Ocean uye pollution yemvura

Mafuta ndiwo anoparadza zvinhu zvakaomarara. Inoparadza maminerali kubva kumabwe, inotakura zvinovaka muviri kune masango nemadziro, uye inobvisa zvinhu zvayo zvakaipa kana ichifamba. Munguva dzekare, izvi zvaive zvakakwana: vanhu vaitoisa zvinhu mumigwagwa uye nharaunda yaizozvibvisa. Pazvinoitika nhasi, nevanhu vanodarika zana remadhora uye nekudyara kwechikafu muzvitoro panzvimbo dzese pasi rose, kusvibiswa kwezvinhu kwakamira kushanda nguva yakareba. Chimwe chinhu chinobuda mumvura ichienda kunyika, chimwe chinhu chichienda kumvura.

The Mississippi River delta carrying sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. — The Mississippi River delta pouring sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. Izviwo zvinotakura mishonga yekudya kubva kumafaro anopfuura rimwe rechinomwe chenyika. Kutenda: NASA

Maitiro ekuti madziva aite matsva

Kupararira kwemvura kunoitika munzira mbiri. Zvimwe zvinokonzeresa zvinobuda kubva kumafuta: kubuda kwemvura yekunwa, mvura yemuchina, kana migwagwa. Izvo zvinokurumidza kuwanikwa uye, neruzivo rwekubvumidzwa uye kurapwa, zviri nyore kugadzirisa. Zvikonzero zvakasiyana-siyana zvinobva kumativi ese panguva imwe chete: zvicherwa uye matanda anotonhora kubva mumapurazi, mafuta uye dust yemotokari inotonhora kubva pazvitima, mishonga yekuuraya zvirwere ichifamba kubva kune zvigadzirwa zvekudya. Vakurudzirwa kugara vachizvidzivirira, nekuti hapana munhu anokwanisa kubvisa mvura kubva muropa.

Zvimwe zvezvinhu zvinokuvadza zvikuru ndezvi:

Nzira dzekurima. Nitrogen nephosphorus kubva kumapfupa, mupunga uye madziro emvura. Mumvura vanodya mabhakitiriya, ayo anokura, anofa uye anoora, achishandisa oxygen inodiwa nemombe.
Pathogens. Bakteriya, mavirusi uye maparasiti kubva kune zvisina kugadziriswa mvura yekunwa uye zvirwere zvezvinyama. Idzo dzinokonzera chirwere chekolera, dysentery, typhoid uye kuora mwoyo.
Chemicals. Heavy metals semvura yakaoma uye kutungamira, zviyo zveindasitiri, mishonga yekuuraya mombe, zvigadzirwa zvehutano uye izvo zvinonzi forever chemicals (PFAS), izvo zvakaoma kuparadzwa pazvinenge zvawanikwa.
Sediment uye tembiricha. Midzi inokonzerwa nekurohwa kwevhu inonhuwira mahombekombe enyika, uye inouraya zvikepe zvechikepe; madziro anotonhora kubva kumafuta anoderedzawo huwandu hweoxygen.

Bright green water full of algae beside a wooden pier on Lake Erie. — Nzira yekuona zvinhu zvinovaka muviri: kumera kwemvura kunoita kuti madziva eLake Erie aite mavara echiedza paKelleys Island, Ohio. Zvirwere izvi zvinokura pazvicherwa uye mamvura anotonhora anobuda mumunda. Photo: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ndiani anokonzerwa

Mumwe neumwe anodya pasi pechivimbo chemunhu. According to the World Health Organization, at least 1.7 billion people used a drinking-water source contaminated with faeces in 2022, and 2.2 billion still lacked safely managed drinking water. Zvirwere izvi zvinouraya vanhu vakawanda zvikuru, kunyanya vana: kushaya kwemvura yakachena, hutano hwakanaka uye kusvibiswa kwezvicherwa zvinowanzokonzera kufa nechirwere chekuora mwoyo.

Pashure pezvinyorwa izvi, pane hutano. Mu2022, 57% yevanhu vepasi rose vachashandisa zvishongedzo zvinochengetwa zvakanaka. kupfuura 1.5 billion aigona kuwana basa rebasa, uye 419 million Vazhinji vacho vanoita zvemba vachizviisa muvhu, mumasango ezvitoro, kumashure kwematombo kana kuti vachizvisiya mudzimba dzavo. Mu2020, 44 percent yemvura yakasviba yakanga yaiswa pasina kuchengeteka kwehutano (WHO, 2024). Kana pasina mvura yekunwa, mhirizhonga inoitika.

1.7 billionvanhu vanoshandisa chiwanikwa chemvura yekunwa chakaora nefeces (WHO)

42%of household wastewater flows were not safely treated in 2022 (UN-Water, 2024)

400+245,000 km² (Diaz naRosenberg, 2008)

Ekosystems vanobhadharawo. Panzvimbo apo mahombekombe ane zvinhu zvinovaka muviri anosangana nemvura, huwandu hweokisijeni hunokwira zvakanyanya kusvika pakuuraya zvekudya zvemusango. Izvi dead zones zvinonzi nhamba mumazana; imwe yeakakura mafomu ese ezhizha muGulf of Mexico, inodyarwa neMississippi. Around the world, the open ocean has lost oxygen as well, and low-oxygen coastal sites have multiplied since the middle of the twentieth century (Breitburg et al., 2018).

A dead zone inzvimbo yechivi ine mamiriyoni evanhu vakasungwa asi pasina mushonga mumwe chete.

Mahombekombe anotakura zvakanyanya

Mamwe mahombekombe anoratidzwa nematambudziko ose akafanana: mvura yekunwa, zvicherwa zvemafekitori uye plastiki, zvese mumvura imwe chete, mumigwagwa iyo yakakura nekukurumidza kupfuura mapurasitiki avo, zvidhori uye michina yekugadzirisa. Kutaura mashoko aya hakureve kuti unozvipomera. Vanhu vari kumabvazuva kwenyika iyi ndivo vanonyanya kusangana nematambudziko aya, uye vazhinji vavo vari kushanda zvakasimba kuti vadzokere kumabvazuva.

Mafuta emvura uye hupenyu hwezuva nezuva

The Pasig Metro Manila, iyo inogara vanhu vanodarika mamiriyoni 13, ndiyo nzvimbo iri kuchamhembe kwenyika. Muchidimbu, mvura yemugwagwa inosvika kuguta kuburikidza nemadziro madiki uye kanali akatarisana nemahotera ayo haasisina kubatanidza nemvura yekuchenesa uye hapana kuunganidzwa kwemvura yakasviba. Panguva yemvura yemuvhuro, zvese zviri pasi pevhu zvinosvibiswa nemvura munguva pfupi. Iyo imwecheteyo pattern inoenderera mberi pamwe chete Klang muKuala Lumpur, Ulhas uye Dhijitari muMumbai, uye mamirioni ezvidiki zvitsuwa mumatropiki.

Dark storm clouds over the Pasig River in Manila, with rafts of water hyacinth on the brown water and tower blocks along the bank. — A tropical storm rolls over the Pasig River in Manila. Mvura inonzi inopisa zvikuru uye inobvisa chero chinhu chiri pasi pevhu, ichibva yapinda mumahombekombe uyezve kumvura munguva pfupi. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0

Mafekitori: tanning uye dyes

In Dhaka, tanning mills of Hazaribagh akaburitsa a estimated 21,600 cubic metres mvura yekunze, yakasviba nechromium, sulphur uye ammonium, inoenda mumatunhu anodziya kunzvimbo dzakaita se Buriganga (Human Rights Watch, 2012). Vanoshanda, vazhinji vavo vana, uye vagari vemunharaunda vakasangana nematambudziko ehutano pakutanga; muviri wakaenda kune zvipo zvemaoko uye mabhegi akatengeswa pasi rose.

Wooden passenger boats crowded at the Sadarghat river port on the Buriganga in Dhaka, with rubbish along the bank. — Sadarghat on the Buriganga, Dhaka's busiest river port. Mhenderekedzo iyi ndiyo nzira yekufamba yevanhu vanopfuura mamiriyoni maviri, uye ndiyo inotakura mvura kubva kumaruwa kusvika kumaguta. Photo: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0

Pa Java, Citarumwaters_ world- class. kgm Ichi chitsuwa chiri mudunhu reWest Java, iro rine nzvimbo yekumaodzanyemba kweIndonesia. A 2025 kudzidza inotaura kuti mugwagwa akagamuchira pamusoro 35.5 mamirioni ematoni evanhu zvicherwa zuva nezuva mu2017, uye kuti pamusoro 90 percent ye3,236 textile michina pamwe chete yakanga isina zvakakwana kubvisa mvura, saka dyes uye chemicals akaenda straight into the water (Marselina et al., 2025). Mu 2018 Indonesia yakaburitsa * Citarum Harum *, chirongwa chenyika chekudzosa chimiro chemvura icho chinounza pamwe chete nyika nehurumende yemunharaunda, masimba akazvimirira, makambani uye masangano.

Ganges inzvimbo yakachengeteka kune mamiriyoni evanhu uye inoendesa madziva kunzvimbo dzakawanda dzeIndia neBangladesh. Panguva iyoyowo, michina yekugadzira sezviyo uye zvinwiwa zvinowedzera mvura yavo yekunwa kune yakachena mvura yemadzitateguru ari kukura nekukurumidza. India’s Namami Gange programme, yakatangira muna 2014, iri kuumba uye kuongorora zvipatara zvekurwisa mvura yakachena kumabvazuva kwegungwa nenzvimbo dzaro dzinosvika pasi pegungwa (National Mission for Clean Ganga).

Plastic

Plastic ndiyo inonyanya kuonekwa yezvimwe zvinhu zvinokuvadza, uye ndeimwe yatinokwanisa kufungidzira mhiri kwemhiri. Zvidzidzo zviviri zvakakura zvakashandisa mamodheru ekombuta, akaongororwa nematanho enzvimbo, kuti afungidzire kuti ndezvipi zvinhu zveplastiki zvinoenda kumvura:

Lebreton et al. (2017) yakafungidzira 1.15 kusvika 2.41 miriyoni tons pagore kubva kune ese marudzi emvura, nepamusoro pe20 marudzi anotakura maviri muzana, akatungamira Yangtze, Ganges uye Xi.
Schmidt et al. (2017) yaenda mberi, ichiti 10 chete marudzi anotakura 88 kusvika ku95 muzana epasi rose. Izvi zvinonzi “marudzi makumi manomwe” zvakapararira zvakanyanya, asi vanyori vezvinyorwa izvi vakazivisa nezvekusinganzwisisike kwakanyanya, uye dzidzo nyowani haisi kutsigira izvi.
Meijer et al. (2021) yakatevera zvicherwa kubva panzvimbo iyo inodonha kune yakanakisisa mvura uye kuchamhembe, ichitora mufananidzo wemvura yezuva, kushandiswa kwenyika uye hupamhi. Vanoona kuti mamwe marudzi e1,000 anotakura 80% emapurazi eplastiki kugungwa, 0.8 kusvika 2.7 miriyoni ematoni pagore mu total, uye kuti marudzi madiki ari kufamba kuburikidza nemaguta mazhinji ndiwo akanyanya kukuvadza.

