenamakhaya, noma kokubili. Futhi la magagasi abulalayo athinta ngisho nogu olungasempumalanga ye-Afrika, olungamakhilomitha angu-4 500 noma ngaphezulu entshonalanga yalapho kwaqala khona lokhu kuzamazama komhlaba.

Ingabe Kusazokwenzeka Izinhlekelele Ezingaphezu Kwalezi Esikhathini Esizayo?

Ingabe lezi zenzakalo ziyisibikezelo salokho okuzokwenzeka esikhathini esizayo? Maqondana nezinhlekelele ezihlobene nesimo sezulu, ososayensi abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ushintsho olubangelwa abantu emkhathini lunomthelela esimweni sezulu esishintshayo emhlabeni wonke futhi lokhu kubangela isimo sezulu esibi kakhulu. Uma lokhu kuyiqiniso, lo mbono wososayensi uyibika elibi lesikhathi esizayo. Okwenezela kule ngozi ukuthi abantu abaningi ngokwengeziwe bakhetha ukuhlala ezindaweni ezivame ukuba nezinhlekelele ezingokwemvelo—noma baphoqelelwa yizimo ukuba bahlale lapho.

Izibalo zibonisa ukuthi abantu abangamaphesenti angu-95 abafa kuzo zonke izingozi ezihlobene nezinhlekelele ezingokwemvelo babengabasemazweni asathuthuka. Kanti amazwe acebile anesilinganiso esiphansi sabantu abafayo kodwa anikela ngamaphesenti angu-75 ezindleko zezimali ezidingekayo. Ezinye izinkampani zomshuwalense ziyazibuza ukuthi ziyoba nayo yini imali eyanele yokukhokhela wonke lo monakalo owandayo.

Esihlokweni esilandelayo, sizohlola ezinye zezinqubo ezingokwemvelo eziholela ezinhlekeleleni kanye nezinto abantu abazenzayo okungenzeka zinomthelela kulezi zinhlekelele ezimbi kangaka. Sizobuye sihlole ukuthi isintu sinawo yini amandla nokuthi sizimisele yini ukwenza ushintsho oludingekayo ukuze lo mhlaba ube ikhaya eliphephile lezizukulwane ezizayo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

EFRANCE NGO-2003 Isivuvu sasehlobo eYurophu sibulala abantu abangu-30 000; eSpain izinga lokushisa lifinyelela ku-63,9 °C.

[Umthombo]

Alfred/EPA/Sipa Press

 [Izithombe ekhasini 20, 21]

E-IRAN NGO-2003 Ukuzamazama komhlaba eBam kubulala abantu abangu-40 000; abesifazane balilela izihlobo lapho zingcwatshwa ethuneni elilodwa

[Umthombo]

Background and women: © Tim Dirven/Panos Pictures