Aphele Ngomzuzwana!

UYEHLA uyenyuka ngovivi endaweni eluhlaza, phakathi kwezinsika ezisekelwe zezihlahla eziphakama zibe ubude obulinganiselwa esakhiweni esinezitezi ezingu-15 ukuya phezulu. Ngenhla kwakho kunezinhlobonhlobo eziningi zezinto eziphilayo, indawo ehlala izinto eziphilayo eminyene, nenothe kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Izihlahla zihlotshiswe ngezihlahla ezithandelayo ngezinye izikhathi ezingamakhulu amamitha ubude futhi zithandelwa izihlahla ezibambelela kuzo zonke iziqu namagatsha. Izitshalo ezikhiqizayo zasezindaweni ezishisayo zinukisa indawo evalekile yokukhulisa izitshalo (hothouse).

Leli ihlathi lemvula lasezindaweni ezishisayo. Kodwa lingaphezu nje kokuba indawo enhle, ngaphezulu kokuba imisweswe egobile yamahlathi anenkungu enemisebe yokukhanya. Liyinto eyinkimbinkimbi ngokungakholeki ezingxenye zayo zisebenza ngokubambisana nangokuvumelana okuhaya ingoma.

Okuphilayo kuningi lapha, inhlanganisela engenakulinganiswa nanoma iyiphi kwelinye izwe kuleplanethi yethu. Amahlathi emvula athatha amaphesenti angu-6 kuphela endawo yasemhlabeni kodwa anezinhlobo zezitshalo nezilwane eziyingxenye yazo zonke ezikhona. Akhiqiza cishe ingxenye yesithathu yakho konke okuphilayo ezweni. Kude lé ngenhla kwakho, umpheme wehlathi uyikhaya lezinambuzane nezinyoni eziyizihambi, lezinkawu nezinye izilwane ezincelisayo. Eziningi azilokothi zehlele emhlabathini. Izihlahla ziyazondla futhi zibe yikhaya lazo, futhi zona lezilwane zithutha imbewu yezihlahla noma zidle izithelo zazo, zisakaza leyombewu ngemisimbane yazo.

Izimvula ziyana nsuku zonke, zimanzisa amahlathi futhi zisekela umjikelezo wazo onemininingwane wezinto eziphilayo. Imvula iwisa amaqabunga nokungcola ikwehlise ngeziqu sekufana nesobho elinothile ngezakhi elinothisa izitshalo ezibizwa ngokuthi amaepiphyte ezimila ezihlahleni. Amaepiphyte wona asiza isihlahla ukuba simunce ukudla kwaso okubalulekile, initrogen, emoyeni. Amaepiphyte amaningi “anamathangi” angamaqabunga agcina amalitha amaningi amanzi, enza amachibi amancane phezulu emoyeni ayindawo yokuhlala amasele asezihlahleni, amasalamander, nezinyoni.

Noma yimuphi umsoco ofinyelela phansi ehlathini umuncwa ngokushesha. Izilwane ezincelisayo, inqwaba yezinambuzane, namagciwane konke kusebenza ngobunye ekunciphiseni amantongomane asezihlahleni, izidumbu zezilwane, nefolishi kukwenze umanyolo. Khona-ke indawo ephansi ngokwayo ikwamukela ngenjabulo. Uma ubungathintitha izibi ezinyaweni zakho, ubuyothola umata owugqinsi, osasipontshi wezingcezwana ezimhlophe, insontela yezimpande namafungus. Lamafungus asiza izimpande ukuba zimunce izakhi ngokushesha, ngaphambi kokuba izimvula zizikhukhule.

Kodwa manje ake sithi ukwehla wenyuka kwakho ehlathini lemvula bekubekelwe imigoqo endaweni encane, indawo ecishe ibe ngangenkundla yebhola lezinyawo yaseMelika. Ngokungazelele, yonke leyongxenye yehlathi iyanyamalala. Ibhujiswe ngokuphelele—ngomzuzwana owodwa! Futhi njengoba ubheka ngokushaqeka, ingxenye eseduze neyakho, elingana nayo ngobukhulu, iyapheliswa ngomzuzwana olandelayo, nenye futhi ngolandelayo, kuqhubeke njalo. Ekugcineni, uzithola umi wedwa ethafeni elingenalutho, emhlabathini oqiniswe ilanga elihlabayo lasezindaweni ezishisayo.

Ngokokunye ukulinganisela, yileyondlela amahlathi emvula ezwe abhujiswa ngayo ngokushesha. Abanye baze balinganisele ukuthi kungaphezu kwalokho. Ngokukamagazini iNewsweek, indawo eyingxenye yeCalifornia ngobukhulu iyaqothulwa unyaka ngamunye. Umagazini iScientific American kaSeptember 1989 uthi indawo enkulu ngangeSwitzerland neNetherlands zihlangene.

Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi isilinganiso sobukhulu singakanani, lowomonakalo uyashaqisa. Ukuqedwa kwamahlathi sekuye kwenyusa intukuthelo yembulunga yonke, futhi kugxiliswe ikakhulukazi ezweni elilodwa.

Isibonelo: IBrazil

Ngo-1987 izithombe ezithathwe ngesatellite zesigodi esizungeze iAmazon zabonisa ukuthi amazinga okuqedwa kwamahlathi kulendawo eyodwa aphakeme kunokunye ukulinganisela kokuqedwa kwamahlathi okwakwenziwe kwayo yonke iplanethi! Njengoba abantu babeshisa amahlathi ukuze bayicabe, imililo eyizinkulungwane yayivutha ebusuku. Ifu lentuthu lalingangeNdiya ubukhulu futhi liminyene kangangokuthi ezinye izikhumulo zezindiza kwadingeka ukuba zivalwe. Ngokokunye ukulinganisela, isigodi esizungeze iAmazon minyaka yonke silahlekelwa indawo yehlathi lemvula engangeBelgium ubukhulu.

Isazi sendawo nezinto eziphila kuyo saseBrazil uJosé Lutzenberger sikubiza ngokuthi “ukubhubhisa okukhulu kakhulu emlandweni wezinto eziphilayo.” Emhlabeni wonke, izazi zezindawo nezinto eziphila kuzo ziyahloma. Zenza usizi lokuphela kwamahlathi emvula lube undab’ uzekwayo emphakathini. Ngisho nezikipa namakhonsathi erock kwamemezela, “Hlengani amahlathi emvula.” Khona-ke kwavela ukucindezela okungokwezimali.

IBrazil ikweleta amazwe angaphandle amaRandi angaphezu kwezigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-260 futhi kumelwe isebenzise cishe amaphesenti angu-40 emali yezinto ezithumela ngaphandle ukuze nje ikhokhe inzalo. Incike kakhulu osizweni nasezimalini zokubolekwa zakwamanye amazwe. Ngakho amabhange ahlanganisa izizwe aqala ukuhoxisa imali ebolekisayo eyayingase isetshenziselwe ukulimaza amahlathi. Amazwe athuthukile asikisela ukuba ashintshanise isikweleti saseBrazil ngokuvikeleka okuthuthukisiwe kwendawo yayo. Umongameli waseU.S. uBush waze ngisho wanxusa iJapane ukuba ingayiboleki iBrazil izimali zokwakha umgwaqo onqamula emahlathini emvula angakenziwa lutho.

Inkinga Yembulunga Yonke

Kubantu abaningi baseBrazil, konke lokhu kucindezela kugcwele ubuzenzisi obukhulu. Sekuyisikhathi eside amazwe athuthukile ebhubhisa ingxenye enkulu yamahlathi awo futhi engenakuvumela noma imuphi umbuso wakwelinye izwe ukuba uwavimbele ukuba enze njalo. IUnited States kumanje iqeda elokugcina lamahlathi ayo emvula. Awawona awasezindaweni ezishisayo, ukuze uqiniseke; angamahlathi emvula akhula esimweni sezulu esingashisi kakhulu nesingabandi kakhulu sasePacific eseNyakatho Ntshonalanga. Okuphilayo kuyonyamalala nalapho futhi.

Ngakho ukuqedwa kwamahlathi kuyinkinga yembulunga yonke, hhayi nje eyaseBrazil. Ukuphela kwamahlathi emvula asezindaweni ezishisayo kubi kakhulu njengamanje. Okungaphezu kwengxenye kwalokho kuphela kwamahlathi kwenzeka ngaphandle kweBrazil. IAfrika ePhakathi neAsia eseNingizimu-mpumalanga ayizifunda ezimbili zezifunda ezinkulu zomhlaba ezinamahlathi emvula, futhi nalapho amahlathi anyamalala ngokushesha.

Ukuqedwa kwamahlathi kunemiphumela efanayo embulungeni yonke. Kusho indlala, ukoma, nokufa kwezigidi. Kuyinkinga efinyelela khona kanye ekuphileni kwakho. Ithinta ukudla okudlayo, imithi oyisebenzisayo, isimo sezulu ophila kuso—mhlawumbe ngisho nekusasa lesintu.

Kodwa ungase uzibuze: ‘Lamahlathi emvula angaba kanjani nemiphumela efinyelela kude kangako? Kuthiwani uma enyamalala emashumini ambalwa eminyaka, njengoba abanye ochwepheshe bethi ayonyamalala? Ingabe ngempela kuyoba inhlekelele enkulu kangako?’

Ngaphambi kokuba siphendule leyomibuzo, omunye kumelwe siwuphendule kuqala: Okokuqala nje, yini ebangela ukubhujiswa kwamahlathi emvula?

[Umdwebo/Ibalazwe ekhasini 5]

Amahlathi Emvula Anyamalalayo

Ngaphambi kokuqedwa kwehlathi

Umonakalo osuwenzekile manje

Unyaka ka-2000 ngokwesilinganiso sanamuhla sokuqeda amahlathi