Oil and Wildlife in Uganda Monitoring and Mitigating against negative impacts

Presentation by Lillian Nsubuga, Public Relations Manager Uganda Wildlife Authority 24th April , 2013

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Presentation Overview
Introduction About UWA The Situation Laws protecting the environment Instruments against impacts Oil Activities

Positive impacts of oil

Negative impacts of oil Challenges

What is UWA doing

The ideal Situation

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About UWA
Uganda Wildlife Authority Established in 1996 Manages 10 national parks and 12 wildlife reserves (11% of Uganda) Majority of land under UWA is in the Albertine Graben

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The Situation
Oil has been discovered inside these PAs:Murchison Falls NP Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve Bugungu Wildlife Reserve Prospecting is ongoing in: Queen Elizabeth NP Toro Semlikik WR

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The Situation
The Question:
How do we remove the oil from the ground without losing the ecosystems that support the wildlife which is the bedrock of our nascent tourism industry which is attracting more local and foreign investments than any other sector?

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The Situation
Oil is in commercial quantities: 3.4 million barrels, 1.2 m barrels recoverable IT IS BURRIED UNDER Very sensitive ecosystems which support: Tourism Community livelihoods Wildlife breeding
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Laws protecting the environment

The Constitution NEMA Act UWA Act NFA Act International Conventions

Convention for Biological Diversity Convention on Climate Change Ramsar Convention

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Instruments for mitigating against impacts

Oil Monitoring guidelines The Sensitivity Atlas The Monitoring Plan Environmental Impact Assessment Reports MoUs with oil companies

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Oil Activities
Constructing roads Setting up camps Seismic Surveys Preparing oil pads Transporting heavy equipment Setting up rigs Drilling oil Restoration activities
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Positive impacts
Better infrastructure especially roads Development of new tourism products Setting up tourism infrastructure in other parts of the parks Increased interest in other parks e.g. Kidepo Increased number of tourists
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Negative Impacts of oil activities

Too much activity hence too much noise Destruction of wildlife habitats Impacts on breeding and wildlife movements Too many people accessing the parks Visual issues affecting the beautiful scenery
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Challenges
Monitoring compliance to agreed positions Limited resources by environmental agencies Efficient technologies are expensive and will affect income and profits Entrance of big oil companies
Limited training chances for environmental technocrats
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 Recruited and trained a strong ranger force of 430 people (100 of these are for oil monitoring) Partnered with MUK to carry out biodiversity studies on plants, mammals, birds, etc Lobbying government for biodiversity offsets Fundraising for capacity building

What UWA is doing

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The ideal situation

Minimal impacts of oil activities on tourism Breeding, feeding, migration and movements of wildlife remain unaffected in the long term Tourists continue deriving maximum value for money from visiting the parks After oil is finished, the parks are restored to their pristine nature Oil waste is removed effectively
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