Iphulo Lokufuna Amanzi Obomi
NGAPHEZU kweminyaka engamawaka amabini eyadlulayo isixeko esasiphumelela sinabantu abangama-30 000 saduma kwiNtlango yaseArabia. Phezu kwayo nje imozulu engentle yaloo ndawo, apho imvula iziimilimitha ezili-150 kuphela ngonyaka, abemi basePetra baqhela ukuphila ngamanzi amancinane. Yaye iPetra yaba nendyebo yaza yachuma.
Abemi basePetra abangamaNabataea babengenazimpompo zamanzi ezisebenza ngombane. Abazange bakhe amadama amakhulu. Kodwa babeyazi indlela yokutsala nokugcina amanzi. Imithombo emininzi emincinane, imiqobo yokuthintela amanzi, imijelo, namaqula enza bakwazi ukuthumela la manzi atsalwe ngobulumko kwisixeko sabo baze bawathululele kwimihlatyana yabo. Babesonga nethontsana eli. Amaqula abo ayakhiwe kakuhle kangangokuba namaBedouin ale mihla asawasebenzisa.
Emangalisiwe omnye unonjineli wamanzi wathi: “EPetra kwakukho ubuchule ongenakufane ubuqonde bokukwazi ukutsala amanzi. Abo bantu babeziingqondi.” Kutshanje iingcali zakwaSirayeli bezizama ukufunda kubuchule bamaNabataea, awayelima eNegebhi, apho imvula ingafane idlule kwiimilimitha ezili-100 ngonyaka. Iingcali ngomhlaba ziye zahlolisisa amawaka eefama ezincinane ezisaseleyo zamaNabataea abaninizo abathi ngobuchule benza umjelo wemvula yasebusika oya kumasimi amancinane alinyiweyo.
Izinto ezifundwe kumaNabataea sele zinceda abalimi bamazwe aseSahel eAfrika athwaxwa yimbalela. Noko ke, neendlela zakutshanje zokulondoloza amanzi ziluncedo. ELanzarote, eyenye yeeCanary Islands, emi elunxwemeni lweAfrika, abalimi baye bafunda ukutyala iidiliya namakhiwane kwiindawo ezingenamvula kwaphela. Batyala izidiliya okanye imikhiwane ezantsi emingxunyeni baze bagqumelele ngothuthu lwentaba-mlilo ukuze loo mhlaba ungagqatswa uze womiswe lilanga. Ngaloo ndlela umbethe uyakwazi ukutshona ufikelele ezingcanjini, nto leyo eyenza ukuba kuphume isivuno esisiso.
Iindlela Ezingekho Kumgangatho Ophezulu
Amabali afana nala okuzivumelanisa nemozulu ebaleleyo maninzi ehlabathini lonke—njengaphakathi kwamaBishnoi, ahlala kwiNtlango iThar eIndiya; kubafazi abangamaTurkana eKenya; nakumaIndiya angamaNavajo aseArizona, eUnited States. Iindlela zawo zokutsala amanzi emvula, ezifundwe ukutyhubela iinkulungwane zibonakala zisebenziseka ekuzaliseni iimfuno zolimo kuneendlela ezihambele phambili zobugcisa ezithandwayo.
Kule nkulungwane yama-20 bekusakhiwa amadama. Bekusetyenziswa imilambo emikhulu, kusenziwa neendlela ezintsha zokunkcenkceshela. Esinye isazinzulu siqikelela ukuba ama-60 ekhulwini emijelo nemilambo esehlabathini ayalawulwa ukusa kumkhamo othile. Ngoxa ezo zinto zeza neengenelo ezithile, izazi ngezinto eziphilayo zithetha ngomonakalo owenziwa kwimeko-bume, singasathethi ngentlekele eyehlela izigidi zabantu abaphulukana namakhaya abo.
Ukongezelela, phezu kwazo nje iinjongo ezintle zala maphulo, abalimi abawafuna ngokwenene amanzi abangenelwa. Ebhekisela kwiinkqubo zokunkcenkceshela eIndiya, owayesakuba yiNkulumbuso yalapho uRajiv Gandhi wathi: “Kangangeminyaka eli-16 besisebenzisa imali. Akukho zingenelo bazifumeneyo abantu, akukho zindlela zakunkcenkceshela, akukho manzi, akukhange kwande mveliso, akukho ncedo balufumeneyo kubomi babo bemihla ngemihla.”
