CAPACITY BUILIDING & CONFLICT MITIGATION │ LACHER & BYAKAGABA BRIDGING ECOLOGY, CULTURE, & GOVERNANCE FOR EFFECTIVE CONSERVATION

Capacity Oil, Gas, Wildlife Building to Mitigate & Communities Conflicts in

By: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr. & Patrick Byakagaba

At the crest of a dry plateau of scrub forest, the road suddenly reaches the edge of a precipitous drop. From there the road winds down a series of narrow switchbacks. At first glance, the view presents an expanse of hazy, yellowed scrub on the plain below. Further in the distance is a large, pale blue lake, which fades into the ho- rizon. It is a stunning view, the Albertine Rift.

Perhaps more stirring is what we know but do not see; that a mere 200,000 years ago the first members of our species walked that valley. Two hundred thousand years is barely a note in the evolutionary symphony. We are a young spe- cies compared to most, but we have come a long way from our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Our demands on the environment have amplified.

Uganda is one of the newest inland oil explora- tion frontiers in Africa with an estimated 6.5 billion barrels and the larger potential of 8 bil- lion barrels. Most known reserves lie in the Albertine Graben, adjacent to Lake Albert, The Albertine Valley (credit: Thomas E. Lacher Jr.) one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.

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Several companies have drilled exploratory wells Biodiversity and Protected Areas in the Uganda The USAID report “Uganda Biodiversity and Trop- consists 712 units covering 16% of the country, to assess the production potential, including Albertine Graben ical Forest Assessment” published in 2014 pres- and includes 10 National Parks, 12 Wildlife Re- wells inside national parks. In addition, the re- ents an overview of the status of biodiversity in serves, seven Wildlife Sanctuaries, 12 Ramsar sites gion is home to a number of traditional peoples The Ugandan Rift Valley is located in the extreme Uganda, and the report emphasizes the critical and five Community Wildlife Management Areas and several Community Wildlife Areas, and there northern sector of the Albertine Rift, running importance of conservation in the Rift Valley. In (http://www.protectedplanet.net/country/UG). is the potential for significant social and cultural from slightly north of Lake Albert south to the good news, the elephant population in Uganda There are 506 central forest reserves under the impacts in the districts within and adjacent to the border region between Rwanda and the Demo- has recovered from a low of less than 1,000 in National Forestry Authority. The total protected primary zones of exploration. Oil and gas is a new cratic Republic of Congo. The Ugandan rift region the 1970s to approximately 5,000, as recently re- area of Uganda is about 2.2 million hectares and opportunity and challenge for Uganda, and there includes two other important lakes in addition to ported as part of the Great Elephant Census fund- approximately 5000 ha of protected land is under is little current infrastructure to train either pe- Lake Albert: Lake George and Lake Edward. The ed by former Microsoft executive Paul Allen. The local governments as local forest reserves. UWA troleum engineers or specialists in the environ- massive Lake Victoria sits farther to the east of government of Uganda sees value in their wildlife reports that Kibale National Park in the Albertine mental and social impact assessments associated the Albertine Rift. Much of the country sits on and ecosystems, and there are increasing efforts region harbors 13 species of primates in only 760 with this new industry. The challenge currently the East African Plateau and habitats vary from to maintain and enhance this heritage. km2, including chimpanzees, and the Bwindi Im- facing Uganda is to develop educational training savanna to subtropical and tropical forest, with penetrable National Park contains large popula- programs to build capacity within the country about 50 percent of the country dominated by Protected Areas in the oil-rich region include Na- tions of chimps and half of the world’s popula- to mitigate these threats to biodiversity, natural grasslands and savanna woodlands. Forested tional Parks, Wildlife Reserves, Forest Reserves tion of mountain gorillas. Much of the area under systems, and local and traditional communities. ecosystems (about 17% of the land area) are re- and Community Wildlife Reserves. The Uganda exploration is within the spectacular Murchison stricted to high elevation zones, like Mount Elgon Wildlife Authority (UWA) is responsible for man- Falls Conservation Area, sensitive for biodiver- and the highlands around Kidepo in the east and aging the protected areas of Uganda together with sity conservation and a popular tourist destina- the mountains of the Albertine Rift in the west, the National Forest Authority. The total network tion with many safari lodges, and this presents especial along the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Due to its varied topography and the tendency for the western re- gion of Uganda to be more mesic, the Albertine Rift is particularly rich in biodiversity.