Kuongorora

Izvi ndezvemahombekombe emahombekombe ane huwandu hwakanyanya hwekuburitsa kweplastiki mumhando nyowani. The figures are model midpoints for conditions around 2015, rounded to the nearest hundred tonnes.

Izvi tafura dzinotaura nezvenguva yapfuura. Zvimwe zvemamodeli anoshandisa data kubva muna 2015, mushure mekunge mamwe mapurogiramu ekugadzirisa akatangira, uye hapana akatogadziridzwazve kune madziva ezuva rino. Zvimwe zvezvinyorwa izvi, semuenzaniso, zvinotaura nezvemvura yeYangtze, Xi neHuangpu, zvakaita sei makore gumi apfuura, apo nyika yainge yatanga kubvisa mvura kubva kumahombekombe ayo. Chii chakaitika mushure meizvozvo, mugwagwa nemugwagwa, chinotaurwa mu migwagwa yakadzokera pasi rose pazasi.

Rango	River	Country	Yakafungidzirwa plastic kuchamhembe kwechitsuwa (matoni pagore)	Musoro
1	Pasig	FijiName	62,600	Meijer et al. 2021
2	Tullahan	FijiName	13,500	Meijer et al. 2021
3	Ulhas	India	13,400	Meijer et al. 2021
4	Klang	Malawi	12,800	Meijer et al. 2021
5	City in Philippines	FijiName	12,400	Meijer et al. 2021
6	Pampanga	FijiName	9,300	Meijer et al. 2021
7	Libmanan	FijiName	7,100	Meijer et al. 2021
8	Ganges	India neBangladesh	6,200	Meijer et al. 2021
9	Rio Grande do Sul	FijiName	5,300	Meijer et al. 2021
10	Agno	FijiName	4,600	Meijer et al. 2021

Iyo yakare model inoisa mahombekombe emasango, nenzvimbo dzese dzakasiyana:

Rango	River	Country	Midpoint (tones per year)	_Mapoka	Musoro
1	Yangtze River	China	333,000	310,000 to 480,000	Lebreton et al. 2017
2	Ganges	India neBangladesh	115,000	105,000 to 172,000	Lebreton et al. 2017
3	Xi	China	73,900	64,600 to 114,000	Lebreton et al. 2017
4	Huangpu	China	40,800	33,500 to 67,300	Lebreton et al. 2017
5	Kuzviisa pasi	Nigeria neCameroon	40,300	33,800 to 65,000	Lebreton et al. 2017
6	Brant	Indonesia	38,900	32,300 to 63,700	Lebreton et al. 2017
7	Amazon	Brazil, Peru, Colombia uye Ecuador	38,900	32,200 to 63,800	Lebreton et al. 2017
8	Pasig	FijiName	38,800	32,100 to 63,700	Lebreton et al. 2017
9	Irrawaddy	Myanmar	35,300	29,700 to 56,900	Lebreton et al. 2017
10	Solo	Indonesia	32,500	26,500 to 54,100	Lebreton et al. 2017

Ndiani anoziva kuti izvi ndezvipi? Hapana, uye zvakakosha kuti tizive. Vaviri ndivo mamodheru: hapana munhu akatarisana neplastiki achisiya zviuru zvemiromo yemigwagwa. Meijer’s own global total spans a factor of more than three, and the authors describe their model as accurate to within about a factor of ten when compared with field measurements; the Pasig sits on the edge of that band. Mamwe marudzi maviri anosiyanawo nechimiro chematombo. Ganges inodzikira kubva pa115,000 tons pagore mumhando yakare kusvika ku6,200 panzvimbo yayo yemuromo mukuru mutsva, nekuti iyo nyowani mhando inokupa iwe plastiki yakadonha kumabvazuva kwenzvimbo yako ine mukana wakaderera kwazvo wekusvika kuguta: zhinji yake inotorana pamahombekombe emvura, kumashure kwemadam uye muma sediments panguva yekubuda. Other rivers often named in public debate, such as the Chao Phraya in Bangkok, the Kelani in Colombo and the Mithi in Mumbai, also appear among the 50 largest emitters in the newer model’s published list. Chimwe chinhu chinowirirana pakati pezvidzidzo izvi ndechekuti: mvura yeplastiki inosvika kumahombekombe kubva kumatunhu ayo mazhinji haasi kuchengetwa, uko vanhu vari kugara pedyo nemahombekombe uye apo mvura inotonhora inobva ichichenesa nyika.

Mahombekombe akadzokera kunzvimbo dzake dzekare pasi rose

Mahombekombe mumifananidzo iri pamusoro haasi chinhu chakaipa. Mahombekombe aive akavharwa akadzokera kumatunhu mana, munyika dzakapfuma uye munyika dzinotambura, pasi pehurumende dzakasiyana-siyana. Hapana chekuzvichenesa neimwe nzira kana neimwe mitemo. Kana kuti, kana munhu akazvipira kuita zvinhu zviviri zvakasiyana: chimwe chinhu chaakafunga kuti chakaipa, chimwe chinhu chaakaona chisina kunaka, uye chimwe chinhu chaakaona chisina kujeka. Vanonzi vakabva vatanga kugara munzvimbo dzavaive vachigara pakutanga.

The Thames, London

Kuona pasi pechiedza chekutenderera kwenzvimbo yekumhanya kweThames Tideway Tunnel, nenzvimbo yekutambanuka iri pasi pechiedza. — Kuona pasi pechiedza chekufamba kweThames Tideway Tunnel, iyo nyowani yekufambisa mvura muLondon pasi pemugwagwa weThames. Photo: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. London’s sewers uye kuongorora mabasa ainge asina kukwanisa kutevedzera kukura kweguta. Nemakore e1950, mvura yeThames yakanga isina oxygen uye muna 1957 yakazivisa kuti ichiri kufa. Victorian sewerswo vanotakura madziva emvura, uye kana ichipisa zvakanyanya ivo vakaramba vachibuda mumvura.

Zvinoitwa. Kuchenesa kwemvura yemvura yakatangira mu1960 (BBC, 2001). Mu 2014 Thames Water yakati yagadzirira kuvandudzwa kwezviuru zvina zvemidziyo yekurapa, paBeckton, Crossness, Riverside, Long Reach neMogden. Mu 2016, 7 km Lee Tunnel yakatanga kuunganidza kupfuura 5 miriyoni matoni emvura yekunwa gore rega rega iyo yaishandiswa kubva kune hombe kudonha. 25 km Thames Tideway Tunnel, £4.6 bhiriyoni yeprojekiti yakabhadharwa neThames Water’s customers’ bills, ikozvino inobatanidza nayo, kuitira kuti iyo system ikwanise kuchengeta 1.6 miriyoni cubic metres yemvura yekunwa; yakabatana zvakakwana uye ichishanda kubva munaFebruary 2025, uye inotarisirwa kuderedza kubuda kwemvura muTidal River kubva pamakumi masere muzana mumwaka wechinyakare kusvika pamazana mana (Thames Water; Tideway).

Chii chaive chakaenzana. Iyo yekutanga salmon yakadzokera mu1974, uye muna 2001 mhirizhonga yaive nemhando dze115 dzezvipfuwo (BBC, 2001). Zvidzidzo zvehutano zve2026 zveZoological Society of London zvakawana kuti kusvibiswa kweoxygen kwakakwira munguva pfupi kubva pa2007 kusvika 2024 uye phosphorus yakaderera kubvira pa1990s; seahose, eels, seal uye kunyangwe zvidiki zvesharks zvinogara mune estuary (ZSL, 2026).

Not solved yet. The same health check found nitrate still rising from treated sewage, and a slight fall in fish species since the early 1990s that needs more research. Upstream yetunhu, Thames Water’s overflows uye kuongorora mabasa akaparadza mvura yekunwa kwe298,081 maawa mu2024, kubva pa196,414 mu2023, zvichienderana neruzivo rwekuongororwa kwedata rekambani (The Guardian, 2025). MuEngland, kubuda kwemvura kwakaderera ne35 percent mu2025, izvo zvemagariro Agency inoti zvaive zvikuru nekuda kwegore rakaoma (Environment Agency, 2026).

The Cuyahoga, Cleveland, uye US Clean Water Act

A steel lift bridge silhouetted against an orange sunset over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. — Sunset pamusoro peCuyahoga River muCleveland, iyo mhenderekedzo iyo 1969 fire yakabatsira kutungamira US Clean Water Act. Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Pa 22 June 1969, chiedza chekubuda mumotokari yakabata moto wakakonzera kuti mafuta apere paCuyahoga River. Haisi nguva yekutanga: mudunhu rese remvura inopisa, 13 mafires akaitika paRiver before 1969 (NEORSD). In the 1970s more than 9 billion gallons of combined sewage and rainwater a year overflowed from the area’s sewers into the river and Lake Erie (NEORSD).

Chii chakaitwa. Vavhoti veCleveland vaigara vachipa 100 miriyoni yemadhora kuti vaite kubvisa mabhakitiriya kubva kumatunhu emvura, uye mayor akatora vaongorori kuenda kumhenderekedzo yemvura uye vakaratidza kune Congress (NPR, 2019). Mu 1972 Congress yakapa chibvumirano cheClean Water Act, icho chakaita kuti zvive zvisina pamutemo kuburitsa pollution kubva pampu yemvura muUS pasina mvumo uye ichibhadhara kune nyowani yekurapa michina (US EPA). Mu1987, mugwagwa uyu wakagadzwa seGreat Lakes Area of Concern nematambudziko mana anofanira kugadziriswa. Since 2011 the sewer district’s Project Clean Lake, a 3 billion dollar, 25-year programme agreed with regulators, has been building tunnels and storage to cut overflows from about 4.5 billion gallons a year to 494 million by 2036 (NEORSD).