Kanti zona iindlela ezingekho kumgangatho ophezulu ziye zangqineka ziluncedo kakhulu kwaye zingeyongozi kwimeko-bume. Amachityana namadama akhiwe ngabahlali aye aphumelela eTshayina apho kuye kwakhiwa azizigidi ezithandathu. KwaSirayeli, abantu baye bafumanisa ukuba ngobulumko, amanzi anokusetyenziselwa ukuhlamba, aphinde kwala manzi manye asetyenziselwe ugutyulo aze ekugqibeleni asetyenziselwe ukunkcenkceshela.
Enye indlela esebenzayo kukuwathontsizisa kancinane amanzi, nto leyo elondoloza umhlaba yaye usebenzisa isi-5 ekhulwini kuphela samanzi afunxwa zezinye iindlela zokunkcenkceshela. Kwakhona ukuwasebenzisa ngobulumko amanzi kufuna ukukhetha izityalo ezifanele imozulu eyomileyo, njengamazimba okanye ukutya okuziinkozo, kunokulima izityalo ezifuna amanzi amaninzi njengommoba nombona.
Bengadanga babila besoma, abantu kwakunye nemizi-mveliso ngokufanayo banokuwunciphisa umlinganiselo wamanzi afunekayo. Ngokomzekelo, ikhilogram yephepha inokuveliswa ngamanzi amalunga nelitha ukuba amanzi akuloo mzi-mveliso aphinda asetyenziswe—nto leyo eyonga amanzi kangangama-99 ekhulwini. KwisiXeko saseMexico kuye kwakhutshwa izindlu zangasese eziqhelekileyo kwaza kwafakwa ezo zisebenzisa isinye kwisithathu samanzi. Kwakhona kwesi sixeko kuye kwaxhaswa inkqubo yokufundisa abantu eyenzelwe ukunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwamanzi.
Into Efunekayo Ukuze Kuphunyelelwe
Isicombululo kwingxaki yamanzi—nakwezinye iingxaki zemeko-bume—sifuna kutshintshwe isimo sengqondo. Abantu kufuneka babe nentsebenziswano kunokuba babe ngoondim-phambili, bazincame xa kufuneka loo nto, baze bazimisele ukuwunyamekela umhlaba besenzela abantu abaya kuwuma kwikamva. Kulo mba uSandra Postel, wathi kwincwadi yakhe ethi Last Oasis—Facing Water Scarcity: “Kufuneka kubekho umgaqo olawula ukusetyenziswa kwamanzi—ulwalathiso oluza kulandelwa xa kujanyelwene nezigqibo ezinzima eziphathelele inkqubo yokwemvelo esingenakuyiqonda ngokupheleleyo.”
Kambe ke, ukuze lo “mgaqo ulawula ukusetyenziswa kwamanzi,” uphumelele, kuya kufuneka ungapheleli nje ekubeni yinto yasekuhlaleni. Amazwe ahlukahlukeneyo kunye nabamelwane kufuneka basebenzisane, ekubeni imilambo ingenamida. UIsmail Serageldin, uthi kwingxelo yakhe enomxholo othi Beating the Water Crisis: “Inkxalabo ngobungakanani nomgangatho wamanzi—zinto ezo ebezidla ngokugqalwa zahlukene—ngoku zimele zijongwe njengombandela wehlabathi lonke.”
Kodwa ukucela amazwe ukuba ahlangabezane nemicimbi yehlabathi akungomsebenzi ulula, ngokutsho kukaSosiba-Jikelele weZizwe Ezimanyeneyo uKofi Annan. Uthi: “Kweli hlabathi limanyeneyo, imigudu eyenziwayo isakhasa noko. Ngoku lixesha lokuba sikujonge ngamanye amehlo oko kuthethwa ‘ngabantu behlabathi lonke.’”
Ngokucacileyo, isixa esifanelekileyo samanzi asemgangathweni—nangona sibalulekile—asikokuphela kwento esiyifunayo ukuze sibe nempilo eyiyo size sonwabe. Abantu bafanele baqonde ukuba babophelelekile kuLowo wabanika amanzi nobomi. (INdumiso 36:9; 100:3) Kunokuba ngokungakhathali bonakalise umhlaba nezinto ezikuwo, kufuneka ‘bawulime baze bawunyamekele,’ njengoko uMdali wayalela abazali bethu bokuqala ukuba benjenjalo.—Genesis 2:8, 15; INdumiso 115:16.