Both international and national NGOs consis- tently highlight the exceptional biodiversity in the region around the Rift Valley. It is desig- nated an Important Bird Area by BirdLife Inter- national and a biodiversity hotspot by Conser- vation International. There are many species of Uganda Kob herd on degraded land (credit: Patrick Byakagaba); Cape both endemic and threatened vertebrates and buffalo (below); Defassa Waterbuck (right) (credit: Thomas E. Lacher Jr.) plants throughout the Albertine Rift, and the region contains more endemic mammals, birds and amphibians than any other site in the con- tinent. The complex of lakes in Uganda harbor one of the largest known assemblages of fresh- water fish. The Wildlife Conservation Society es- timates the Albertine Rift to contain 39 percent of Africa’s mammal species, 52 percent of its bird species, and 19 percent of its amphibian spe- cies, along with 14 percent of the plant and rep- tile species. The 2013 IUCN Red List Assessment Regional map of the Albertine Rift (outlined in yelllow) lists 183 threatened species for Uganda, includ- through six countries (credit: Wildlife Conservation Society). ing 25 mammals, 22 birds, and 61 fish species.

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the most urgent short-term threat. Queen Eliza- one of the bottlenecks in ensuring fairness when beth National Park, also within the exploration re- the government has to compensate land owners; gion, is the most visited national park in Uganda. this has resulted in government being perceived The Murchison Falls – Albert Delta Wetland System as unfair to her own people. The land in this re- is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance gion varies in terms of value both at temporal and the entire Albertine Graben is a foundation for and spatial scales and therefore local communi- a growing tourism industry that contributes $650 ties have traditionally preferred communal own- million a year to the national economy. A fear is ership to enable all members to have access to that this economic potential, that will extend be- diverse livelihood options at all times. This how- yond the period of oil extraction, could be severe- ever is changing due to the rise in the value of ly impacted should the region become excessively land. There are more people now preferring pri- degraded by extensive oil and gas development. vate ownership of land in the Albertine region partly because of the artificial demand associ- Social, Economic, and Cultural diversity in the ated with discovery of oil deposits in the region Albertine Garben (CRED, 2014).