Zvinodarika zvakaenzana. Kusvika pagore ra2000, kuwanda kwemvura kwakaderera nehafu. Pazuva reChikunguru 2025, 76 yeProject Clean Lake’s 78 projects yakanga yakapera kana iri kuenderera mberi, ichibvisa 2 bhiriyoni ma gallons emvura inosvika gore rega rega. Nzvimbo yekudyara yadzokera: 60+ species yakawanikwa mumvura muna 2014 (NEORSD). EPA yakabvisa makumi mana ematambudziko masere akaitwa: kuoneka kwakanyanya (2017), miganhu yekudya zvekudya zvekudya (2019), algae (2021), zvirwere zvembwa (2023) uye kuvharwa kwenzvimbo dzekunze (2024) (US EPA).

Hapana zvaragadziriswa. Zvimwe matambudziko maviri achiri kuwanikwa: zvekudya zvemvura, zvenyama dzemusango, zvekudya zvemusango, uye kuora kwenzvimbo dzekugara dzezvipfuwo. Pashure peGorge Dam, yakavakwa mu1911, pamusoro 865,000 cubic yards yezvinokuvadza sediments iri kuchengetwa kubva 2025 pamberi damba rinogona kugadziriswa (US EPA).

The Yarra, Melbourne

A rowing crew on the calm Yarra River, with parkland on the left and Melbourne's towers in the distance. — Vatambi vekurovedza paYarra muMelbourne. Mugwagwa uyu unotakurawo mvura yemusango inoshandiswa nevanhu vakawanda munharaunda. Photo: Donaldytong, CC BY-SA 3.0

Chii chakaitika zvakaipa. Pakutanga kwemvura yemuMelbourne yakanga ichiendeswa kunzvimbo yekurapa muWerribee kubva muna 1897, Yarra yakataurwa seimwe yemigwagwa ine mabhakitiriya akanyanya pasi rose (Melbourne Water). Semuzinda wakakura, dzimba dzemasango, madhorobha uye madziva emvura yakawedzera kukuvadza.

Zvinoitwa. Kuchenesa kwaive kukutanga, uye mvura yemugwagwa yakavandudzwa zvakanyanya kubva mumakore e1970 ne1980 (imwe cheteyo). Mu 2017 Victoria yakapa Yarra River Protection (Wilip-gin Birrarung murron) Act, mutemo uyo unotarisa mhirizhonga seimwe inorarama uye yakabatana yezvisikwa zvemunharaunda, uye akagadzira Birrarung Council kuti abatsire panyaya iyi (Victorian legislation).

Zvinodarika. Yarra iri kuburitsa 70% yemvura inopisa inoshandiswa neMelbourne (Melbourne Water). Since December 2013 the state environment agency has tested bacteria at four popular spots and publishes swimming forecasts for them (EPA Victoria).

Hapana zvayakagadzirisa. Kuchengetedzwa kwemvura kuri kuderera nekuda kwekurima, kuwedzera kwenzvimbo dzekugara uye kuwanda kwemvura yemvura (Melbourne Water). Mamwe mazita ezvitsuwa izvi anosanganisira Kew, Launching Place, uye Victoria. Zvizhinji zvezvitsuwa izvi zvinozivikanwa senzvimbo dzevatambi vemitambo yemvura (EPA Victoria).

Minamata Bay, Japan

Mugwagwa weMinamata wakatarisana nemvura yakachena yeMinamata Bay uye mahombekombe anenge ari kure. — Minamata nemadziro ayo muna 2020, akatarisana nemvura yakachena yeMinamata Bay uye mahombekombe anenge ari kure. Photo: Sanjo, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zvinoitika Panguva yakareba, kambani yechikafu yeChisso yakaburitsa methylmercury, iyo inonzi inogadzirwa nekuita acetaldehyde, muMinamata Bay. Nekuti mvura yacho yakabuda muzvipfuwo, uye nevanhu, nenyama yese yaizodya. Kupararira kwechirwere ichi kwakatanga kuzivikanwa sechirwere chepasirese muna 1956. Muchina wakamisa maitiro aya muna May 1968, uye hurumende yakazivisa kuti chakakonzera kupararira kwechirwere ichi muna Zvita (Ministry of the Environment of Japan).

Zvinoitwa. Mu1974, matanda akapetwa pasi pegungwa kuti zvive nyore kubvisa zvekudya zvakaora. From 1977 to 1990, about 1.5 million cubic metres of sediment containing more than 25 parts per million of mercury were dredged and sealed into 58 hectares of reclaimed land. The work cost about 48 billion yen, of which Chisso paid about 30 billion and the national and prefectural governments about 9 billion each (same source).

Zvinokanganiswa. Mamwe marudzi emombe akagara pasi pezviyero zvakapihwa gore rimwe chete, uye muna 1997 gurukota rakazivisa kuti nzvimbo iyi yaive yakachengeteka uye kuti nhare dzaishandiswa dzakatorwa (source imwechete).

Hapana zvachose. The bay akadzokera mukati mamakore; vanhu havana. Pazuva reChikunguru 2024, vanhu va3,000 vakawanikwa vaine hutachiona hweMinamata, kusanganisira avo vekutapukira kwekutanga muNiigata, uye 304 vavo vaigara vachirarama (National Institute for Minamata Disease). Maererano nevanhu 11,000 vakawana rubatsiro pasi pekuwirirana kwezvematongerwo enyika kwakasvika muna 1995, vanhu vanopfuura 48,000 vakakumbira rubatsiro pasi pemutemo wakapihwa mu2009 (Ministry of the Environment of Japan), uye mahofisi ehurumende achiri kuongorora nyaya dzevasungwa: muna 2023, Osaka court yakabvuma kuti pane vanhu 128 vari kuda rubatsiro, asi muna 2024 Kumamoto court yakabvisa 144 vachiti nguva yakanga yapera (Asahi Shimbun, 2024).

Singapore River

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Mumakore e1970, Singapore River neKallang Basin zvaive zvakapfeka zvicherwa, mvura yekunwa uye mabhatiri akachengetwa. Zvinwiwa kubva kumafaro emombe nendudzi, zvemba dzemabhizimisi, zvitoro zvepazvitoro uye mahome asina mvura yakabva ichienda kumvura.

Zvinoitwa. Pa 27 February 1977, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew akaisa chinangwa chemakore gumi ekuchenesa mugwagwa uyu. Mumigwagwa yemusango uye muKalang Basin, mamiriyoni emhuri dzakasvibiswa dzakadzokera kumabasa, uye 610 zvipatara zvemombe, mabhiriji anenge 500 emapazi, zvitoro zvinosvika 2800 zvemabhazi uye vanhu vanotengesa pamahombekombe vanenge 5000 vakaendeswa. Mabhazi 800 akasviba mumvura akaendeswa kuPasir Panjang muna 1983. The National Library Board inoisa mutengo pamadhora 300 mamiriyoni eSingapore, pasina kusanganisira mari yekudzokera (National Library Board).

Zvinokanganiswa. Panguva iyo ongororo yakanga yapera muna 1987, nyama nechingwa chaiva chiri kubereka mumvura (National Library Board). The Marina Barrage, yakapera muna 2008, yakashandura muromo wemvura yemupunga mu2010, ine nzvimbo yekutora 10,000 hectares (PUB).

Isina kugadziriswa kusvika parizvino. Hatina kuwana ruzivo rwenguva refu nezvemhando yemvura yemugwagwa uyu. 2015 dzidzo inotaura kuti nyowani reservoir, iro raive estuary, richiri kurarama neyakakwira salinity (Galelli et al., 2015).

The Mersey, North West England

The Liverpool waterfront with the Royal Liver Building, seen from a ferry on the River Mersey. — The Liverpool waterfront seaside. Photo: Richard Hoare, CC BY-SA 2.0

Chii chakaitika zvakaipa. Mazana maviri emakore eindasitiri uye mvura yekunwa yemadhora emamiriyoni evanhu yakaita kuti Mersey ive imwe yenzvimbo dzakaomarara dzeEurope, uye muna 1985 yaive inonzi iri muhombekombe hwakaomarara kwazvo muUnited Kingdom (Mersey Basin Campaign). Mumakore e1970, mativi akawanda emahombekombe aiva nemvura isina oxygen munguva yezhizha, pazuva rimwe nerimwe regore.Jones, 2006).

Zvinoitwa. The Mersey Basin Campaign yakaenderera mberi kwemakore 25, kubva muna 1985 kusvika muna 2010, ichibatanidza hurumende, kambani yemvura, indasitiri nevanhu vemunharaunda (Mersey Basin Campaign). New and upgraded treatment works and industrial discharge controls followed: by 2006 more than £1 billion had been spent (Jones, 2006).

Zvinokanganiswa. Kusvika pazuva rimwe nerimwe, huwandu hwezvicherwa zvinokuvadza (BOD) zvakapinda mumvura yemusango hwaikwira kubva pa300 tons muna 1972 kusvika ku50 tons muna 2000 (Jones, 2000). Iyo yakaderera oxygen inoonekwa mumusoro wemugwagwa yakwira kusvika pa48 percent yekutonhora muna 2001, 58 percent muna 2002 uye 65 percent muna 2003. MuNovember 2001 salmon vakawanikwa mumvura yemugwagwa kwekutanga mumakore anenge makumi maviri, uye 26 vakawanikwa paWoolston Weir muna Gumiguru 2002 (Jones, 2006).

Hapana zvachose. Muzhizha, oxygen muchikamu cheManchester Ship Canal iyo salmon inofanirwa kusangana nayo yaive yakaipa kwazvo, inodarika 20 percent, izvo zvinokanganisa zvekudya zvemanheru (imwewo nzvimbo). Vatsvakurudzi vari kudzidza kudzoka kwemugodhi zvakare vanotaura nezvekuenderera mberi kwekushaikwa kwezvinhu zvakajairika zvinokuvadza zvinosvika mumigwagwa yekudya (Hawkins et al., 2020).

Boston Harbor

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Kusvikira kuma1990, mvura yemuBoston yaiva nechikonzero chekubuda muhotera ichi, uye yakaiswa mumapurazi eguta zuva nezuva. Mu 1987, 84 zvakabatanidzwa mapfupa kukwira akaramba achiburitsa zvisina kugadziriswa mapfupa uye madziva emvura muhotera nemadziro ayo (MWRA).

Zvinoitwa. Mu1985, hurumende yakapa chikumbiro kukambani yemvura kuti iite basa rekuchenesa madziro. Sludge dumping muhotera akamira muna 1991, atsva kuongorora plant pa Deer Island yakatanga mumaawa kubva 1995, uye mu 2000 a 9.5-migwagwa tunnel akachinja kurapwa outflow kure kunze mumvura dzinoshamisa of Massachusetts Bay (MWRA). Iyo Boston Harbor Project yakabhadhara madhora 3.8 bhiriyoni (MWRA). A zvakasiyana chirongwa chemamiriyoni 906 US dhora yakati 34 ye84 overflows uye yakagadzirirwa kuderedza huwandu hwakaipa mumakore anowanzoitika ne 88 percent (MWRA).

