How we're saving one of Earth's last wild places | Steve Boyes

Prevodilac: Katarina Colic Lektor: Ivana Korom

Visible from space,

Vidljiva iz svemira,

the Okavango Delta

delta reke Okavango

is Africa's largest remaining intact wetland wilderness.

je najveće netaknuto prirodno močvarno područje u Africi.

This shining delta in landlocked Botswana is the jewel of the Kalahari,

Impresivna delta u kopnom okruženoj Bocvani je dragulj pustinje Kalahari,

more valuable than diamonds to the world's largest diamond producer

vredniji od dijamanata najvećem proizvođaču ovog dragog kamena

and celebrated in 2014

i proglašen za hiljadito mesto Svetske baštine

as our planet's 1000th UNESCO World Heritage Site.

UNESCO-a 2014. godine.

Now, what you see here are the two major tributaries,

Ovde vidimo dve velike pritoke,

the Cuito and the Cubango,

Kuito i Kubango,

disappearing up north into the little-known Angolan highlands.

koje nestaju na severu u malo poznate predele angolske visoravni.

This is the largest undeveloped river basin on the planet,

Ovo je najveći nerazvijeni rečni basen na planeti

spanning an area larger than California.

koji obuhvata površinu veću od Kalifornije.

These vast, undeveloped Angolan watersheds were frozen in time

Ovo prostrano rečno područje Angole je zastalo u vremenu

by 27 years of civil war.

tokom 27 godina dugog civilnog rata.

In fact, Africa's largest tank battle since World War II

Zapravo, najveća afrička tenkovska bitka od Drugog svetskog rata

was fought over a bridge crossing the Okavango's Cuito River.

vođena je zbog mosta na reci Kuito.

There on the right,

Tamo desno,

disappearing off into the unknown,

nestaje u nepoznato,

into the "Terra do fim do mundo" --

u „Terra do fim do mundo” -

the land at the end of the earth,

odnosno, zemlju na rubu sveta,

as it was known by the first Portuguese explorers.

prema prvim portugalskim istraživačima.

In 2001, at the age of 22,

Godine 2001. kada sam imao 22,

I took a job as head of housekeeping at Vundumtiki Camp

zaposlio sam se kao menadžer održavanja objekata u kampu Vundumtiki

in the Okavango Delta ...

u delti reke Okavango...

a patchwork mosaic of channels, floodplains, lagoons

predeo prošaran kanalima, plavnim područjima, lagunama

and thousands upon thousands of islands to explore.

i hiljadama ostrva za istražiti.

Home to the largest remaining population of elephants on the planet.

Stanište najveće preostale populacije slonova na planeti.

Rhinos are airlifted in C130s to find sanctuary in this wilderness.

Nosorozi su transportovani avionom da bi pronašli svoje mesto pod suncem ovde.

Lion,

Lav,

leopard,

leopard,

hyena,

hijena,

wild dog,

divlji pas,

cheetah,

gepard,

ancient baobab trees that stand like cathedrals

drevna stabla baobaba koja stoje poput katedrala

under the Milky Way.

pod nebeskim svodom.

Here, I discovered something obvious:

Ovde sam otkrio nešto očigledno:

wilderness is our natural habitat, too.

divljina je i naše prirodno stanište.

We need these last wild places to reconnect with who we really are.

Potrebna su nam ova preostala mesta u divljini da se povežemo sa sobom.

We --

Mi,

all seven billion of us --

svih sedam milijardi ljudi,

must never forget we are a biological species

ne smemo zaboraviti da smo živa bića

forever bound to this particular biological world.

koja zauvek pripadaju ovom živom svetu.

Like the waves connected to the ocean,

Poput talasa koji su deo okeana,

we cannot exist apart from it --

ne možemo da živimo odvojeno -

a constant flow of atoms and energy between individuals and species

neprekidan tok atoma i energije između pojedinaca i vrsta

around the world in a day

širom sveta u jednom danu

and out into the cosmos.

i dalje ka kosmosu.

Our fates are forever connected to the millions of species

Naše sudbine su zauvek spojene sa milionima vrsta

we rely on directly and indirectly every day.

na koje se direktno i indirektno oslanjamo svakog dana.

Four years ago,

Pre četiri godine

it was declared that 50 percent of all wildlife around the world

je objavljeno da je 50% biljnog i životinjskog sveta

had disappeared in just 40 years.

nestalo za samo 40 godina.

This is a mass drowning of 15,000 wildebeests

To je masovan gubitak 15 hiljada gnuova

that I witnessed in the Maasai Mara two years ago.

kom sam prisustvovao u rezervatu Masai Mara pre dve godine.

This is definitely our fault.

Ovo je definitivno naša greška.

By 2020, global wildlife populations are projected to have fallen

Procenjuje se da će do 2020. godine populacija biljaka i životinja opasti

by a staggering two-thirds.

za neverovatne dve trećine.

We are the sixth extinction

Nalazimo se u sred holocenskog izumiranja

because we left no safe space for millions of species

jer nismo ostavili nimalo bezbednog prostora za milione vrsta

to sustainably coexist.

koje bi koegzistirale sa nama.