The Albertine region is one of the most ethnically The Albertine region is also culturally highly re- diverse regions in Uganda. The area where com- garded by the ancient -Kitara Kingdom mercially viable oil deposits have been confirmed which is currently led by a cultural King with ( and district) is predominantly extremely restricted authority, since Uganda is a occupied by indigenous Banyoro and Bagungu, republic. The statutory laws recognize him as a and immigrant communities from neighboring cultural leader who should never be partisan and regions such as the Alur, Okebo, Lugbara, Baki- cannot have political power beyond promoting the ga, and Banyarwanda. The Banyoro are an ethnic culture and norms of Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom. group from the defunct Bunyoro-Kitara Empire The region retains some of the hunting areas for that used to extend up to some parts of current Murchison Falls on the Nile (credit: Thomas E. Lacher Jr.) the King and burial sites for the royal family that Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Tan- date back to over five generations as well as sa- zania, and eastern, central and western parts of communities have not overcome the trauma and changed with the decline of fish stock in Lake cred sites for local communities. Some of these Uganda by the 15th century (Uzoigwe, 1969). This they perceive themselves as marginalized com- Albert and competition for grazing resources, re- sites are found in areas currently managed as empire has over the years been reduced to only a pared to the rest of Uganda. sulting in more cultivation. Many of the Bagungu wildlife conservation areas by the Uganda Wild- few small districts in mid-western Uganda, which people have migrated to other neighboring areas life Authority whose doctrine to conservation is include Hoima, , Kibale, Buliisa and Kiry- Oil deposits have been confirmed in Hoima and such as Hoima and Masindi districts to practice of extreme restriction. This is a potential area of andongo, to form the present day Bunyoro-Kita- Buliisa districts which are dominated by Banyoro crop farming since arable land is extremely lim- conflict between the kingdom, local communities ra kingdom. The Bunyoro-Kitara Empire was re- and Bagungu respectively. Bagungu are a sub-eth- ited in . and the Uganda Wildlife Authority which has the duced to the present day size by the arrival of the nic group of the Banyoro with a distinct dialect of statutory mandate to manage all wildlife conser- British colonial administrators who fought and the Runyoro language called Lugungu. They pay Customary private and communal land tenure vation areas and antiquities in there. deposed King Kabalega to the Seychelles Island allegiance to the Omukama (King) and tradition- system is the most predominant traditional land in the Indian Ocean. He had resisted British colo- ally provided the security of the boundaries of tenure system in the Albertine region. Most inhab- The discovery of oil deposits in this region is a nial administration in his Kingdom and therefore the Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom from intruders who itants have not registered their parcels in spite of recipe for conflicts over land resources since the was perceived as a threat in the quest to colonize would come from the north. Bagungu tradition- the fact that Uganda’s legal framework provides oil and gas industry requires heavy infrastruc- Uganda. The kingdom was further reduced by an- ally are cultivators, fisherfolks and pastoralists. for registration of such land giving permanent tural development and creates an impression of a nexation from neighboring kingdoms such as Bu- Historically, this is because Buliisa district which inheritable rights to owners, which renders them bright future for the economy. Unfortunately, land ganda in central Uganda with the support of Brit- is their cradle land has ecosystems that can allow susceptible to land grabbers who fraudulently reg- rights are not well defined and secured. There are ish military officers. The people were subjugated them to practice all these three economic activi- ister it as private freehold land at the expense of already reports that individuals who are wealthy and ruled by agents and administrators of Britain ties. Traditionally they were predominantly fish- the livelihoods of local communities (CRED, 2015). and politically connected have started illegally from neighboring Buganda and since then, local erfolks and pastoralists but this has over the years Lack of formal registration of the land has been acquiring communal land through unscrupulous