Zvinodarika. Hurumende yemvura inoongorora zvinenge 70 zvenzvimbo dzemuhomwe nemadziro ayo uye inoburitsa ruzivo urwu, uye nyika inoongorora mahombekombe ese egore (MWRA). Charles River’s grade yakakwira kubva kuD kuenda kuB kana kupfuura kubvira 2004 (MWRA), uye mu2025, ese maguta emahombekombe kubva kuNahnant kusvika kuNantasket akawana zvibodzwa zvakasvika 80% zvekuchengeteka kwekunwa, izvo zvaive zviripo kare (Kuchengeta Harbor/Kuchengeta Bay, 2025).

Hapana zvakagadziriswa. Mugore rimwe chete, Charles River inosangana nemamiriro ezvinhu anodiwa ekupisa kwemvura chete 48% yenguva, uye mamwe mahombekombe haazopedzise zvinangwa zvawo (MWRA, 2023). A draft updated overflow plan is open for public comment until 30 October 2026 (City of Somerville).

Rhine

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Mumakore anopfuura makumi maviri, Rhine yakatakura zvicherwa zvemumwe wenzvimbo dzakaita seGermany dziri kugadzirwa zvakanyanya neindasitiri. Pa 1 November 1986 moto pa Sandoz gungano pedyo Basel waivadza kusvika 30 tons of pesticides mumvura uye akauraya zvekudya pamwe mamirioni ekilomita.

What was done. The countries along the river answered with the Rhine Action Programme in 1987: halve the discharges of 40 dangerous chemicals within ten years, and make the river clean enough for salmon to return (International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine). Zvivakwa zvekuchenesa zvakavakwa uye zvakavandudzwa, uye zvigaro zvekudya zvemombe zvakavhurwa munzvimbo dzemasango mazhinji, kuIffezheim muna 2000 neGambasheim muna 2006 (ICPR).

Zvinokanganiswa. Heavy metals mumvura yakaderera zvakanyanya pakati pa1987 na2000 (ICPR). Nzira yekuti Rhine iite nitrogen yakaderera kubva pa443,000 tons muna 1985 kusvika ku272,000 tons muna 2016 (ICPR). Salmon yakatanga kutambanudza kubva kuNorth Sea kuenda kuSieg River mu1990 uye yakaberekwa kwavari zvakajairika kubvira 1994; muna 2000, 63 zvemhando dzembwa dzakadzokera, uye nyama yeRhine, kunze kweeel, yaive yakasimba yekudyazve (ICPR, Salmon 2020). Musangano uyu wakapa zita rekuti “European sturgeon” (mutauro wechiGermani unoreva kuti “Sturgeon weEurope”) kune 71 zvemhando dzeshiri dzakawanikwa mumvura yenyika.ICPR).

Hapana kugadziriswa kusvika parizvino. Salmons iriwo shoma: zvekudya zvefish pass at Koblenz zvakangoita 11 vanhu vakadzokera mu2025 (ICPR counts). Maererano nezvikamu zviviri kubva muzana zvenitrogen zvinobva kuzvekurima uye zvimwe zvakajairika zviwanikwa, mapurasitiki ekunze kubva kune zvakajairika zviwanikwa zviriwo zvakanyanya, uye michina yekurapa haizobvisa zvakawanda zvezviratidzo zvemishonga uye mamwe micropollutants; nyika dziri kutsvaga kuderedza izvi neanopfuura 30 muzana kusvika muna 2040 (ICPR).

Danube neBlack Sea

A Dalmatian pelican with wings spread wide flying against a pale sky over the Danube Delta. — A Dalmatian pelican over the Danube Delta, where the river meets the Black Sea. Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Zvicherwa, mhuka dzesango uye mvura yakasviba kubva kune rimwe remahombekombe akakura kwazvo muEurope yaive nenjodzi yekuparadza zvinhu zvinovaka muviri mukumabvazuva kweBlack Sea. From the early 1970s, water near the sea bed ran out of oxygen every year, and in 1983 the low-oxygen area covered about 20,000 square kilometres (Capet et al., 2013).

Chii chakaitwa. Mu1994 nyika dzemuDanube dzakanyora muSofia Chibvumirano chekudzivirirwa kweDanube River, uye kubva muna 1998 dzave kushanda pamwe chete kuburikidza neInternational Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, nekudzvanya pamwe chete uye nenzvimbo yebasa (ICPDR).

Zvinokanganiswa. Kuongororwa kweICPDR kwakaratidza kuti kuburitsa kwenitrogen mumvura yakaderera ne30% uye phosphorus ne50% mumakore 15 apfuura (ICPDR). The Black Sea’s low-oxygen zone shrank, although a detailed study found the recovery in the late 1990s was smaller than first thought, and came mainly in the 2000s (Capet et al., 2013).

Hapana kugadziriswa. Mu2021 chirongwa chemugodhi, 24% chete chekutenderera kwemvura yaive nehutano hwakanaka hweecological uye 36% yakachengeteka kubva kune chemicals, 624 barriers yakanga iri kurambidza kukwira kwemombe, European sturgeon yaiva yarasikirwa nehupenyu mugodhi, uye huwandu hwezviyo hwakanga hwasvika kuma1960s (ICPDR, 2021).

Pasig, Manila

A riverside promenade with ornate lamp posts beside the Pasig River in Manila, with water hyacinth on the water and a bridge beyond. — The new riverside esplanade at Intramuros on the Pasig, June 2025. Photo: Ralff Nestor Nacor, CC BY-SA 4.0

What went wrong. The Pasig carries the waste of a metropolitan area of more than 13 million people, and was declared biologically dead in the 1990s (GMA News, 2018). Inotungamira mufananidzo wezvinouya wezvitsuwa zvepasi rose zvinotakura plastiki kuchamhembe kwePacific Ocean, kunyangwe vanyori vavo vachitaura kuti iyo mifananidzo inowedzera pasi pe Pasig kana ichienzaniswa nematanho akatorwa muna 2019 (Meijer et al., 2021).

Zvinoitwa. Kutanga muna 1999 kusvika muna 2019, Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission yakachenesa mabwe nemiti yemvura. Pagore ra2018, apo yakunda chinzvimbo chekutanga muAsia RiverPrize, mhuri dziri pamadziro emvura dzaiva ne18,719 dzakadzokera kumaruwa uye 17 dzemahombekombe e47 akagadzirirwa, zvichibva papilot project kuEstero de Paco muna 2010 (GMA News). Mutemo uyu wakavandudzwa muna 2019 (Philstar, 2019). Since January 2024 a new programme, Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli, has been building a riverside esplanade, whose fourth phase opened in October 2025 (ABS-CBN, 2025).

Chii chaive chakaenzana. Kuongororwa kwesangano iri kwakaratidza kuti organic pollution (BOD) mumvura yemusango yakasvika pa30.79 milligrams per litre kubva muna 2009 kusvika muna 2014, zvichienzaniswa nechiyero che7, uye ichikwira kubva pa23.09 mu2012 kusvika pa39.03 mu2014; oxygen yakasvika pa2.85 milligrams per litre chete (PRRC, 2014). Muongorori wehurumende wegore ra2018 akaona kuti 96 percent yemari yakashandiswa pakuchenesa masango, uye pakati pe1 ne28 percent yebasa rakarongwa rakaitwa (Rappler, 2018).

Isina kugadziriswa. Muchena. Hatina kukwanisa kuwana ruzivo rwekuongororwa kwemhando yemvura kubva pa2014, saka hatigone kutaura kuti mhirizhonga iri kudzokera sei kumashure. Creeks kuratidzwa kuti inogona kuitwa street by street; yose mhenderekedzo haasi kusvika yatevera.

Cheonggyecheon, Seoul

A small clear stream with trees and a footbridge running through a valley of office towers in central Seoul at sunrise. — Cheonggyecheon muCentral Seoul, iyo yaive pasi pekongiri uye yakakwira highway kusvika 2003. Photo: Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Mugwagwa weSeoul wakasvibiswa nemvura yakachena uye wakaiswa matanda emagetsi.

Chii chakaitwa. Panguva ye2003-2005, guta rakatora motokari iyi uye rakavhura 5.8 km yemvura, izvo zvakaita kuti zvitengese mari inosvika madhora mazana maviri nemakumi matatu nematatu emadhora. 380 miriyoni US dhora (Landscape Architecture Foundation, 2011).

Zvinodarika. Panguva yemakore 2003-2008, huwandu hwezvirwere zvembwa hwakwira kubva pa4 kusvika pa25, hwezvirwere zvemombe kubva pa6 kusvika pa36, hwehutachiona kubva pa15 kusvika pa192 uye hwezvirwere zvemishonga kubva pa62 kusvika pa308. Iyo mhepo pasi pemvura iri 3.3 kusvika ku5.9 °C yakachena kupfuura pane imwe nzira (Landscape Architecture Foundation), uye muna 2025 vaongorori vakanyora 33 mhando dzembwa, zvakanyanya kubvira pakutanga kwekudzoreredza (The Korea Herald, 2025).

Not solved yet. The stream is largely artificial: more than 48,000 tonnes of water a day are pumped into it, mostly treated water from the Han River plus groundwater, and its upkeep costs about 2.9 billion won a year (The Guardian, 2025). Mu2011, mabhakitiriya eColiform mumvura yakasvika pazvinodiwa kuti zvive zvakanaka kusvibiswa (The Korea Herald, 2011).

The Ganga, India

Dozens of rowing boats on the Ganges in the morning haze at Varanasi, with temples and old buildings on the ghats behind. — Muvhuro paGanga kuVaranasi, imwe yenzvimbo dzakapoteredza mhirizhonga muHarare. Photo: travelwayoflife, CC BY-SA 2.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Ganga inzvimbo yakachengeteka kune mamiriyoni evanhu uye inoendesa madziro kunyika dzese dzeIndia neBangladesh. Panguva iyoyowo, michina yekugadzira sezviyo uye zvinwiwa zvinowedzera mvura yavo yekunwa kune inodzikira nhanho-nhanho migwagwa.