Now, since 2010, I have poled myself eight times across the Okavango Delta

Od 2010. godine osam puta sam plovio preko delte reke Okavango

to conduct detailed scientific surveys

da bih sproveo detaljna naučna istraživanja

along a 200-mile, 18-day research transect.

za koja mi je trebalo 18 dana duž 320 kilometara toka.

Now, why am I doing this?

Zašto to radim?

Why am I risking my life each year?

Zašto rizikujem život svake godine?

I'm doing this because we need this information

Radim to jer nam je potrebna ova informacija

to benchmark this near-pristine wilderness

da procenimo ovu gotovo netaknutu divljinu

before upstream development happens.

pre nego što započne razvoj uzvodno.

These are the Wayeyi river bushmen, the people of the Okavango Delta.

Ovo su Bušmani reke Vajeji, narod delte reke Okavango.

They have taught me all I know about the Mother Okavango --

Oni su me naučili svemu što znam o majci Okavango -

about presence in the wild.

o postojanju u divljini.

Our shared pilgrimage across the Okavango Delta each year

Naše zajedničko putešestvije kroz deltu reke Okavango svake godine

in our mokoros or dugout canoes --

u našim mokoroima i drvenim kanuima -

remembers millenia living in the wild.

podseća na hiljade godina života u divljini.

Ten thousand years ago,

Pre deset hiljada godina

our entire world was wilderness.

čitava naša planeta bila je divljina.

Today, wilderness is all that remains of that world, now gone.

Danas je ta divljina ono što je ostalo od tog sveta, kog više nema.

Ten thousand years ago, we were as we are today:

Pre deset hiljada godina ljudi su bili poput ljudi danas:

a modern, dreaming intelligence unlike anything seen before.

moderno, inteligentno čovečanstvo koje sanja i ni nalik nečemu oko njega.

Living in the wilderness is what taught us to speak,

Život u divljini nas je naučio da govorimo,

to seek technologies like fire and stone, bow and arrow,

da tragamo za tehnologijama poput vatre i kamena, strele i luka,

medicine and poison,

leka i otrova,

to domesticate plants and animals

da pripitomimo biljke i životinje

and rely on each other and all living things around us.

i oslanjamo se jedni na druge i sva živa bića oko nas.

We are these last wildernesses --

Mi smo taj poslednji izdanak divljine -

every one of us.

svako od nas.

Over 80 percent of our planet's land surface

Više od 80% kopnene površine naše planete

is now experiencing measurable human impact:

oseća uticaj ljudi:

habitat destruction

uništavanje staništa

and illegal wildlife trade are decimating global wildlife populations.

i nezakonita trgovina divljim životinjama desetkuju populaciju živog sveta.

We urgently need to create safe space for these wild animals.

Neophodno je da stvorimo bezbedan prostor za ove divlje životinje.

So in late 2014,

Stoga smo krajem 2014. godine

we launched an ambitious project to do just that:

pokrenuli ambiciozan projekat upravo u tom cilju:

explore and protect.

istraži i zaštiti.

By mid-May 2015,

Do polovine maja 2015.

we had pioneered access through active minefields

prokrčili smo put kroz aktivna minska polja

to the undocumented source lake of the Cuito River --

do ranije nezabeleženog izvorišta reke Kuito -

this otherworldly place;

ovog nestvarnog mesta;

an ancient, untouched wilderness.

prastare, netaknute divljine.

By the 21st of May,

Do 21. maja

we had launched the Okavango megatransect ...

lansirali smo megatransekt reke Okavango...

in seven dugout canoes;

u sedam drvenih kanua;

1,500 miles, 121 days later,

oko 2500 km i 121 dan kasnije,

all of the poling, paddling and intensive research

sva plovidba, veslanje i intenzivno istraživanje

got us across the entire river basin to Lake Xau in the Kalahari Desert,

doveli su nas preko čitavog rečnog basena do jezera Kau u pustinji Kalahari,

480 kilometers past the Okavango Delta.

480 km pored delte reke Okavango.

My entire world became the water:

Čitav moj svet postao je voda:

every ripple, eddy, lily pad and current ...

svaki val, vrtlog, lokvanj i struja...

any sign of danger,

bilo koji znak opasnosti,

every sign of life.

svaki znak života.

Now imagine millions of sweat bees choking the air around you,

Sada zamislite milione znojnih pčela koje guše vazduh oko vas,

flesh-eating bacteria,

bakterije koje jedu meso,

the constant threat of a landmine going off

konstantnu opasnost od eksplozije nagaznih mina

or an unseen hippo capsizing your mokoro.

ili nilskog konja koji vam može prevrnuti kanu.

These are the scenes moments after a hippo did just that --

Ovo je upravo scena nastala nekoliko trenutaka nakon toga,

thrusting its tusks through the hull of my boat.

kada je nilski konj zario kljove u trup mog broda.

You can see the two holes --

Možete videti dve rupe -

puncture wounds in the base of the hull --

„ubodne rane” na brodu -

absolutely terrifying

krajnje zastrašujuće

and completely my fault.

i nastalo apsolutno mojom krivicom.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Many, many portages,

Mnogo, mnogo plovidbe,

tree blockages and capsizes in rocky rapids.

prepreka na putu i prevrtanja u stenovitim brzacima.

