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Oil and Wildlife Conservation in Uganda

This document provides an overview of oil exploration activities overlapping with protected areas in Uganda and the impacts on wildlife conservation. It discusses how over 70% of protected areas lie within the Albertine Graben region where oil has been discovered. Exploration activities have resulted in habitat destruction, disruption of wildlife behavior, and challenges for tourism. The Uganda Wildlife Authority is taking steps to strengthen compliance monitoring, build staff capacity, develop monitoring tools, conduct research, and advocate for minimizing impacts through partnerships with oil companies and other stakeholders. However, challenges remain around mitigating all impacts and ensuring adequate resources for effective oversight.

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African Centre for Media Excellence
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352 views40 pages

Oil and Wildlife Conservation in Uganda

This document provides an overview of oil exploration activities overlapping with protected areas in Uganda and the impacts on wildlife conservation. It discusses how over 70% of protected areas lie within the Albertine Graben region where oil has been discovered. Exploration activities have resulted in habitat destruction, disruption of wildlife behavior, and challenges for tourism. The Uganda Wildlife Authority is taking steps to strengthen compliance monitoring, build staff capacity, develop monitoring tools, conduct research, and advocate for minimizing impacts through partnerships with oil companies and other stakeholders. However, challenges remain around mitigating all impacts and ensuring adequate resources for effective oversight.

Uploaded by

African Centre for Media Excellence
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 40

OIL AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION UGANDA.

PAPER PRESENTED TO REPORTERS FROM THE


ALBERTINE REGION MONDAY APRIL 14TH, 2014
AT AMCEA BUNGA.
JOSSY MUHANGI
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER
UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY
Email: jossy.muhangi@ugandawildlife.org
Tel: 0772673131

Outline of presentation

Brief about UWA


Brief on oil exploration Vs PAs
Impacts of oil on the PAs
Challenges of managing the impacts
What is UWA doing to minimize
impacts
Conclusion

Uganda Wildlife Authority


UWA is an institution mandated to manage
wildlife in Uganda within and outside PAs
Established in 1996 as merger of Uganda
National Parks and Game Dept.
It is in charge of 10 National Parks and 12
Wildlife Reserves, and provides guidance for
the management of 5 Community Wildlife
Areas and 13 Wildlife Sanctuaries.
PAs cover approx. 11% of Ugandas land area

Brief on exploration
Uganda started exploring for oil way back in 1926
Extensive exploration work started in 2001 with the
first discovery made in 2006
Since then more discoveries have been made with
the total estimates of 3 billion barrels
In 2008, the National Oil & Gas Policy was
formulated
The country is now at the stage of developing the
oil fields
- field developments, refinery, pipelines

Overlap of oil blocks with high biodiversity areas


(national parks, wildlife reserves, forest
reserves etc)
over 70% of protected areas lie within the
Albertine Graben
About 50% of wells so far drilled are within
protected areas

Some indications of current


status re. petroleum
exploration and exploitation.

EA5: Was licenced to


Neptune. 3 Wells were
drilled , but were all dry.

EA5 RHINO CAMP BASIN


Size 6,040sq.km
Licensed to Neptune Petroleum (U) Ltd ( Now
Tower Resources) on 27th Sept 2005

3N

EA1 PAKWACH BASIN


Size 4,285 sq.km
Licensed to Heritage Oil and Gas Ltd and
Energy Africa (now Tullow Oil) 0n 1st July 2004

Murchison FNP: Licenced to


TOTAL
over 30 wells drilled in prime
tourism area., described as
world class oil province
Kabwoya WR: Licensed to
Tullow. over 8 wells drilled.
Kingfisher
area:
3 wellsfor
More will
be drilled
drilled. Field
ready for
production
Semuliki . Licensed
to CNOOC
production
Seismics and test drilling done
some sites. Findings not interesting enough.

Lomunga Community Wildlife


area
East Madi Wildlife Reserve
Ajai Wildlife Reserve
Karuma Wildlife Reserve

EA2 LAKE ALBERT BASIN


Size 4,675 sq.km
Licensed to Hardman Resources Ltd and
Enegy Africa Ltd (now Tullow Oil) on 8th
October 2001.