Zvinoitwa. India’s Namami Gange programme, yakatangira muna 2014, iri kuumba uye kuongorora zvipatara zvekuchenesa mapurasitiki kumabvazuva kwegungwa nenzvimbo dzaro dzinobuda mugungwa (National Mission for Clean Ganga). Chirongwa ichi chakapihwa mari inosvika 20,000 crore rupees kusvika muna March 2021 uye 22,500 crore rupees yechikamu chekutanga kusvika muna 2026. Pagore ra2026, 21,340 crore rupees yakanga yakashandiswa uye 355 ye524 yakapihwa michina yakagadziriswa (Press Information Bureau, 2026), uye muna March 2025, zvipatara zvekuchenesa zvinogona kudzora 3,446 miriyoni malitha emvura yekunwa zuva rimwe zvaive zvakavakwa kana kuti zvakagadziridzwa (Press Information Bureau, 2025).

Zvinokanganiswa. Mabhakitiriya ekunze akaderera panzvimbo dzakaongororwa, zvichitevera mashoko akaitwa nehurumende: muzana rezvibereko zvemabhakitiriya kuAssi Ghat muVaranasi zvakadzikira kubva pa2500 per 100 millilitres muna 2014 kusvika pa790 muna 2025, uye kuGandhi Ghat muPatna kubva pa5400 kusvika pa2200, zvichienzaniswa nechiyero chekunwa chinenge chasvika pa2500 (Press Information Bureau, 2026).

Hapana chakagadziriswa kusvika parizvino. Mu 2025, kugara mumvura kunosangana nemamiriro ezvinhu anodiwa ekudzivirira hutachiona hwemabhakitiriya muzvitsuwa zveUttar Pradesh, Bihar neWest Bengal chete, uye organic pollution yakakwira zvikuru kubva kuFarrukhabad kuenda kuKanpur uye kubva kuMirzapur kuenda kuGhazipur (source imwechete). Panguva yeMaha Kumbh festival muna 2025, yekutanga ongororo yeCentral Pollution Control Board yakaona kuti madziro enzvimbo dzakatarwa aiva asina kugadzikana pakunwa pazviitiko zvakawanda; yakarebesa ongororo yakazopa median mukati memutengo (The Hindu, 2025).

Mahombekombe eChina neYangtze

Three Yangtze finless porpoises swimming together in a pale blue pool. — Yangtze finless porpoises at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, 2006. Photo: Huangdan2060, CC BY 3.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Mu2015 chete 64.5 percent yenyika dzeChina dzakaongororwa pamahombekombe nemakomo dzaiva nemvura yeGrade I kusvika III, iyo inokwanisa kuchengetwa kuti idzikwe, uye 8.8 percent yaive yakaipa kupfuura Grade V, iine hutano hwekuti haigone kushandiswa kune chero chinhu (Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2016). In March 2013 more than 16,000 dead pigs had been pulled from the Huangpu and its tributaries upstream of Shanghai, a source of the city’s tap water, after farms upstream dumped the carcasses in the river (The Guardian, 2013).

Zvinoitwa. MuApril 2015, State Council yakaburitsa Action Plan yeKudzivirira uye Kudzora Kupararira kweMafuta, inozivikanwa se “Water Ten”, ine zvinangwa zvegore ra2020: kupfuura 70 muzana emvura muzviviri zvinokosha zvemahombekombe enyika iri paGrade III kana zviri nani, kuvharwa kwemafekitori madiki anouraya, kubvisa dzimba dzemombe kubva kumatunhu ane madziro akaomarara uye kuongororwa kwe95 muzana emapurazi eguta (State Council, 2015). Kutanga muna 2016, marudzi ese emvura akapihwa “chikuru chemvura”, mumiriri anozivikanwa ane basa rekuona kuti madziro ake ari kuchengetwa zvakanaka uye kuti zvinodiwa nevanhu zvakateverwa (General Office of the CPC Central Committee and State Council, 2016; Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law, Article 5). Pagore ra2018, 97.8 percent yezvivakwa zvepasi rose zvakaita sezvipatara zvakaita sezvipatara zvemvura yakachena nekushandisa masystem ekuona zviri painternet, uye muna 2019, migwagwa yakanga yaisanganisa 2,513 ye2,899 “yemavara nemasvondo” ematunhu evashandi vemvura vakaziva (Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2018 and 2019 bulletins). Mutemo weKudzivirira Mhenderekedzo yeYangtze, uri musimba kubva muna March 2021, unorambidza kuvakwa kwezvimwe zvipatara zvekemikari mukati mechikwereti chemugwagwa (Yangtze River Protection Law), uye zvekutengesa zvekudya zvemvura muYangtze zvakarambidzwa kwemakore gumi kubva muna 2021, nekubatsira kune vanodyara madziva avo vakadzingwa (Xinhua, 2026).

Chii chakanga chakaongororwa. Negore ra2025, 91.4 percent renyika rakatarisana nenzvimbo dzakaita seGrade I kusvika III uye 0.6 percent dzaiva dziri pasi peGrade V; muYangtze basin, 98.9 percent ye1,016 nzvimbo dzakaita seGrade I kusvika III (Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2026). Nhamba yeYangtze finless porpoises yakakwira kubva pa1,249 muongororo ye2022 kusvika ku1,426, uye 351 zvemhando dzezvipfuwo zvakanyorwa mubasin muna 2021 kusvika 2025, 43 kupfuura pamberi pekurambidzwa kwekudyara (Xinhua, 2026).

Hapana zvayakagadzirirwa. Mu 2025, 28.4 percent yemadziro akakura uye maresiviri aigara achishandiswa nemvura yakawanda, uye iyo yakakura kwazvo algae bloom paTaihu yakavhara imwe yegumi yemadziro; phosphorus ichiri chinhu chikuru chinokuvadza mu Yangtze main stream (Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2026). Mavara emvura haaonekwe plastiki: mu2020, kurambidzwa kwenguva pfupi kwekushandisa rimwe chete kweplastiki kwakatanga (NDRC ne Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2020), asi isu hatina kuwana nyowani yakaongororwa huwandu hweplastiki iyo Yangtze inotakura kuchamhembe kweAsia. Mutemo wekuonawo wakakwira kubva pa967 points mu2015 kusvika pa3,641 kubva ku2021, saka mazita ekutanga neakare haasi nyore kuenzaniswa.

The Seine, Paris

Vashambadziri munzvimbo yekunwa yakavharwa neropa paSeine muParis, ine deki regungwa, maruva uye Eiffel Tower pamberi. — Vashambadziri paGrenelle nzvimbo yekunwa paSeine munaAugust 2026, iyo yekutanga nguva yegore yekunwa mumvura inobvumidzwa zviri pamutemo kwemakore anopfuura makumi maviri. Photo: Heidi Meudt, CC BY 4.0

Zvinoitika zvakaipa. Kusvibiswa kweSeine kwakarambidzwa muna 1923. Masango ekare eParis anotakurawo madziro emamvura nemadziro emvura, uye pazuva rinopisa rine mvura vanobuda mumvura; maguta akawanda akaiswa kumabvazuva kwemugwagwa aive akabatanidzana zvakaipa nemadhorobha. Ne1970s chete pamusoro matatu mhando dzemombe dzakawanikwa mumvura iri Paris (France 3 / AFP, 2025).

What was done. Since 2015 a bathing plan has invested more than 1.4 billion euros in storage basins, sewer repairs, treatment plants and the correction of about 23,000 faulty household connections; one storage basin at Austerlitz alone holds 50,000 cubic metres and has worked since May 2024 (City of Paris). Olympic triathlon uye marathon kurovedza vakaitwa mumvura muna 2024, kunyange hazvo mvura yakamanikidza kunonoka (France 24, 2024).

Zvinodarika. Pazuva re5th July 2025, nzvimbo dzemabhawa dzakavhurwa kuBras Marie, Grenelle neBercy (France 24, 2025). Mu 2026 vakagamuchira pamusoro 120.000 vatambi, 20 muzana kupfuura mu 2025 (City of Paris, 2026). Between 35 and 40 fish species now live in the Seine around Paris, according to the region’s sanitation authority, including the bullhead, which has returned (France 3 / AFP).

Hapana kugadziriswa. Mvura ichiri kuita kuti mabhawa ekare arege, saka nzvimbo dzichavhura chete kana magetsi, mhando yemvura uye nguva dzinobvumidza, uye 2026 mwedzi wakapera pamberi nekuda kwenguva (City of Paris). Invasive gobies ikozvino ndeimwe yezvipfuwo zvakajairika zvinorwa (France 3 / AFP).

Phytoplankton around Gotland in the Baltic Sea. — Phytoplankton inokura panzvimbo yechitsuwa cheGotland muBaltic Sea, imwe yemadziro anokonzerwa zvakanyanya nemvura inobuda mumafuta. Kuratidzwa: USGS/NASA Landsat 7

Chii chavanowana pamwe chete

Kana ukaverenga zvakasiyana-siyana, nyaya dzinoita sekuti dziri kutamba. Munguva pfupi, vanhu vakanzwa nezvemhirizhonga: mhenderekedzo yakaoma, mvura yakaora, moto wechikafu, mhenderekedzo yakanga yatoita seyakafa. Zvinouyawo mitemo ine nguva yekupera, vanhu vanopihwa zita rekuti vari kutevedzera, mari yezviyo nenzvimbo dzekuchenesa, uye kuongororwa kwavari kuita kuti munhu wese akwanise kuzviona. Hapana chekuzviita. Thames yakatora makore anopfuura makumi maviri nemana, Mersey campaign yakanga iri kwemakore 25, Rhine iri kumirira kuti salmon yayo ive yakawanda, uye vanhu vakapondwa paMinamata vari kuda kuzivikanwa.

Haisi zvose zvinorongwa zvave kushanda, uye zvinoratidza kuti zvakashanda sezvaiita. Asi apo madziro akaunganidzwa uye akachengetwa, uye mafekitori aifanira kubvisa izvo zvavakaburitsa, mhirizhonga yakabva yadzokera. Vagari vemuPasig, Citarum neGanga vari kuratidza izvizve nhasi, imwe mvura yemusango neimwe nzvimbo pamwechete.

Nei ichiitika kwatiri, uye nei ichisiri dambudziko remunharaunda

Kudzidza kwaMeijer kunoenzanisa mahombekombe maviri. Ciliwung, iyo inofamba kuburikidza neJakarta, inotora 591 square kilometres, isiri pasi pechiuru chemakiromita eRhine basin muWestern Europe, uye basin yayo inogadzira zvishoma zveplastiki zvinokuvadza. Asi Ciliwung yakanga yakanyatsoongororwa kutumira pamusoro 300 tons yeplastiki gore kuchamhembe kweEurope, uye Rhine pamusoro 3 tons. The difference is geography and infrastructure: in the Ciliwung basin, the average piece of waste is produced about 1 kilometre from a river and 29 kilometres from the ocean, and tropical rain flushes it through. Hapana chinhu nezvevanhu ndechimwe chinhu. Migwagwa yavo yakakura nekukurumidza kupfuura michina yavo yekuchenesa.

