Ukubulala Kwapulasitiki: Isimo Esithusayo sa-SDG 14

Izindawo ezazibhekwa njengezekhethelo yimiphakathi eminingi yabamnyama base-Afrika ziphenduka imigqomo kadoti nezindawo zokulahla imfucumfucu.

Ibhalwe nguPheliswa Msele

Ishicilelwe ngoMbasa 9, 2026

Kusukela emandulo, izindawo ezinamanzi amaningi zazibhekwa njengezindawo zekhethelo kwimiphakathi eminingi yabamnyama base-Afrika. Kusukela ekubeni yimithombo yokwelapha kuye izixhumanisi ezibalulekile endaweni kamoya noma nabaphansi, amanzi asetshenziselwa okungaphezu nje kokuqeda ukoma. Kwenzeka kanjani ke ukuthi izindawo okukholakala ukuthi ziphethe amandla angaka,ukuxhumana okungaka, ziphenduke imigqomo yadoti kanye nezindawo zokulahla imfucumfucu? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi kungenxa yokuthi iningi labantu alisabuki lezindawo njengezekhethelo futhi amasiko ayenziwa emanzini asethathwa njengezinkolelo-ze, ngakho ke amanzi awasanakwa, noma kungabe ukukhula komkhakha wezohwebo kanye nokuthandwa kwezinto ezithathwayo (takeaways) namapulasitiki? Noma, ingabe izinga lemfundo mayelana nokubaluleka kolwandle nokulahla opulasitiki ngezindlela ezilungile yilona elingekho?

Kuyinhlanhla ukuthi kukhona izincwadi zezingane ezikhuluma ngalezi ndaba. Incwadi yezingane ebhalwe nguZandile Ndhlovu enesihloko esithi, Iculo likaZandi, ifundisa iphinde ikhulume ngokunngcoliswa kolwandle ngendlela elula kodwa eyakhayo ezinganeni. Encwadini, uZandi, umlingiswa omkhulu, utshelwa wulwandle umlando wobudlelwano phakathi komphakathi nezilwane zasolwandle, nokuthi lobo budlelwano baphela kanjani ngenxa yamakoloni kanye nokungcoliswa kwamanzi. Ulwandle luyaqhubeka lunxusa uZandi ukuthi uma efika ekhaya, kumele azise abantu bangakubo ngokubaluleka kokugcina amanzi ehlanzekile. Lo mbhalo, ophinde abe ngumtshuzi (freediving instructor) wokuqala wesifazane omnyama eNingizimu Afrika, uyaqhubeka nokulwela ukuphathwa kahle kwemvelo emsebenzini wakhe, futhi isitatimende esigqamayo asisho kwezinye yezingxoxo zakhe, okufanele abaningi bazi ngaso sithi, "i-SDG 14 isalokhu kuyiyo exhaswa kancane." I-SDG 14, ngokweNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangane iphathelene neMpilo engaphansi kwamanzi. Impilo yangaphansi kwamanzi ibala lokho okwaziwayo njengamahlengethwa, ukhula lwasolwandle, ulwelwe, kuya kokungaziwa kepha okuyimfihlakalo esalinde ukutholwa. Ukungcoliswa kwamanzi kusongela lezi zinambuzane futhi kuholela ekugugulekeni kwazo futhi ekugcineni, ekushabalaleni unomphela.

Izimboni ezahlukahlukene ezihlanganisa ezokwelapha, ezezimoto, ezokudla neziphuzo kanye nezitolo ezidayisa amapulasitiki ngaphakathi kokusebenza kwazo. Amapulasitiki asethenziswa kanye kuphela yiwona anomthelela omkhulu ekungcoleni. Inhlangano enkulu yobulungiswa bezemvelo, i-Greenpeace, ibiza i-Coca Cola njengengxenye enkulu yokungcolisa ngopulasitiki. I-athikhili ka-Oceana ifundeka kanje, "Ucwaningo olubuyekezwe ngontanga kujenali Isayensi luthole ukuthi i-Coca Cola ingumngcolisi ohamba phambili wepulasitiki obutholakala emhlabeni obunophawu yenkampani." Lokhu kusho ukuthi opulasitiki abaningi abalahlwa ngezindlela ezilimaza umhlaba abavela kwinkampani i-Coca Cola. Lawa mapulasitiki ahlanganisa kakhulu ama micro-plastiki, avela ezintweni ezinjengamabhodlela kanye nezivalo zamabhodlela phakathi kokunye.

