Unganciphisa kanjani ukushoda kwamanzi eminyakeni engama-35

Ngenani lamanzi ahlanzekile esiwasebenzisa nsuku zonke, inani lamanje lamanzi ahlanzekile ngeke lihlale isikhathi eside kakhulu. Ukulwa naleli qiniso, abacwaningi baseMcGill University baqhamuke nezindlela ezinganciphisa ukushoda kwamanzi amasha eminyakeni engama-35.

Isihluthulelo sohlelo lwabo ukunciphisa inani lokucindezeleka ezinhlelweni zamanzi emhlabeni jikelele. Lokhu kungasho ukunciphisa inani lokungcola okungena emanzini ukuze kutholakale okuningi, sisebenzisa amanzi amancane emisebenzini yethu yansuku zonke kanye nokuguqula ingqalasizinda yethu ukuze sisebenzise imithombo yamanzi kangcono.

Izinhlelo zamanzi ziyagcizelelwa lapho kunesidingo samanzi uhlelo olungakwazi ukufana nalo. Sisebenzisa amanzi angaphezu kwama-40% atholakala emhlabeni; lokhu njengamanje kuthinta ingxenye yesithathu yomhlaba: ingxenye engakhula ibe ingxenye yabantu bomhlaba ekupheleni kwekhulu leminyaka.

U-Tom Gleeson, uMnyango we-Civil Engineering kaMcGill, uthi: “Ayikho inhlamvu yesiliva yokubhekana nenkinga [yokuntuleka kwamanzi]… Ukuncipha okukhulu kwenani labantu abacindezelwe amanzi kungenzeka ngo-2050, kodwa ukuzinikela okuqinile nemizamo yamasu kuyadingeka. ukwenza lokhu kwenzeke.”

Inyuvesi yaseMcGill ikhiphe amasu ayisithupha ahlukene ukusiza ukunciphisa ukushoda kwamanzi amasha. Bahlukanisa lezi zindlela zibe izigaba ezimbili: izinyathelo eziqinile kanye nezinyathelo ezithambile. Izinyathelo eziqinile zibandakanya ukwakha ingqalasizinda ukuze kucutshungulwe amanzi kangcono, futhi izinyathelo ezithambile zigxila ohlangothini lwezenhlalo lokunciphisa amanzi ahlanzekile asetshenziswayo.

Kunezinyathelo ezimbili eziqinile: esokuqala esokukhulisa amanzi okugcina amanzi kuma-reservoirs kanti esesibili esokwandisa ukukhishwa kukasawoti emanzini olwandle.

Kulinganiselwa ukuthi umthamo wamadamu kudingeka ukhuphuke ufike cishe ku-600 km3. Lokhu kungenziwa ngokunweba amachibi akhona noma ngokwakha amasha. Ngeshwa, lokhu kwanda kungase kube nomthelela ongemuhle kwezemvelo kanye nenhlalo njengoba amadamu ephazamisa ukuhamba kwemvelo kwe-ecosystem. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukunweba amachibi akhona noma ukwakha amasha kubiza.

Ukukhishwa kukasawoti emanzini olwandle kwakuzosetshenziswa ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezisogwini futhi kungadinga ukwakhiwa kwezitshalo ezintsha zokususa usawoti emanzini noma kwandiswe ezikhona. Isilinganiso sokukhuphuka okuphindwe ka-50 inani lokucutshungulwa kwamanzi kuzodingeka ukusiza ukunciphisa ukushoda kwamanzi.

Ukukhipha usawoti emanzini kungabiza kakhulu njengoba kudinga amandla amaningi kanye nokulahla amanzi angcolile. Njengamanje kunezinga elingu-46% lokubuyisela amanzi ngokukhipha usawoti emanzini ashisayo, okudinga cishe u-7-18 kWh nge-cubic meter ngayinye yamanzi asetshenziwe.

Izinyathelo ezithambile zidinga ukwanda komkhiqizo wokunisela ngenkasa, ukwandisa ukusebenza kahle kokunisela, ukuthuthukiswa kokusetshenziswa kwamanzi ezindlini nasezimbonini, kanye nokunciphisa izinga lokukhula kwabantu.

Eziningi zalezi zinkinga zingaxazululwa ngokungeza okusha Izinhlobo kanye noshintsho kumasu okunisela. Kuzodinga ukutshalwa kwezimali okukhulu kwezimali kanye noshintsho lwezenhlalo ukuze kuqaliswe lezi zinguquko.

Ukunciphisa ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi ezindlini nasezimbonini kungaba inselele njengoba abantu ngokuvamile abazimisele noma abakwazi ukushintsha indlela yabo yokuphila ukuze baqaphele kakhulu amanzi. Kodwa inselelo enkulu yezenhlalo kungaba ukunciphisa ukukhula kwenani labantu, ikakhulukazi ezindaweni ezicindezelwe amanzi.

Umgomo ophakanyisiwe weNyuvesi yaseMcGill uwukukhawulela inani labantu libe yizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-8.5 ngo-2050. Uma kubhekwa izinga lamanje lokukhula kwesibalo sabantu, kulinganiselwa ukuthi inani labantu lizoba cishe izigidigidi eziyi-13.5 ngo-2050.