The brown water of the Ciliwung River running between concrete banks, trees and houses in central Jakarta. — The Ciliwung in central Jakarta. Iyo basin yayo idiki kupfuura hafu yemuzana yeiyo Rhine's, asi yakaongororwa kuti inotakura mamirioni ezviuru zvemapurasitiki kune mvura. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0

Zvikonzero zvakasiyanawo:

Kukwira kwakanyanya kwevanhu mumigwagwa. Migwagwa yekumadokero nekumabvazuva kweAsia, Africa neLatin America yakawedzera vanhu zviuru zvemamiriyoni mumaawa mashoma, vachigara munzvimbo dzakasvibiswa dzese dzese dziri kumahombekombe enyika uye pamasango anotonhora, uko hapana mabhokisi ekuchengeta zvinhu, hapana kuunganidza zvinhu kana kuti hakuna mvura yekunwa.
Kushaya mabasa ekuronga zvicherwa. Kuunganidza uye kuchengetera zvicherwa kunoda mari iyo maguta ane mari shoma yezvikwereti anoedza kuwana, uye vanhu vanoitora, avo vanowanzova vatsvakurudzi vezvemidziyo, havabhadharwe zvakanyanya neplastiki isiri ine kunaka yekutengesazve.
Zvigadzirwa zvakagadzirwa kunze kwenyika. Mapakeji ane imwe chete, mapepa ane mavara akawanda uye zvigadzirwa zvemari shoma zvinogadzirwa uye zvinotengeswa nemakambani ayo anobata nzvimbo dzakaomarara dziri kure, munzvimbo dzine nzira yekuzvidzoserazve.
Kutengeswa kwezvicherwa pasi rose. Kwemakore, nyika dzakapfuma dzaitumira zvinhu zveplastiki kunze kwenyika kuti zvigadziriswe. China took in about 45 percent of the world’s traded plastic waste from 1992 until it banned most imports in 2018; high-income countries exported about 70 percent of their plastic waste in 2016 to lower-income countries in East Asia and the Pacific, and about 111 million tonnes will need a new destination by 2030 (Brooks et al., 2018). Zvimwe zvezvicherwa izvi zvinosvika kumahombekombe enyika.

Blue and green swirls of plankton tracing ocean currents, seen from orbit. — Kufamba kwemvura muzvisikwa zvemusango, kuratidzwa kubva panzvimbo yechiedza chezuva. Izviwo zvinotakura plastiki inofamba kubva kune rimwe pedyo negungwa kuenda kune rimwe. Kutenda: NASA

One planet, one ocean

Mviriro hadzimbomira pazvitsuwa, uyewo mvura yemusango. A bhokisi kuti anodzoka Manila Bay anogona kukwira mafambiro pamusoro Pacific; microplastics vakawanikwa kubva Arctic ice kune deepest trenches. Nekuti zvose zvinobuda mumvura zvinobva kumahombekombe, uye zvose zviri kutengeswa nenyika dzinotenga zvinhu izvo zvinosvika mumahombekombe. Kune chete imwe mvura yekunze, uye isu tese tinoishandisa, saka hapana chinhu sechimwe munhu’s river.

Mhirizhonga iri muPhilippines ndiyo imwe yematambudziko akanyanya munyika. Chii chatinoita kune ichi, tichaita kune mvura yemusango iyo isu vese tinodarika.

Europe is not plastic-free

Kuona kukuvadza kwemvura senyaya yenzvimbo dzakadzikama kunotiita kuti tizvione isu tiri mumatambudziko. Hapana. Mahombekombe eEurope anotakura plastiki mashoma nekuda kwemakore ekudyara mukupfeka, kuchengeta uye kurapa, asi plastiki zvakare inoramba iri mumahombekombe nemamiriro ekunze, uye mamwe emafuta akadzokera kumahombekombe.

The Mediterranean is a plastic trap. It holds about 1 percent of the world’s sea water but about 7 percent of its microplastics, and more than 200 million visitors each year push marine litter up by about 40 percent in summer (WWF, 2018). Kutambanudza plastiki kwakawanikwa panzvimbo dzese dzakatora mifananidzo pasi rese re basin, ne densities inoenzaniswa neyegungwa yezvicherwa zvedumbu, zvichiwedzera kusvika pakufungidzirwa kwe1,000 kusvika 3,000 tons of floating (Cózar et al., 2015).
Greece nenyika dzayo. Muongororo wakaitwa panzvimbo dzegungwa 80 muGreek, yakaratidza kuti mapurasitiki akaita kusvika ku43 kusvika ku51 percent ezvicherwa, uye zvinhu zvakajairika zvikuru zvaive zvipfuwo zvematsigiri, zvipfeko zvemabhoti, zvishongedzo, mabhoti, zvinwiwa zvinovhara uye mabhazi; Greece inodzosa chete pamusoro pechipiri chemapurasitiki ayo inoshandisa (WWF, 2018). Paminetsi maviri kubva kuCorfu, pane zviuru zviviri zvevanhu. 142 matsva zvinhu pa100 metres washed up every 15 days, mostly carried in by the sea (Prevenios et al., 2018). Panyika dzemu Mediterranean, zvicherwa zvinosvika pamahombekombe zvinokwira kusvika pa 4.7 nguva mumwaka wezvekushanya (Grelaud naZiveri, 2020).

Chidimbu cheplastiki chinonhuwira pakati pezvicherwa zvematombo emunyika panzvimbo yekumhanya kwemvura muTenerife. — Chidimbu cheplastiki chiri pakati pezvicherwa zvematombo emunyika panzvimbo yekumhanya kwemvura muTenerife, muIsland of the Canary Islands muSpain. Photo: Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato), CC BY 3.0

Mumvura uye mumombe. MuThermaic Gulf off Thessaloniki, vatsvakurudzi vakangobata nezve 750,000 microplastic particles pasquare kilometre yesea surface uye vakawana microplastics muzvipfuwo zvisere zvembwa dzavakamuona (Kermenidou et al., 2023). Plastic mabhoti akatora kubva pasi peAegean uye Ionian mvura vakagara zvakafanana kweanenge makore gumi. 15 years pamberi pavakatanga kuparadzwa (Ioakeimidis et al., 2016).
The great rivers of Europe. Rhine yakatakura pamwedzi pamusoro pe 890,000 microplastics mapuroteni pakilomita square yepasi, nechikepe che3.9 miriyoni pedyo neRhine-Ruhr migwagwa (Mani et al., 2015). MuDanube yeAustria, plastiki yakakwira kupfuura larvals yembwa dzakadzika, uye mhirizhonga yaive nehuwandu hwemamiriyoni makumi maviri emadhora. 4.2 mamirioni ezviuru zvematoni eplastiki pazuva Kubva kuBlack Sea (Lechner et al., 2014).

European Union ikozvino inorambidza akawanda ekushandisa-imwe mabhegi uye inodiwa kuti vagadziri vabhadhare kubvisa vamwe pasi pechibvumirano ichi. Dhirekiti reSingle-Use Plastics. Izvi ndezvirongwa zvakanaka. Asi chero nzvimbo yekunwa yakadzingwa panzvimbo yeGreek inoratidza kuti plastiki, kana yakagadzirwa, inogara kwenguva refu kupfuura chero hurumende.

Chii chinoshanda

Nhau dzakanaka ndedzekuti kukuvadza kwemvura ndeimwe yematambudziko evanhu akatogadziriswa, munzvimbo dzakasiyana-siyana, nguva nenguva, sezvakaratidzwa nemamwe mahombekombe. Maitiro aya anowanzozivikanwa:

Two round sewage treatment tanks beside a lake, seen from above, surrounded by trees and houses in Bengaluru. — Zvimwe zviviri zvematanda emvura anochenesa mvura akatarisana neguta reDoddabommasandra Lake muBengaluru, India. Photo: Vraj Acharya, WELL Labs, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kuchenesa madziro. Kuunganidza uye kuchera madziro emvura yakasviba ndiyo nzira yakanyanya kubatsira mukurapa vanhu munguva dzekare. Panzvimbo dzekuchenesa dzichivakwa uye dzichichengetwa, chirwere chemvura chinoparadza.

Kudyara michero, kwete maruva. Kushandisa zvicherwa zvakanyatsojeka, kuchengeta michero uye kuchengetedza mativi emiti nemiti kumabvazuva kwenzvimbo dzemahombekombe kunoderedza kubuda kwezvicherwa zvakanyanya, uye kunochengetedza mari yevagari vemunharaunda pakudyara michero.

![Aerial view of a winding creek lined by a wide belt of trees and grass between ploughed fields in Iowa.](../../../assets/initiatives/riparian-buffer-iowa.jpg “Mugwagwa wemichero nemiti unoenda kuBear Creek mu Story County, Iowa, unoita kuti mvura iende kumabvazuva uye kuchamhembe kwenyika, ichiita kuti zviite sekuti iri kumusoro kwegungwa.” Photo: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, public domain”)

Permit, monitor, publish. Kubuda kwemvura kubva kumaindasitiri kunodzikira kana zvirango zvaiswa, kuongororwa kuri kuenderera mberi uye mikana yekuwana ruzivo iri pachena. Transparency inoita basa nekuti hapana munhu anoda kuva zita pamapfupi.
Restore wetlands. Wetlands ndezviyo zvemvura dzepasi rose, zvinotora ma sediments uye zvinobvisa nitrogen pasina mari.
Kubhadharisa mari yekuparadza nharaunda. Kubhadharisa mari yemvura inobuda, uye kubhadharisa varimi mari yekushandisa zvakachena mvura, zvinoshandura mvura yakachena kuita chinhu chine mutengo wakaderera mumusika.
Kutora zvose bin, uye kubhadharisa vaunganidzi. Muchena plastics zvikuru zvinotanga sezvicherwa hapana munhu akatora. Kuunganidza zvakaomarara muzvipatara zvepanyama, uye mari inodiwa kune vatsvakurudzi vemvura avo vari kudzosa zvinhu zvakawanda zvinogadzirwazve, zvinoderedza kushandiswa kweplastiki pamberi pekusvika kumahombekombe.
Taurai kuti muite sei kuti mvura iende kunzvimbo dzakaomarara. Mabhazi, matanda uye zvidhori zvematunhu anopisa anogona kubvisa zvinhu zvinotonhora zvakananga kumahombekombe. Vachirapa zviratidzo, kwete chikonzero, asi pamadziro emaguta madiki ayo anotungamira muhuwandu hwezvirwere izvi, vanogona kuita kuti zvinhu zvigadziriswe uye kuunganidzwa kwemvura kuvandudzwe.