EA3A SEMLIKI BASIN


Size 1,991sq.km
First licensed to Heritage Oil and Gas Ltd as
part of EA3 on 15th January 1997
Re-licensed to Heritage Oil and Gas Ltd and
Energy Africa (now Tullow Oil) on 8th Sept 2004.
1N

EA3B SEMLIKI BASIN


Size 1,786 sq.km
Includes Turaco Prospect Area
Not licensed

EA4A LAKES EDWARD-GEORGE BASIN


Size 3,812sq.km
Not Licensed

Queen Elisabeth NP &


Kigezi WR: Was licenced
to Dominion. one well
drilled and was dry.

Exploration areas showing the


Some
areas in
status
ofconservation
licensing
Albertine Graben

EA4B LAKES EDWARD-GEORGE BASIN


Size 2,021sq.km
Licensed to Dominion Petroleum Ltd on 27th
July 2007

Bugungu Wildlife Reserve

Murchison Falls National Park


Ramsar
site
(2006):
Murchison
Murchison
Kaiso-Tonya
Falls
Community
NP: Ugandas
WA
Fallsprotected
- Albert Delta
largest
area.Wetland
UniversKabwoya
Wildlife
Reserve
(EPS)
System
ally recognised
as one of East
Africa
Africas
best
parks
in 60s.
Kabwoya
Toro /Semuliki
WR: New
Wildlife
protected
Reserve
Impressive
growth
in wildlife
last
area in Uganda
(2002)
with rapid
10-15
years
after
lawlessness
Semuliki
National
Park in
growth
in wildlife
and
70s
and 80s. Tourism
growing.
reintroductions
of locally
extinct
Rwenzori Mountains
National
Park
species. Area famous in 60s for
large migrations
between
Kibale National
Park
Murchison and Semuliki.
Queen Elisabeth National Park
Queen
UN
Kyambura
Biosphere
Elisabeth
Wildlife
Reserve
NP: Ugandas
Reserve
(1979):
most popular
Queen
and
Elisabeth
accessible
Kigezi
Wildlife
Reserve
park. Wildlife and tourism
growing (ref. Murchison).
Also numerous Forest Reserves

Impacts on biodiversity
Movement of large numbers of exploration
crews and heavy logistical equipment
opens up virgin areas as well as destroys the habitat
result in non-target killing of wildlife, disruption,
disturbance and scare of wildlife, blockage and
interference with animal migration routes and
patterns
interfere with animal breeding patterns like kob
lekking grounds
Some animals are very sensitive to earth vibrations
e.g Elephants

Giraffe close to a drill site

Seismic surveys laying of Geo-phones along cut lines

Increased traffic

Noise and vibrations

Waste management drill cuttings


Generation of
sewage, waste
water and
garbage and
their associated
pressures on
the environment

Drill waste Consolidation pits

Waste management

Road kills

Excess land take during road construction

Bare area in the wild

Impacts of oil activities on tourism


Visual intrusion and negative impact of
infrastructure on tourism e.g In MFNP
one of the most popular circuits had to
be closed to tourists for about 3 months
during the initial drilling
Negative publicity reduced number of
visitors and therefore reduced revenue
in the long term
Oil drilling sites are areas of intensive
human presence (bee-hive like) with up
to 100 people during operations

Chemicals used during drilling could find their


way into surface and ground which may cause
death of animals

Un restored well site with porous


fence at Karuka 2 in Bugungu WR

Dead lioness at Jobi East 2

Challenges of managing the impacts


Co-existence of tourism and oil activities
Tourism is the main source of income for wildlife
management
Anything that interferes with tourism therefore
interferes with wildlife management
So far Tourist arrivals in the parks has been increasing
steadily
Tourists are interested in pristine nature of the PAs
The challenge is for UWA to ensure that these
activities are done with minimal impacts to tourism

Challenges (2)
Impacts that cannot be mitigated
Habitat destruction
Interference with animal behavior
Interference with breeding patterns

The challenge has been to have oil companies


offset these impacts

Challenges (2)
Inadequate capacity
Institutional capacity
Government concentrated training on energy sector
specifically Petroleum Exploration & Production
Department and environmental sector left behind
Experts in environmental assessment still lacking
staff have limited training in oil related activities yet are
expected to monitor the activity in regulatory agencies
Staff numbers- high demand on the staff to monitor
Equipments to monitor oil activities