Amanzi Akumgangatho Ophezulu
Ekubeni amanzi ebalulekile, akumangalisi ukuba eBhayibhileni asetyenziswe ngendlela efuziselayo. Enyanisweni, ukuze sinandiphe ubomi njengoko kwakulungiselelwe ngolo hlobo, sifanele siwugqale umthombo wala manzi okomfuziselo. Kwakhona sifanele sixelise isimo sengqondo sebhinqa lenkulungwane yokuqala elacela oku kuYesu Kristu: “Mnumzana, ndinike la manzi.” (Yohane 4:15) Khawuhlolisise oko kwenzekayo.
UYesu wema ngakwiqula elinzulu kufutshane neNablus yanamhlanje—ekucacayo ukuba lelo qula elidla ngokutyelelwa ngabantu abasuka ehlabathini lonke unanamhla. Ngelo xesha, kweza nebhinqa elingumSamariya kwelo qula. Njengamanye amabhinqa enkulungwane yokuqala, ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo lalixhaphakile apho ukuze kusoloko kukho amanzi emzini walo. Kodwa uYesu wathi wayenokulinika “amanzi aphilayo”—umthombo wamanzi ongasayi kuze utshe.—Yohane 4:10, 13, 14.
Kuyabonakala ukuba, umdla weli bhinqa wavuselelwa. Kodwa ke, “amanzi aphilayo” uYesu awayethetha ngawo ayengengawokoqobo. UYesu wayecinga ngamalungiselelo okomoya anokwenza ukuba abantu baphile ngonaphakade. Noko ke, amanzi okomfuziselo nawokoqobo ayadibana—sizifuna zombini ezi ndidi zamanzi ukuze sinandiphe ubomi.
Izihlandlo ezininzi, uThixo wabanika isicombululo abantu bakhe xa babejamelene nokushokoxeka kwamanzi. Ngokungummangaliso wakhupha amanzi esenzela isihlwele esikhulu samaSirayeli esanqumla intlango yeSinayi sisiya kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. (Eksodus 17:1-6; Numeri 20:2-11) UElisha, umprofeti kaThixo, wacoca iqula laseYeriko elalingcolisiwe. (2 Kumkani 2:19-22) Yaye xa intsalela yamaSirayeli aguqukileyo yabuyayo eBhabhiloni isiya kwilizwe layo, uThixo wayithumela ‘kumanzi asentlango.’—Isaya 43:14, 19-21.
Ngokungxamisekileyo isijikelezi-langa sethu sifuna amanzi angapheliyo. Ekubeni uMdali wethu uYehova uThixo, wathi wacombulula iingxaki zamanzi zexesha elidluleyo, ngaba akasayi kuphinda enze ngolo hlobo nakwikamva? IBhayibhile iyasiqinisekisa ukuba uya kwenjenjalo. Echaza iimeko ngaphantsi koBukumkani bakhe obuthenjisiweyo, uThixo uthi: “Ezindulini ezingenanto ndiya kuvula imilambo, naphakathi kwamathafa asezintlanjeni, imithombo. Ndiya kuyenza intlango ibe lichibi lamanzi elineengcongolo, nelizwe elingenamanzi libe yimithombo yamanzi, . . . ukuze abantu babone, bazi, baqonde ukuba isandla sikaYehova sikwenzile oku.”—Isaya 41:18, 20.
IBhayibhile ithembisa ukuba xa lifika elo xesha, abantu “abayi kulamba, bengayi kunxanwa.” (Isaya 49:10) Ngenxa yolawulo lomhlaba wonke, kuya kubakho isicombululo esiqinisekileyo kwingxaki yamanzi. Olu lawulo—uBukumkani, uYesu awafundisa ukuba sibuthandazele—luya kusebenza “ngokusesikweni nangobulungisa, ukususela ngoku kuse kwixesha elingenammiselo.” (Isaya 9:6, 7; Mateyu 6:9, 10) Oko kuya kuphumela ekubeni abantu kuyo yonke indawo ekugqibeleni babe yimbumba yamanyama yokwenene ehlabathini lonke.—INdumiso 72:5, 7, 8.
Ukuba kwangoku siphanda amanzi obomi, sinokukhangela phambili kwimini apho kuya kubakho amanzi awaneleyo omntu wonke.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]
Ngasentla: Abemi bamandulo basePetra babekwazi ukulondoloza amanzi
Ngasezantsi: Umjelo wamaNabataea ePetra
[Inkcazelo]
Garo Nalbandian
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]
Abalimi benye indawo yaseCanary Islands baye bafunda indlela yokukhulisa izityalo kwiindawo ezingenamvula
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 29]
Wayezama ukuthini uYesu ngokuthembisa eli bhinqa “ngamanzi aphilayo”?