Vagadziri vanofanira kuva nebasa rekuchengeta zvinhu zvavo zvakachena. Kana varimi vachibhadhara kuti zvisvibiswe, uye makambani anopa mari yekuti vanhu vadzokere nezvinhu zvavo, zvinhu zvinozoshandiswazve kana kudzoserwa mumvura kwete kuiswa mumvura.
Clean industry, shared plants. Masangano ezvikoro zvematanda uye madhiraivha anogona kugoverana imwe yekuchenesa mvura yakasviba inoshanda zvakanaka, uye vatengesi vechifuva nezvinogadzirwa nechifuva vanogona kuita kuti madziro aite sechinhu chinodiwa pavanotenga zvinhu.

Mapurojekiti aunogona kutsigira

Hurumende dzakaita basa guru munyaya dzataurwa pamusoro, asi hadzisiri dzose. Masangano asina kusimbaradza mari anotora zvicherwa mumigwagwa usati wasvika kumvura, anoongorora madziro apo vatungamiriri vehurumende havaite izvi, anotora vanouraya nharaunda kumatare uye anoshandura mamiriyoni evanhu vakazvipira kuita data. Izvi ndezvimwe zvezvakakurumbira, uye zvese zvinopa zvinyorwa zvakaburitswa. Tinya pano kuti uone zvavanoita, uye kana iwe uchigona, shandisai mawebsite avo kuti mubatsire.

The Ocean Cleanup (Netherlands). Ichi chirongwa chekusimudzira hutano chinopa mazano ekurapa zvirwere zvemapapu. In rivers, its solar-powered Interceptors, floating barriers and small conveyor barges catch rubbish in some of the most polluting rivers and gullies, from Kingston in Jamaica to the Motagua in Guatemala, Los Angeles and Bangkok, and its “30 Cities” programme aims at 30 of the most polluting coastal cities. At sea, System 03, a floating barrier that funnels plastic into a retention zone that is emptied onto a ship about every four days, has worked in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch since 2023 and caught almost 500,000 kg there. Dashboard yayo inofungidzira kuti 65 miriyoni kg yemvura yakaiswa mumahombekombe nemamiriro ekunze; sangano iri rinoti izvi zvinoongororwa nekambani isiri yehurumende, DNV, kubva nguva kuenda kune imwe chete (rivers, oceans, dashboard). Vaongorori vayo vakagadzirawo mutsara wezvitsuwa zvakashandiswa pawebhusaiti iyi. Zvipo zvinoenda ku Stichting The Ocean Cleanup, iyo yakanyorwa sesangano rezvematongerwo enyika muNetherlands, kana muUS kune American Friends of The Ocean Cleanup, sangano rezvitendero rakanyorwa se501(c)(3) (FAQ).
Mr. Trash Wheel (Baltimore, United States). Mabhegi emvura anobata maziso, akaburitswa pakati pe2014 ne2021, ari kugara pamabwe emahombekombe ekufambisa madziva anosvika muhotera yeBaltimore. A boom funnels kutenderera zvimedu kune yega wheel, uye a madziro wheel yakachinja nezvino, akabatsira na solar-powered pumps, drives rake uye conveyor mu dumpster. Together they collect about 500 US tons (about 450 tonnes) of rubbish a year, about 90 percent of it washed in by rain storms, and volunteers hand-count the contents of a dumpster each year to help inform anti-litter laws. Vanoshanda neWaterfront Partnership of Baltimore, a 501(c)(3) non-profit; michina iyi yakavakwa uye inochengetwa neClearwater Mills, iyo ikambani yemuMaryland (trash interception, how it works).

A floating trash wheel with big googly eyes, a water wheel and a canopy, moored at the end of an orange boom in Baltimore's harbour. — Mr. Trash Wheel pamuromo we Jones Falls muBaltimore. The orange boom steers kutenderera mvura nemvura kumusoro, iyo inosimudza kuti mudunhurirwa. Photo: Matthew Bellemare, CC BY-SA 2.0

Waterkeeper Alliance (New York, inoshanda pasi rose). Yakazvarwa kubva kuboka reHudson River vatema avo vakazvipira kudzivirira vanouraya mvura kubva muna 1966, Alliance yakaumbwa muna 1999 uye ikozvino inobatanidza 296 yekunze Waterkeeper mapoka munyika dzinopfuura 40. Vanoona mahombekombe, mahombekombe uye mahombekombe avo uye vanoshandisa citizen science, nyaya dzemutemo nesarudzo dzekuita kuti vaite kuti vanhu vane hukama nemvura vabhadharwe (nezve).
Ocean Conservancy (Washington, D.C.). International Coastal Cleanup yakaendesa vanhu vanodarika zviuru makumi manomwe nezvina (19 million) kunzvimbo dzekurara nemadziro, avo vakatora zvinhu zvinosvika zviuru mazana mana (400 million pounds) zvezvicherwa, uye inonyora zvese zvirimo kuburikidza neClean Swell app, kuitira kuti tikwanise kuziva kuti ndezvipi zvigadzirwa zvinozoenda kumahombekombe.
Surfrider Foundation (California, nechikwata chekuzvimirira pasi rose). Iine Blue Water Task Force inotungamira kupfuura 60 vanobata basa malaboratories ayo anoongorora mabhakitiriya panzvimbo dzinopfuura 600 dzemadziro, mabhawa uye mabwe, kazhinji apo kuongororwa kwepamutemo kunopera kunze kwemutengo, uye inoshandisa zvibodzwa zvekumanikidza kugadzirisa (Blue Water Task Force).
Thames21 (London). A registered charity (number 1103997) iyo inotungamira mamirioni evanhu vanozvipira gore rega rega kuti vachene uye vadzorere 400 makiromita emahombekombe nemadziro eLondon, basa rezuva nezuva riri kutevera Thames recovery yakataurwa pamusoro.

Pane zvaunofanira kuziva The Local Solar System Foundation haina kusangana neimwe yezvimwe zvirongwa izvi uye haisi kuwana chero chinhu kubva kwadzo: tinoisa zita ravo mubhuku iri nekuti basa ravo rinowanikwa kune vese uye rinonyatsoongororwa. Tinya pano kuti uwane ruzivo nezvekupihwa kwemari nesangano ripi, uye verengawo ongororo dzegore negore dzechimwe chirongwa chekubatsira vanhu kana kuti kukurudzira vamwe kuti vabatsire. Ona kuti sangano iri rakanyorwa sesangano rekubatsira kana risina kubudirira munyika raro (semuenzaniso, neUS tax-exempt organization search kana Charity Commission register yeEngland neWales). Zvimwe zvinozivikanwa zvema brand ekupfeka zvinoshandiswa pakuchenesa dzimba ndezvimwe makambani anotengesa zvinhu: kutenga kubva kwavari kunogona kunge kuri zvakanaka, asi hazvisi zvakafanana nechipo. Uye yakanakisisa yese mibairo inogona kunge iri yemunharaunda: sangano remvura riri pedyo newe rine chinangwa chekukumbira vanhu kuti vaite basa rekuparidza.

Chii chaungaita, uye sei kuti uite

Mahombekombe akachena anogadzirwa nehurumende, makambani emvura uye maindasitiri, asiwo nemamiriyoni emabasa akafanana uye nguva pfupi yebasa remushandirapamwe. Heano izvo zvinobatsira, kubva kukicheni sink kuenda kuguta reguta. Kana iwe uri kugadzirira kuita zvakawanda, Local Solar System Foundation’s Get Involved peji zvinyorwa local tasks unogona kutora panzvimbo yauri kugara, uye nzira yeku tsvaga kana kuvhura chikwata chemunharaunda. Projects pamusoro vanogamuchira vazvipira pamwe nekudyara. Kana uchida kuita chero chinhu, taura nesu pamusoro pake kuburikidza ne contribution board, uko Foundation’s Council inoongorora zvese zvinopihwa.

Pamusha

Bin mafuta. Let kugadzirira mafuta, mafuta uye mafuta nyoro, wobva waisa mu bin. Vanogona kukonzera 20,000 kana kupfuura zvemvura dzemabhawa zvinokanganisa network yeThames Water chete gore rega rega, 28% yezvinenge zvichikanganisa (Thames Water, 2025). Mu 2017, imwe chete “fatberg” yefashoni uye zvishongedzo pasi peWhitechapel muLondon yakakwira kusvika ku250 mamita epakati ne130 tons (BBC, 2017).
Flush chete pee, poo uye pepa. Wet zvidimbu zvinokonzera 94 muzana yemvura yekuchenesa kumanikidzwa muUnited Kingdom, uye zvakaputsika zvidimbu zvinoreva kuti maruva anosvika kumahombekombe emvura anoshandiswa zvakanyanya (Water UK; Bin the Wipe). Wipes, cotton buds uye zvehutano zvigadzirwa kuenda mu bin.

A manhole cover in Whitechapel, London, marks where a 130-tonne fatberg of fat and wipes was cleared from the sewer in 2017. Photo: AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taka mishonga yaungada kudzokera nayo. Usazvisvibisa kana kuzvisiya: tadzai nemiti yako kumapharmacy kana kune imwe nzvimbo inotora mishonga iyi (NHS; US EPA). A study of 258 rivers in 104 countries found at least one medicine at a level considered unsafe for wildlife, or of concern for antibiotic resistance, at more than a quarter of the places sampled (Wilkinson et al., 2022).
Kuchengeta masango ezvitoro kuti arege kusvibisa. Mumigwagwa yakawanda, masango ezvitoro anoenda kumahombekombe asina kurapwa (UK government). Usati waisa peji, mafuta emotokari kana madziro anenge achinwa kubva pakuchenesa mota mubhokisi rimwe chete; enda nepeji uye mafuta kune nzvimbo yekuchengetera zvinhu.
Kudyara chikafu mumunda, kwete mhiri. Usashandisa zvicherwa kana mishonga yekuuraya mombe, shandisa chete zvinodiwa, usazvichengete pedyo nemvura yemumvura uye urege kuisa panzvimbo dzakaomarara (US EPA). Kana iwe uchida nyika pedyo nemvura, tarisa kuti pane zvipfuyo zvinokura pasi pemvura.