UWA Staff attempting to put off fire manually near


an oil well head

Pipes burnt in QENP

Challenges (3)
Limited financial resources (activities imposed
on us because of oil exploration)
monitoring compliance,
Additional ecosystem monitoring,
re-planning and re-zoning the park
New infrastructure e.g. new tourism trails,
accommodation facilities as alternatives

WHAT IS UWA DOING

Compliance monitoring
Review all EIAs of oil developments in the PAs
and ensure activities have minimal impacts on
the PAs
Carry out compliance monitoring on a daily basis.
The headquarter staff give backstopping to field
staff on a quarterly basis
Have designated dedicated staff to undertake
compliance monitoring
Recruited 100 rangers to work with oil companies
Have a warden based in the field in charge of oil
monitoring

Capacity building
Undertaking building of capacity through staff
training and study visits
Over 50 rangers and wardens trained on
basic facts regarding oil impacts
Planning another round of similar training
Senior staff of the organization have under
taken study tours to outside countries e.g
Canada and Gabon to get experience

Capacity building for UWA staff

Planning to establish and fully equip Field


monitoring Units for Petroleum activities in
Murchison NP, Toro Semliki WR and Queen
Elizabeth National Park
Recruiting staff
Building accommodation and office
Basic lab and lab equipment
Other equipment vehicles, computers, cameras,
GPS
Create a unit at headquarter in charge of oil and gas

Developing monitoring tools


Developed operational guidelines for oil companies operating in
PAs (draft)
To minimize long and short - term negative impacts of oil and
gas developments on the integrity of protected areas and
associated ecological processes.

Developed an MoU between UWA and TOTAL for operations in


MFNP
Developing a sensitivity atlas for MFNP
Reviewing the GMPs of some key PAs to take into account oil
impacts
- Looking at alternatives for tourism where applicable (new
tourism trails and circuits)

Research
Working with WCS to carry out research on impacts of
oil on animal movement e.g collaring of animals,
Working with oil companies in carrying out
biodiversity surveys e.g ground surveys of birds,
mammals, and fish
Working with oil companies in generating information
on avoidance features
Worked with WWF to carry out a survey on impact of
oil on tourism
Working with companies in sensitizing and updating
the tourism stakeholders on oil activities in the parks

National level
Working with the environment technical
monitoring committee (NEMA, Water, NFA,
PEPD, Fisheries, Wetlands) to ensure
compliance
Participated in preparing the Strategic
Environmental Assessment (SEA)
Participated in developing the Sensitivity atlas
for the Albertine Graben
Albertine Graben Monitoring Plan

Other interventions

Provide information on park rules to oil


workers
Advocating for use of appropriate
technologies to reduce impacts (directional
drilling, smaller rigs)
No waste in the park
No flaring in the park
All infrastructure should be out of the park
including workers camps
Minimise number of workers on the drill site

Conclusions
Having successfully explored, Government is now
entering into the development phase.
This phase is inevitably going to increase the
negative impacts on the protected areas and
possibly tourism.
If the country has to benefit from both resources,
the two have to sustainably coexist.
UWAs duty therefore is working closely with all
partners to ensure this co-existence more so
given the fact that oil is a finite resource.

Conclusions
I thank the organizers, the Directors of Africa Centre
for Media Excellence for according UWA an
opportunity to interact and share with senior
editors from the media who are the gate keepers
who determine what the public consumes in the
media.
I appreciate the media organizations for the growing
interest in conservation and eco-tourism issues by
allocating dedicated pages and air space in the
various outlets thereby creating more interest from
other stake holders and consumers of our products.

Conclusions
I commend the media for helping UWA to
promote new innovations like technologies
including the new payment system using the
Wildlife cards to access our parks
I applaud the editors for always readily availing
reporters to cover our functions and events even
on short notice.

Conclusions
As the channels of mass communication upon
which the society looks for informative and
educative information which most people take as
divine truth, I urge you as key partners and stake
holders to work to promote the cause of
conservation and the importance tourism plays as
an engine of economic growth.
UWA is always ready to provide timely and accurate
information in regard to Wildlife conservation and
tourism matters particularly to the media personnel
as well as sharing with you our success stories.

Conclusions
Do not hesitate to cross check with us any
information from the social media or other sources
since we run an open door policy at UWA.
Together we conserve for Generations

Thank you very much for your


kind attention

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