Pho, kungani kubalulekile ukuthi sivikele amanzi thina sibe sihlala emhlabeni? Akumele ngabe sigxile emhlabeni kunolwandle? Empeleni, ulwandle luyikhaya kwizilwane zasolwandle ezahlukahlukene eziphinde zibe wukudla kubantu. Izilwane ezibuye zidliwe ngabantu njengezinhlanzi, izinkalankala, nezinye eziningi zihlala khona olwandle. Ngakho impilo yabantu isengcupheni inqobo nje uma izilwane zasolwandle zisebungozini. Ulwandle lunomthelela omkhulu kumoya esiwuphefumulayi, i-oksijini njengoba izitshalo eziningi zasolwandle zizakhela ukudla kwazo (photosynthesis). Ama micro-plastiki anomthelela ekwehliseni i oksijini olwandle (deoxygenation). I-deoxygenation, ngokusho kwe-Collins Dictionary, ibhekisela enqubweni yokukhipha i-oksijini entweni, njengamanzi noma umoya. Ucwaningo lwakamuva olushicilelwe ku-Nature lubonise ukuthi ukudliwa kwe micro-plastiki yi-zooplankton (izilwane ezingazikhandeli ukudla, ezidla amanye ama zooplankton) kungasheshisa ukuphela kwe-oksijini olwandle. Lokhu kwenzeka ngoba uma i-zooplankton idla ama micro-plastiki, igcina ikudla kancane ukudla kwayo kwemvelo, okungase kunyuse izinto eziphilayo zasemanzini ezizikayo bese zidla i-oksijini uma zibola.

Ukungcolisa kwepulasitiki kunemiphumela emibi ehlukahlukene okuhlanganisa nezici zemvelo nezomnotho. I-athikhili yejenali ka-2020 ka-Heliyon ithi, ngamagama alula, ukungcolisa kwepulasitiki olwandle kunemiphumela emibi kakhulu kwezemvelo, okuhlanganiswa ukuminza,ukungenwa ubuthi, kanye nokuphazamiseka kwempilo yasolwandle. Iphinde iguqule ukwenza kwemvelo, okuholela ekulahlekeni kwezinhlobonhlobo zezinto eziphilayo kanye nezinsizakalo ezibalulekile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, le mithelela idlulela emikhakheni yezenhlalo nezomnotho, ethinta izimboni ezifana nezokungcebeleka nezokudoba, kanye nempilo yabantu, egcina isongela ukuphila kwemvelo kanye nemiphakathi yabantu. Ngakho, ukungcolisa kopulasitiki akugcini ngokufa kwezilwane zasolwandle, kodwa kudlulela ezimpilweni zabantu ngezindlela eziningi.

Yiziphi izindlela esingazisebenzisa ukuze sinciphise inani lamapulasitiki aphelela olwandle nakweminye imithombo yamanzi, angagcini ngokusongeka ukuphila kwasolwandle kuphela, kodwa nokuphila kwethu uqobo njengabantu? Ukuduba ukuthenga kuye kwafakezeleka ukuthi kuyasebenza kwezinye izimo, kodwa lapho amankampani amakhulu kangaka akhe izinkundla ezinkulu kangaka, akha ukuxhumana nobudlelwano nabathengi, futhi angakwazi ukulahlekelwa yizigidi zamadola amaviki ambalwa kungabi nankinga, lincane ithemba ngakho akwanele. Ingasaphathwa eyokungathembeki kwabathengi ngokwabo ezikhathini lapho kulula ukugxumela esenzweni ezinsukwini ezimbalwa zokuqala zama-threndi, kodwa lapho imbangela ilahlekelwa amandla kancane kancane, yonke into ibuyela endleleni eyayiyiyo, nakho ukuthenga kwabathengi.

Imizamo, imigomo, imithetho kanye nokunye, kudlala indima ebalulekile ekuvikelweni kwempilo yasolwandle ekungcoleni okuyingozi. Izinhlangano ezinkulu nezincane zobulungiswa bezemvelo, izishoshovu zemvelo, kanye nohulumeni kufanele basebenzisane ekulweleni ukuphepha nokuhlanzeka kolwandle. Imfundo mayelana nokubaluleka kolwandle, izilwane zasolwandle, kanye nemithombo yamanzi jikelele, kufanele ifundiswe ngezinga elikhulu. Lokhu kufaka ukufundisa nokukhuthaza amapulasitiki asebenziseka kabusha noma amaphakeji enziwe ngendlela yokuthi umthengi akagcini ngokuyisebenzisa kanye. Ukutholakala kwamaphakeji anjalo kufanele kusabalale ukuze kube lula kubathengi ukufinyelela kuwo.

Cabanga izwe elingenawo amahlengethwa, amafudu asolwandle, oshaka, noma ubuhle obumangalisayo bolwandle. Akuchazi angithi? Yingakho sonke kufanele senze ingxenye yethu ekuvikeleni amanzi ethu.