Wakagara kupi

Vasvike pakuchenesa, kana kugadzirira chimwe chinhu. World Cleanup Day inoitika musi wa20 Zvita kwese gore, uye vatungamiriri vezuva iri vanoti vanhu munyika nenzvimbo 212 vakatora chikamu (United Nations; World Cleanup Day). Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup uye Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Kuchenesa kuitwa zuva rega rega muna Zvita, uye mapoka emvura semuenzaniso Thames21 kuchengetedza mafambiro gore rese. Rekodha zvaunenge uchitora, semuenzaniso muFree Clean Swell app, kuitira kuti kubvisa zvinhu zvichavewo data (Ocean Conservancy).

Seven volunteers in life vests with paddles, kayaks and bags of collected rubbish on a gravel bank of the Trinity River in California. — Vatsvakurudzi vakazvipira mushure mezuva repaddling kubvisa zvicherwa paRiverside mudunhu reCalifornia. Photo: Bureau of Land Management California, public domain

Imba nechisimba paunenge uchiita izvi. Usati watanga, shandisa maoko kana kuti mushonga wekubvisa zvicherwa, edza pazuva rakadzikama kana kuti maawa maviri mushure mezuva rakakwira, uye usambosvibiswa nesirivha, tambo kana chero chinhu chinoita sechinhu chine njodzi: dzima zvinhu zvacho uye taura nezvezvo. Sezvo Marine Conservation Society inoisa, kana paine mubvunzo, don’t lift (MCS Organizer Guide, 2026).
Tarisa mhirizhonga yako. Zvirongwa zve Citizen Science zvinokupa chigadzirwa chinokurumidza, kudzidziswa uye nzvimbo yekugoverana zviwanikwa zvako. FreshWater Watch, run by Earthwatch, has collected more than 70,000 sets of measurements from over 22,000 volunteers around the world. The Rivers Trust’s Big River The Rivers Trust inoti vanhu muUK neIreland vanofanira kuongorora mhiri kwemazuva 15, kaviri pagore, kuburikidza neapp yemahara. The Riverfly Partnership inodzidzisa vanoshanda zvakanaka kuti vaongorore zvisikwa zvemahombekombe zvinonzwa kusvibiswa nemvura. The EarthEcho Water Challenge inobatsira vadiki kuongorora madziro avo, Water Rangers inopa zvirongwa zvekuongorora uye yakavhurika data platform muCanada, Waterwatch inotsigira mapoka muAustralia, uye Surfrider’s Blue Water Task Force inoongorora mahombekombe muUnited States.

Children and adult volunteers crouched on rocks by a river, filling small cups with river water for a testing kit. — Vadzidzi vezvikoro zviviri zvemuDenver nevanhu vanoshandira vanoongorora South Platte River yekukuvara, tembiricha uye pH nechigadzirwa chekuongorora chinokurumidza. Photo: US Environmental Protection Agency, public domain

Raidza kukuvadzwa kwemvura kana uchiona zvinhu izvi. Nzvimbo nenguva yekuona, tarisa kuti zviri nyore here kutora chifananidzo uye taura nevanhu vane ruzivo pamusoro penyaya iyi. MuEngland, Environment Agency’s incident line i 0800 80 70 60, zuva nezuva (UK government); muScotland, SEPA inotora zvinyorwa online kana pa 0800 807060 (SEPA); muIreland, nyika yechikwereti chimiro ndeche 1800 365 123 uye masangano akawanda anogamuchira zvinyorwa kuburikidza ne See it? Say it! app (EPA Ireland); muUnited States, EPA ine online tip form, uye emergencys go to the National Response Center on 1-800-424-8802 (US EPA); in Victoria, Australia, EPA Victoria answers on 1300 372 842 (EPA Victoria). Kubva pane chero chinhu, sangano rako remunharaunda kana renyika rinogona kukubatsira.
Adopt a stream. Mumapoka akasiyana-siyana, dzidzo, mabhaisikopo kanawo vanhu vanogara pedyo nenzvimbo iyi vanotarisana nemvura yemugwagwa kana kuti muhombekombe uye vanoongorora zviri kuitika; Georgia Adopt-A-Stream muUnited States ndiyo imwe yenzira dzakaomarara dzekuita izvi. Kana pasina mumwe munhu anenge ari pedyo newe, kumbira kuti uite imwe se basa remunharaunda.

Nezwi rako

42%of the world's household wastewater was not safely treated in 2022 (UN-Water, 2024)

22,289bathing sites were monitored in Europe in 2025, and 85 percent were rated excellent (EEA)

94%yemvura yekuchenesa kumanikidzwa muUnited Kingdom zvinokonzerwa ne wet wipes (Water UK)

Tarirai kuti muwane ruzivo. Muchidimbu, mashoko aya anenge ari evanhu vese. In England and Scotland, The Rivers Trust’s sewage map shows every storm overflow and how often it spilled (The Rivers Trust); in Europe, the European Environment Agency publishes results for more than 22,000 bathing sites, 85 percent of them rated excellent in 2025 (EEA); in the United States, the EPA’s How’s My Waterway shows the condition of local rivers and lakes. Kana pasina data, taura negurukota rako kana kambani yemvura kuti nei zvisina kuitwa uye kuti ndeipi chirongwa chacho.
Kutsigira kudzoka kwemari yekuchengetera uye kuchengetedza kodzero dzevagadziri. Mari dzekuchengetera dzinodzosera mabhoti nemakadhini kumahombekombe, uye zvirongwa zvevagadziri zvinoita kuti vagadziri vezvigadzirwa zvepacket vabhadhare mari yekuchengetera. Isu plastic pollution explainer tinoratidza kuti sei vachishanda zvakanaka.

Bales of plastic bottles waiting to be recycled. — Bales of crushed plastic bottles ready for recycling. Zvirongwa zvekuchengetera zvinodzosera mabhoti akachena uye akashongedzwa, izvo zvinoita kuti zvive nyore kudzoreredza kuita mabhoti matsva. Photo: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kudzokera kukudyara mumvura yekunwa uye kurapwa. Mu2022, 42% yemadziro ekunze ematunhu aive asina kurapwa zvakanaka (UN-Water, 2024). Kudzoka kwese kwakaitwa pane iyi peji kwakabhadharwa nemari dzevanhu, mari dzemvura kana zvese; udza vamiririri vako kuti unotsigira izvi.
Support vagari vemunharaunda vanochengetedza mvura, uye kubvunza mashopu kuti chii chinobva mukudya kwavo. Ita kuti mabrands aunototenga aratidze kuti pane marii yeplastiki yavanotengesa munzvimbo dzisina kuunganidzwa kwemvura, uye kuti vanoita sei kuti vadzorere.

Kana uchifamba

Usasiya chero chinhu pasi. Tora mvura yako yekunwa kubva kumahombekombe, maruva uye mahombekombe, kunyanya apo hapana kuunganidzwa kwezuva nezuva.
Refill kupfuura kutenga. Kutakura refillable bhodhoro uye bvisa imwe-kushandisa zvipo zvepacketing uye sachets; apo tap madziro haasi akasimba kugara, tevera zvehutano zvemunharaunda rubatsiro.
Tarirai kuti zviri nani kana kuti kwete usati wazvidya, uchishandisa zviratidzo zvematunhu zvinotaura nezvekuchengeteka kwemvura, uye chengetedza kubuda mumvura mushure mekupisa kwakanyanya kana paine majekiseni emvura achikwira.
Vashandi vepabonde vanoita basa ravo nechikonzero. Kana iwe uchida kukubatsira panzvimbo ine mvura yakachena kunze kwenyika, ona endako, dzidza uye batsira pazasi.

Shandisa mazano ako

Mahombekombe pakutanga kwemutsara haazogadziriswe neimwe chete yezvigadzirwa zvazvino. Vachagadziriswa nemakumi ezviuru zvemazano akanaka, akaongororwa kwavari: nzira yakanaka yekuchengetera mabhoti, chitoro chekudzokorora, sangano redzidzo rinovaka mugwagwa wayo, chigaro chinodhura chemusango, mutengo wakarurama weplastiki yakaunganidzwa. Tibatei nenyu, sezvamunogona.

Go there, learn, and help

Chimwe chinhu chakakosha zvikuru chinoitwa nevanhu ndechekuti vaende. Vagadziri, vanachiremba, vadzidzisi, vagadziri, dzidzo uye vakaremara vanopa masimba ayo ari munguva pfupi, uye anodzosera kunzwisiswa kwakanyanya kupfuura chero imwe nyaya. Kana iwe uri kukwanisa kufamba kune mumwe wezvitsuwa izvi, ita semubatanidzwa, kwete semunhu anodzivirira.

Tarirai. Kana iwe uchida kusangana nevanhu, edza kubvunza masangano emuno, mayunivhesiti, vatungamiriri vematunhu uye maguta kuti uone zvavanoda. Vanhu vari kugara pedyo nemadziro aya vanoshanda pazvivakwa izvi kwemakore.
Vashandi vehurumende nevanhu vanoshanda pamwe chete. Kuchinja kwakavimbika kunodawo: Vamiririri vemunharaunda vane kodzero yekushandura nzira dzekuunganidza uye mvumo, uye vanhu vari kugara vachisarudza kuti chii chinoenda mumvura zuva nezuva. Kupa kubatanidza navo, kamwe chete kuti vagadzirise.

A boy in a blue shirt crouching on smooth riverside rocks, gathering plastic bottles from among water plants on the River Benue. — Murume anotora mabhoti eplastiki kubva pakati pezvirwere zvemvura paRiverside Benue muNigeria, 2018. Vanhu vari kugara pedyo nemamwe mahombekombe akaomarara vari kushanda pazvinenge zvichiitika. Photo: Ummigarba, CC BY-SA 4.0

Teerera uye udzidze. Shandisa zvaunoziva nezvekuongorora, kuchengetwa kwemvura, kuchengetedza zvinhu kana hutano, uye dzidza kuti zvinhu zvakaita sei. Kudzokera kumashure hunyanzvi uye open data, kwete kuvimba.
Kuchengeteka. Mamvura akaora anotakura chirwere uye zvinhu zvinokuvadza. Dzvanya pano kuti uwane ruzivo rwekufambisa, shandisa mishonga yekudzivirira utachiona yaunopiwa nechipatara chekufamba, usadya kana kutamba mumvura iyi, uye tarisa mitemo netsika dzemunharaunda.
Ita kuti zvive zvechokwadi. The Local Solar System Foundation haisi kugadzirira, kutsigira kana kubhadhara kufamba. Mumwe munhu anobatsira anoita izvi semunhu anozvipira uye haasi kuunganidza mari muzita redu.

Kana ukadzokera, tiudzai zvawadzidza kuburikidza nefomu iri pamusoro, uye funga kuti Kutanga chirongwa chemunharaunda kuti basa rirambe riripo kwamuriwo.

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