Development and Wildlife Conservation: Oil Can They Co-Exist?
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NatureUganda Volume: 10.5 March, 2008 development and Wildlife Conservation: Oil can they co-exist? Block 5 Tower/Neptune IN THIS ISSUE: 100% (…Orca 50%?) Block 1 Heritage CONSERVATION 50% Tullow Block 2 50% Tullow 100% Block 3a • Oil development and Heritage 50% Tullow 50% wildlife conservation: Can Block 4 they co-exist? Dominion 100% • Collaborative forest management in Echuya forest landscape PROJECTS • Protected areas and Block 2 Tullow 100% poverty. Are the wealthier benefiting more than the poor people? number of oil and gas discoveries reserve, Otze-Dufile wildlife Ahave been made in the Albertine sanctuary and Mt. Kei Wildlife • Communities reap big Rift region. The region is reported Sanctuary. from mushroom growing to have a billion barrel potential and in Kabale 25 prospects are yet to be drilled. A Various companies including Tullow, number of exploration areas have so Dominion and Heritage oil are already far been identified and are located in involved in the exploration of oil NEWS areas of high conservation interests. and gas in the region. Tullow Oil has planned to start limited oil production • LVCEEP programme gets These include: by mid 2009. This is anticipated to bring more funding • Block EA 1 (Pakwach), with the following benefits to the country Murchison Falls National Park, ie. reduction in energy shortage, • New member of staff Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and increased employment opportunities, Karuma Wildlife Reserve. infrastructure development and save • ‘Football for • Block EA 2 (Northern Lake Albert), funds for oil and gas importation. conservation’ with Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve and among others. However, the major Kaiso-Tonya wildlife area. challenge now is the management of • My expedition on Ssese • Block EA 3 (Southern Albertine impacts of oil and gas exploration. waters Graben) with Semliki National Park These include operations/camps and Semliki wildlife reserve. footprint, habitat and species • Block EA 4 (Edward and George), disturbance and removal, ineffective UNUSUAL SIGHTINGS: with Queen Elizabeth National restoration and development of Park, Kyambura wildlife reserve and road infrastructure to accommodate • Handsome Francolin nest Kigezi Wildlife reserve. additional traffic. Others are workforce finally located • Block EA 5 (Rhino Camp) with Ajai influx, noise and light due to 24 Wildlife reserve, East Madi Wildlife hour operations, pollution resulting To be continued on page 3...................... LETTERS Chairman’s Massage NatureUganda AGM 2007 The 15th AGM of NatureUganda and the 88th of the East Africa Natural History Society (EANHS) took place on 7th of December 2007 at NatureUganda offices. The meeting was presided over by the Chairman Mr. Paul Mafabi, his fourth AGM as the Chairman of the organization. He presented a report to the members highlighting progress in implementing the strategic programme in 2007. He informed members that EANHS will be celebrating 100years of existence in 2009. NatureUganda and NatureKenya shall organize centenary celebrations. In his report, Mr Mafabi said that Uganda’s environment and the conservation scenario has been dramatic as evidenced by floods, declaration of the first Lucastrine reserve (CHOGM) on L. Victoria, invasion of national parks by pastoralists and investors, threats caused by palm oil plantations to forests and fossil oil/gas discovery in the Albertine Rift. Climate change has Dear members, also been at the centre of recent environment discussions. It is with great pleasure that I extend my greetings and appreciation for your continued support toNature Uganda. Despite the above challenges, NatureUganda has continued NatureUganda has achieved a lot in the previous year to score a number of successes in conservation, education because of its increased membership and commitment. This and awareness and membership growth. Specifically commitment was exhibited during the last Annual General the organization capacity assessment (OCA) conducted meeting which was successfully organised and attended. to review the status of NatureUganda has given our Thanks to the dedicated staff who make all programmes tick. organization a new orientation to critical development issues. A report on the economic evaluation of Mabira forest I congratulate the entire NatureUganda fraternity upon reserve contributed immensely to the discussion on the successful election of the new Executive committee (EC). Let proposed degazzettement of the forest. NU is now a legal me take this opportunity to congratulate members of the EC entity and can own property which was a stumbling block and also welcome the new members to the EC. to the acquisition of NatureUganda home. This