You're living on rice and beans,

Živite na pirinču i pasulju,

bathing in a bucket of cold water

kupate se u kofi hladne vode,

and paddling a marathon six to eight hours every single day.

i veslate pravi maraton šest do osam sati svakog dana.

After 121 days of this,

Nakon 121 ovakvog dana

I'd forgotten the PIN numbers to my bank accounts

zaboravio sam sve lozinke bankovnih računa

and logins for social media --

i naloga za društvene medije,

a complete systems reboot.

potpuni restart.

You ask me now if I miss it,

Ako me pitate da li mi to nedostaje,

and I will tell you I am still there.

reći ću vam da sam i dalje tamo.

Now why do we need to save places we hardly ever go?

Zašto moramo spasiti mesta na koja idemo tako retko?

Why do we need to save places

Zašto moramo da spasimo mesta

where you have to risk your life to be there?

na kojima rizikujemo život?

Now, I'm not a religious or particularly spiritual person,

Nisam religiozan ili preterano spiritualan,

but in the wild,

ali ovde u divljini,

I believe I've experienced the birthplace of religion.

verujem da sam iskusio rođenje religije.

Standing in front of an elephant far away from anywhere

Dok sam stajao ispred jednog slona daleko od svega,

is the closest I will ever get to God.

osetio sam se najbliže bogu.

Moses, Buddha, Muhammad, Jesus,

Mojsije, Buda, Muhamed, Isus,

the Hindu teachers, prophets and mystics,

učitelji Hindua, proroci i mistici,

all went into the wilderness --

sve je postalo divljina -

up into the mountains, into the desert,

gore u planinama, do pustinja,

to sit quietly and listen for those secrets

da sedim u tišini i osluškujem te tajne

that were to guide their societies for millennia.

koje su vodile njihova društva hiljadu godina unazad.

I go into the Okavango on my mokoro.

Išao sam Okavangom u svom kanuu.

You must join me one day.

Morate da mi se pridružite jednog dana.

Over 50 percent of the remaining wilderness is unprotected.

Više od 50% preostale divljine je nezaštićeno.

A huge opportunity --

Velika prilika -

a chance for us all.

šansa za sve nas.

We need to act with great urgency.

Moramo nešto hitno da radimo po tom pitanju.

Since the 2015 megatransect,

Od megatransekta 2015. godine

we have explored all major rivers of the Okavango River basin,

istražili smo sve veće reke basena reke Okavango,

covering a life-changing 4,000 miles of detailed research transects

i obuhvatili oko 6,5 km detaljnog istraživačkog transekta koji život menja

on our dugout canoes

u našim drvenim kanuima

and our fat-tire mountain bikes.

i biciklima za planinu.

We now have 57 top scientists

Sada 57 najboljih naučnika

rediscovering what we call the Okavango-Zambezi water tower --

ponovo otkriva ono što nazivamo vodenim tornjem Okavango-Zambezi -

this vast, post-war wilderness with undocumented source lakes,

ovu ogromnu, posleratnu divljinu sa do sada nezabeleženim izvorištima,

unnamed waterfalls in what is Africa's largest remaining Miombo woodland.

nepoznatim vodopadima na mestu gde je najveća afrička šuma Miombo.

We've now discovered 24 new species to science

Otkrili smo 24 nove vrste živog sveta

and hundreds of species not known to be there.

i na stotine vrsta koje su do sada bile nepoznate.

This year, we start the process, with the Angolan government,

Ove godine započinjemo proces sa angolskom vladom

to establish one of the largest systems of protected areas in the world

za uspostavljanje jednog od najvećih sistema zaštićenih oblasti na svetu

to preserve the Okavango-Zambezi water tower

u cilju očuvanja vodenog tornja Okavango-Zambezi

we have been exploring.

koji istražujemo.

Downstream, this represents water security for millions of people

Nizvodno, ovo predstavlja izvor vode za milione ljudi

and more than half of the elephants remaining on this planet.

i više od polovine ukupne populacije slonova na planeti.

There is no doubt this is the biggest conservation opportunity in Africa

Nema sumnje da je ovo najveća prilika za očuvanje prirode u Africi

in decades.

u poslednjih nekoliko decenija.

Over the next 10 to 15 years,

U narednih 10 do 15 godina

we need to make an unprecedented investment

moramo da investiramo

in the preservation of wilderness around the world.

u očuvanje divljine širom sveta.

To me,

Za mene je

preserving wilderness is far more than simply protecting ecosystems

očuvanje divljine mnogo više od pukog očuvanja ekosistema

that clean the water we drink and create the air we breathe.

koji čiste vodu koju pijemo i stvaraju vazduh koji dišemo.

Preserving wilderness protects our basic human right to be wild --

Očuvanje divljine štiti naše osnovno ljudsko pravo da budemo divlji -

our basic human rights to explore.

naše osnovno ljudsko pravo da istražujemo.

Thank you.

Hvala.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)