oil and wildlife in uganda

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Oil and Wildlife in Uganda

Monitoring and Mitigatingagainst 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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Uganda Wildlife Authority Established in 1996

Manages 10 national parks

and 12 wildlife reserves(11% of Uganda)

Majority of land under UWAis in the Albertine Graben

About UWA


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The Situation

Oil has been discoveredinside these PAs:-

Murchison Falls NP

Kabwoya Wildlife ReserveBugungu Wildlife Reserve

Prospecting is ongoing in:

Queen Elizabeth NPToro Semlikik WR


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The Situation

The Question: How do we remove the oil

from the ground without

losing the ecosystems thatsupport the wildlife which

is the bedrock of our

nascent tourism industry

which is attracting more

local and foreigninvestments 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



Instruments for mitigating against impacts

Oil Monitoring guidelines

The Sensitivity Atlas

The Monitoring Plan

Environmental Impact

Assessment Reports

MoUs with oil companies



Oil Activities Constructing roads

Setting up camps

Seismic Surveys

Preparing oil pads

Transporting heavy

equipment

Setting up rigs

Drilling oil

Restoration activities



Positive impacts Better infrastructure

especially roads

Development of new

tourism products Setting up tourism

infrastructure in other

parts of the parks

Increased interest in otherparks e.g. Kidepo

Increased number of

tourists



Negative Impacts of oil activities

Too much activity hence

too much noise

Destruction of wildlife

habitats Impacts on breeding

and wildlife movements

Too many peopleaccessing the parks

Visual issues affecting

the beautiful scenery



Challenges Monitoring compliance to

agreed positions

Limited resources by

environmental agencies

Efficient technologies areexpensive and will affect

income and profits

Entrance of big oil

companies

Limited training chances for

environmental technocrats



What UWA is doing

Recruited and trained astrong ranger force of 430

people (100 of these are

for oil monitoring)

Partnered with MUK tocarry out biodiversity

studies on plants,

mammals, birds, etc

Lobbying government forbiodiversity offsets

Fundraising for capacity

building



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 pristinenature

Oil waste is removed

effectively

oil and wildlife in uganda

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