Izimayini zasolwandle ezijulile: Ukuhlola amandla okumba ngaphansi kolwandle?

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• Kwangathi 3, 2023

Ulwandle olungahloliwe kakhulu luwumthombo ocebile wamaminerali afana ne-manganese, ithusi, i-cobalt, ne-nickel. Njengoba amazwe aseziqhingini kanye nezinkampani zezimayini zilwela ukuthuthukisa ubuchwepheshe bezimayini ezijulile zasolwandle, ososayensi bagcizelela ukuthi alukho ulwazi olwanele lokusekela ukumba izindawo ezingaphansi kolwandle. Noma yikuphi ukuphazamiseka phansi kolwandle kungaba nomthelela omkhulu futhi ohlala isikhathi eside endaweni yasolwandle.

Umongo wezimayini ezijulile zasolwandle

Uhla olujulile lolwandle, olungaba ngamamitha angu-200 kuya kwezi-6,000 ngaphansi kwezinga lolwandle, lungenye yemingcele yokugcina engakaze ibonwe eMhlabeni. Ihlanganisa ngaphezu kwesigamu sobuso beplanethi futhi iqukethe izinhlobo eziningi zokuphila nezici ze-geological, okuhlanganisa izintaba ezingaphansi kwamanzi, imihosha, nemisele. Ngokusho kwezazi zokulondoloza imvelo olwandle, ngaphansi kwephesenti elilodwa lokujula kolwandle kuye kwabhekwa iso lomuntu noma amakhamera. Ulwandle olujulile futhi luyinqolobane yamaminerali abalulekile abalulekile kubuchwepheshe besimanje, njengamabhethri emoto kagesi (EV) kanye nezinhlelo zamandla avuselelekayo.

Naphezu kwezixwayiso ezivela kubalondolozi bemvelo olwandle mayelana nokungaqiniseki kwezimayini ezijulile zolwandle, isizwe esiyisiqhingi sasePacific iNauru, kanye nenkampani yezimayini ezinze eCanada i-The Metals Company (TMC), baye bakhuluma ne-United Nations (UN) esekelwe yi-International Seabed Authority (ISA). ) ukuthuthukisa imithethonqubo yezimayini zasemanzini. I-Nauru kanye ne-TMC bafuna ukumba izigaxana ze-polymetallic, okungamatshe amaminerali alingana namazambane anensimbi ephezulu. NgoJulayi 2021, baqala umthetho weminyaka emibili ku-UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ophoqelela i-ISA ukuthi ithuthukise imithethonqubo yokugcina ngo-2023 ukuze izinkampani zikwazi ukuqhubekela phambili nezimayini zasolwandle.

Ukucindezela kokumbiwa kwezimayini ezijuleni kolwandle kuphinde kwaphakamisa imibuzo mayelana nezinzuzo zalo msebenzi kwezomnotho nezenhlalo. Abasekeli baphikisa ngokuthi izimayini ezijuleni zolwandle zingadala amathuba emisebenzi emazweni asathuthuka kuyilapho kunciphisa ukuncika ezimayini zomhlaba ezingenasimeni. Nokho, abagxeki bathi izinzuzo zezomnotho aziqinisekile nokuthi izindleko ezingase zibe khona zemvelo nezenhlalo zingase zibe ngaphezu kwanoma iyiphi inzuzo. 

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Isenzo sikaNauru sihlangatshezwe imibhikisho evela kwezinye izizwe nezinkampani ezithi iminyaka emibili ayanele ukuqonda kahle imvelo ejulile yolwandle kanye nomonakalo ongase udalwe yizimayini eziphila emanzini. I-deep sea ecosystem iyibhalansi ethambile, futhi imisebenzi yezimayini ingaba nemiphumela efinyelela kude, okuhlanganisa ukucekela phansi izindawo zokuhlala, ukukhulula amakhemikhali anobuthi, nokuphazamisa izinqubo zemvelo. Uma kubhekwa lezi zingozi, ikhwelo elikhulayo elokuthi kube nemihlahlandlela eqinile yokulawula ubungozi kanye nezinhlelo zokunxeshezelwa emiphakathini ethintekile.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubuchwepheshe bezimayini ezijulile zasolwandle busaqala, futhi kukhona ukukhathazeka mayelana nokulungela kwemishini kanye nempumelelo yezindlela ezisetshenziswayo. Isibonelo, Ngo-2021, inkampani ezinze eBelgium i-Global Sea Mineral Resources yahlola irobhothi layo lezimayini i-Patania II (enesisindo esingamakhilogremu angama-24,500) endaweni enothe ngamaminerali i-Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), engaphansi kolwandle phakathi kweHawaii neMexico. Kodwa-ke, uPatania II waba nenkinga ngesinye isikhathi njengoba eqoqa ama-nodule e-polymetallic. Khonamanjalo, i-TMC imemezele ukuthi isanda kuphothula uhlolo lwemoto eqoqwayo eNorth Sea. Noma kunjalo, izazi zokulondolozwa kwemvelo nezazi zezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle ziyakuxwaya ukuphazamisa i-ecosystem ejulile yolwandle ngaphandle kokwazi ngokugcwele imiphumela engase ibe khona.

Imithelela ebanzi yezimayini ezijulile zolwandle

Imithelela engase ibe khona ezimayini ezijulile zasolwandle ingase ihlanganise:

• Izinkampani zezimayini kanye namazwe abambisana ebudlelwaneni obuningi bezimayini ezijulile zolwandle naphezu kokuhlehla okuvela emaqenjini abongi.
• Ingcindezi ku-ISA ukuze ikhombise obala ngokuthi ubani owenza izinqumo mayelana nezinqubomgomo zokulawula, kanye nababambiqhaza kanye noxhaso.
• Izinhlekelele zemvelo, njengokuchitheka kukawoyela, ukushabalala kwezilwane zasolwandle olwandle, nokuphuka kwemishini nokushiywa phansi olwandle.
• Ukwakhiwa kwamathuba emisebenzi emisha embonini yezimayini ekujuleni kolwandle kuba umthombo obalulekile wokuqashwa kwemiphakathi yendawo.
• Ukuhlukanisa umnotho wamazwe asathuthuka, ukuwavumela ukuthi abambe iqhaza ezimakethe zomhlaba ezilambele amaminerali ayivelakancane ambiwa ezindaweni zawo. 
• Ukungaboni ngaso linye kwezepolitiki ngobunikazi bezinqolobane zamaminerali zasolwandle, okwenza kube kubi ukungezwani okukhona kwezepolitiki.
• Ukucekelwa phansi kwezindawo ezihlala ekujuleni kolwandle okuthinta indawo yokudoba kanye nemiphakathi ethembele emithonjeni yasolwandle.
• Amathuba amasha ocwaningo lwesayensi, ikakhulukazi ku-geology, biology, kanye ne-oceanography. 
• Izinsiza ezengeziwe zokuthuthukisa eminye imithombo yamandla, njengama-wind turbines namaphaneli elanga. 

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ingabe ukumba izimayini ezijuleni kolwandle kufanele kudlule ngaphandle kokulawula okuphathekayo?
• Izinkampani zezimayini nezizwe zingathweswa kanjani icala ngezinhlekelele zemvelo ezingase zibe khona?