is going to be a major focus for the new EC. At the AGM, members The New Year starts with new programmes for the welcomed representatives from the three branches in Gulu, membership. Please visit the secretariat to get a year Mbale and Mbarara and unanimously agreed that they planner and acquaint yourselves with membership activities should be ex-official members of the EC and shall be invited throughout the year. I encourage everyone to participate to all EC meetings. actively in the activities and recruitment of new members. You are also aware that NU has sic working groups and New projects were funded in 2007 including PEMA, IBA members are welcome to join any of them. monitoring, Cranes and Wetlands, Avian Flu Surveillance, with a total funding of over USD 1.5M. Membership NatureUganda has continued to gain support and increased by over 40% and this is predicted to be higher confidence from the donors, partners and allies both locally with new and diversified membership events such as nature and internationally. As a result funding for projects has walks, excursions and public talks. increased and conservation programmes have expanded. Audited accounts were presented by the Treasurer Mr. However this tremendous success is coupled with Robert Nabanyumya who also indicated that NU registered challenges such as service to the growing membership a surplus over expenditure. This is a good sign for our society whose expectations are justifiably high. Core funding, and a positive step towards sustainability. He reiterated conflict between conservation and development, climate the Chairman’s remark about the need to acquire a NU change, and environmental governance remain challenges home which would increase the corporate image of the to conservation of nature. organization but also reduce on the recurrent expenditure. NatureUganda has agreed on an aggressive plan to acquire The treasurer thanked donors, partners and the members its permanent home and I believe with your support, we for continued support. A full day conservation forum was shall be able to achieve our objectives. suggested by members to replace a one hour AGM so that members can hear of more details about NU programme I wish you a prosperous 2008 and partnerships. The secretariat expressed concern about funding for such a forum but members recommended that Paul Mafabi we should work towards this event. The next AGM is planned Chairman for 21st November 2008. The Naturalist CONSERVATION from flaring of gas, sludge residues, sustainable management of Protected Collaborative forest management in transportation in pipelines and tankers. areas in Uganda may mean that poverty Echuya forest landscape Biodiversity may be affected by camp in households adjacent to them could Since 2004, Echuya Forest Conservation wastes and spills which lead to heavy oil increase calling for closer coordination Project (EFCP) has been facilitating toxicity, ingestion and bioaccumulation with broader national strategies the Collaborative Forest Management and fish tainting. This will be in addition and international development (CFM) process between the National to general biodiversity loss due to approaches. Forestry Authority and Forest Adjacent clearance and loss of habitat. Although The survey results indicate that social Communities (FAC’s). As required by the EIA assessments have been conducted and economic inequities are apparent National Forest and Tree Planting Act fore areas under exploration, they have under all management regimes and 2003, focus has been on eight parishes been shallow on issues concerning that distributional impacts vary immediately adjacent to the reserve biodiversity impacts. between sites. While local people bear within four sub counties of Bufundi and During the monthly public talk significant costs, they also benefit from Muko in Kabale District,Kanaba and organised by NatureUganda, members protected areas (PAs) though generally Murora Sub counties in Kisoro District. were concerned about the lack of wealthier households’ benefit most sensitivity maps for the area, the from them in absolute terms; but This process though having taken lack of a general Albertine graben proportionally, more of the poorer sometime is already yielding important environmental assessment plan and households’ income is made up of PA outcomes. Communities and NFA staff the plan to degazette some areas to goods. In addition, poorer households are having good relations and working allow oil production. use more of their PA income for together in co-management of the subsistence purposes than wealthier reserve. Before CFM, Forest Adjacent Ms. Louise Johnson a consultant on oil households. National and International Communities used to look at the forest and Chief Biodiversity Advisor to the communities benefit more economically as a Government asset;