Ukunisela kunikeza indlela eyodwa yokubhekana nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu
Lo mbhalo uvela kufayela le- March 2022 ukukhishwa kwe Umtshali Wamazambane.
Ucwaningo olusha oluhlola iminyaka engaphezu kwe-100 yokukhiqizwa kwezolimo kanye nedatha yesimo sezulu e-United States lubonisa ukuthi amanzi agciniwe adlala indima ebalulekile ekunikezeni amandla okumelana nesomiso. Okutholakele kuphinde kuphakamise amasu okulawulwa kwamanzi, ahluka ezweni lonkana, adlala indima enkulu endleleni izindawo ezahlukene zezwe ezisabela ngayo ezimeni zesimo sezulu.
"Besifuna ukuqonda ukuthi ezolimo zibhekana kanjani nokushaqeka kwesimo sezulu," kusho u-Eric Edwards, umsizi kaprofesa eMnyangweni Wezokulima Nezinsiza Zomnotho eNyuvesi yaseNorth Carolina State kanye nombhali ngokubambisana iphepha elichaza ucwaningo. “Indlela ezolimo ezijwayeze ngayo ukushaqeka kwesimo sezulu ngokuvamile iwukunisela, kodwa kungakanani ukufinyelela emanzini agciniwe?”
Ukufinyelela emanzini agciniwe kushayela ukuchelela, noma ngabe lawo manzi atholakala endaweni engaphansi komhlaba noma emfuleni onamadamu. Ngaphezu kwedamu nedamu, ukuchelela kwamanzi angaphezulu kudinga inethiwekhi yemisele kanye nemisele. Ngokuphambene, abalimi abeqa i-aquifer bangakwazi ukumpompa amanzi angaphansi ngokuqondile.
Ukunisela kwenza ezolimo zenzeke ezindaweni eziningi eziwugwadule zemithetho yamalungelo e-US Water yasentshonalanga inquma indlela abalimi abawathola ngayo amanzi nokuthi bawathola nini. Empumalanga ye-US, imvula ethe xaxa kanye nomswakama ngokomlando kwenze abalimi bacabanga ngokunisela njengento engavamile, futhi amalungelo amanzi awakaze ahlanganiswe. Kodwa lokho kubonakala kushintsha njengoba isimo sezulu sishintsha.
Ucwaningo lwabonisa ukuthi, kusukela cishe ngo-1950, ukufinyelela emanzini agciniwe ezindaweni ezomile kakhulu zasentshonalanga ye-US kwasiza abalimi ukugwema ukulahlekelwa okungaba ngu-13% ezivunweni zezitshalo ngezikhathi zesomiso. Iminyaka yawo-1950 imi njengenkathi yokuchitha amanzi yokwanda kwamanzi eNtshonalanga, ngemva kokuthuthukiswa kweDamu iHoover ngo-1936, kanye nokumbiwa kwe-aquifer kanye nokufakwa kukagesi ezindaweni zasemakhaya ngeminyaka yawo-1940s, kusho u-Edward.
U-Edwards uthi: “Ucwaningo lwethu lubonise ukuthi empumalanga ye-US kusukela ngo-1950, ummbila nobhontshisi wesoya wehla ngezikhathi zesomiso kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abalimi bayawathola yini amanzi noma cha. “Okwamanje, entshonalanga ye-US eyomile, uma ukwazi ukugcina amanzi ngezikhathi zesomiso, awuboni ukulahlekelwa.” Lokhu kungase kube ngenxa yokuthi abalimi empumalanga ye-US abazange batshale izimali ezinhlelweni zokunisela ukuze bathole amanzi agciniwe.
“Ngezikhathi zesomiso, abalimi bazibuza imibuzo emibili ebalulekile: Ingabe ngiletha indawo eyengeziwe ekulimeni? Futhi ingabe kufanele ngiqinise inani lamanzi engiwabeke endaweni yami ukuze ngandise isivuno ngokuqhathaniswa nalokho ebengingaba nakho ngaphandle kwalokho?” Kuqhuba u-Edward. "Izici ezibonakalayo nezindlela zesikhungo amanzi aphathwa ngazo zombili zinethonya ekukhetheni okwenziwa abalimi."
Ucwaningo lubonise ukuthi abalimi abakwazi ukuthola amanzi angaphansi komhlaba kanye namanzi angaphezulu bavame ukuletha umhlaba omningi ekulinyweni. Abalimi abakwazi ukuthola amanzi angaphansi komhlaba kodwa bengenawo amanzi angaphezulu bavame ukuletha umhlaba omningi ekulimeni.
“Amalungelo amanzi angaphezulu axhumene nomhlaba othize osentshonalanga ye-US, futhi abalimi ngokuvamile sebevele bathatha inani eliphakeme lamanzi unyaka ngamunye ngokusekelwe kumalungelo abo amanzi,” kusho u-Edward. Ngakho-ke akukho ukunwetshwa kwendawo eniselwa ngamanzi angaphezulu ngesikhathi sesomiso.
U-Edward uthi leli phepha linemithelela eminingi kunqubomgomo yamanzi.
“Ukumpompa amanzi amaningi angaphansi komhlaba noma ukubamba amanzi amaningi angaphezulu ngezikhathi zesomiso kuphumelela ngempela ukulwa nesomiso, kodwa kungaba yinkinga uma ufuna ukonga insiza,” usho kanje. “Ukuchelela kuyisu elisebenza ngempumelelo ngesikhathi sesomiso. Ilungisa ukukhiqizwa kuzo zonke izifunda zesomiso. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi izilawuli zokukhipha amanzi angaphansi komhlaba zinomkhawulo, sikhathazekile ngokuthi ukuncipha kungase kunciphise amandla alesi sivimbeli esibalulekile sokubhekana nokushaqeka kwesimo sezulu.”
Ngamanzi angaphezulu, u-Edward ubona inqubomgomo ehlukile.
“Ingabe ikhona indlela yokwenza amanzi angaphezulu avumelane nezimo ukuze akwazi ukubhekana nesomiso, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni lapho ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi kuxhumene neziqephu ezithile zomhlaba?” uthi. "Ingabe ikhona indlela yokuqala ukucabanga ngokubeka eceleni amanzi noma ukugcina amanzi kunokusebenzisa u-100% njalo ngonyaka?"
U-Edward wengeza ngokuthi kukhona nemithelela yenqubomgomo yesifunda sakubo iNorth Carolina nezinye izindawo ezisempumalanga ye-US
"INorth Carolina kulindeleke ukuthi ibe nezikhathi zokomisa ezinde ngo-10 kuya ku-15% eminyakeni ezayo ngenxa yokushintsha kwesimo sezulu," usho kanje. “Ukuchelela kunikeza indlela eyodwa yokubhekana nalokho. Kodwa ukuze kuhlinzekelwe ukulawulwa okusimeme kwemithombo yemvelo ephelayo, umbuso kufanele ucabangele ukuthuthukisa amalungelo amanzi kanye nezinhlaka zokulawula amanzi angaphansi komhlaba.”
Iphepha liyavela Izincwadi Zokucwaninga Ngezemvelo. USteven M. Smith eColorado School of Mines ungumbhali ohambisana nephepha. Ukwesekwa komsebenzi kwanikezwa yiNational Science Foundation kanye ne-USDA.