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means to be able to harness economic benefits and reaching policy makers and local communi- as well as NEMA. Key to the training was the en- envisaged to come with the burgeoning oil indus- ties through the effective use of broader impacts. gagement of key academic institutions in Uganda, try (CRED, 2014). led by Makerere University in , with strong With the advent of the discovery of oil and gas participation from Mbarara University of Science The region has had an influx of other ethnic reserves in Uganda, a number of international and Technology and Kyambogo University. Other groups from neighboring regions such as the corporations have made investments on explora- institutions, namely, Nyabyeya Forestry College, Alur, Banyarwanda, Banyankole, Bakiga, Lugbara, tion and refineries, most notably the French com- the Uganda Wildlife Training Institute–Katwe, and Okebo, Lendu and Baganda, and this has often pany Total E and P (one of the “supermajor oil the Uganda Petroleum Institute–Kigumba, are also created tension due to limited livelihood options and gas corporation), the Irish company Tullow, engaged. The project is funded by USAID through and the historical injustices that the indigenous and the Chinese giant CNOOC (China National Tetra Tech under the leadership of the Chief of Banyoro people have experienced. Arable land Offshore Oil Corporation). In response to this ex- Party Mr. Jones Ruhombe. is extremely limited in this area and the influx panding investment, USAID solicited proposals of other ethnic groups has exacerbated the situ- for the project Environmental Management for The first two years of participation involved meet- ation. Conflicts over grazing resources between the Oil and Gas Sector (EMOS) in 2013, and Texas ings in Kampala with a project management team immigrant communities such as the Banyankole A&M was contracted by Tetra Tech as a partner formed in by Makerere University in Uganda, the and Banyarwanda with indigenous ethinic groups to assist in the enhancement of capacity to ad- Oil and Gas Curricula, and Research Committee of such as the Bagungu of Buliisa are also on the rise dress critical training needs for professionals in Makerere University (OCRC). The OCRC was initial- and are most likely going to worsen as the value fields from petroleum engineering to conserva- ly coordinated and chaired by Dr. J.Y.T. Mugisha. of land increases due to the nascent oil and gas tion biology. The initial Texas A&M proposal team Later, Dr. Joseph Oonyu and Dr. John. R.S. Kabog- industry (Médard, & Golaz, 2013; Manyak, 2015). included ABS faculty Tom Lacher and Amanda goza were hired by Tetra Tech in the role of Senior The moral fabric and cultural values that were a Stronza, Fred Boadu from Agricultural Econom- Technical Advisors on Curriculum Development hallmark for land governance in the region are ics, Teri Reed-Rhoads from Petroleum Engineer- and Management of the Project based at Meker- at a risk of being eroded as the region becomes ing, Ed Price from the Conflict and Development ere. These meetings helped the Texas A&M team more cosmopolitan. (ConDev) Program, and Principal Investigator Paul to assess capacity and strengths of programs and Schwab from Soil and Crop Sciences. The project identify potential weaknesses in relation to the as- The USAID EMOS Project has received strong support and participation sessment of oil and gas impacts. Based upon this from Leslie Ruyle of ConDev and the former ABS assessment we began to develop MS-level degree The United States Agency for International Devel- Coordinator. Our role in the project has focused programs and modular instructional tools, in col- opment (USAID) released a new comprehensive heavily on assessing current capacity among rel- laboration with Ugandan colleagues. A focus of the policy on biodiversity in 2014 (USAID 2014), the evant professionals and developing curricula curricular enhancements has involved the devel- first such official policy developed by USAID. The across disciplines that integrate everything from opment of transferrable modules covering topics document provides guidelines on the integration the training of more conservation focused engi- as diverse as general ecology, wildlife toxicology, of biodiversity conservation into USAID funded neers to the development of skills of environmen- social and cultural impact assessment, low impact development activities. A significant component tal impact assessment and environmental toxicol- oil exploration, and governance and legal issues. of this document focuses on a new blueprint for ogy among ecologists and conservationists. integrating biodiversity conservation with what Components of these modules were presented AID defines as “sustainable, resilient develop- The Ugandan Government agency, NEMA (Nation- to faculty and staff from Ugandan universities ment” (Table 1). The policy document is influenced al Environmental Management Authority), has and the Environmental Pillar Institutions in July by other international policies and assessments been aware of these deficiencies and released sev- of 2015 and January of 2016. Texas A&M faculty like the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (Reid eral reports with support from the Government Paul Schwab, Teri Reed-Rhodes and Tom Lacher et al. 2005) and a growing concern over the main- of Norway; these were key in the development of participated, as well as TAMU graduate students tenance of ecosystem services. The report high- the request to USAID. A focus was on what are re- Alejandra Maldonado and Christopher Dermody. lights many challenges relevant to the Texas A&M ferred to as the Environmental Pillar Institutions Nearly twenty Ugandan instructors also partici- Applied Biodiversity Sciences Program, including of Uganda, which include the Ministry of Water and pated by presenting materials that they had devel- Tools of the Wildlife Officer, cell phone and AK-47 (credit: enhancing disciplinary capacity in training peo- Thomas E. Lacher Jr.); Team examining potential drill sites Environment (MWE), the Uganda Wildlife Author- oped over the two sessions. This provided for a ple, improving the governance of conservation, (middle); New oil highway (top) (credit: Patrick Byakagaba) ity (UWA), the National Forestry Authority (NFA), dry run of many of the modules, and these are

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from the ground. It is a landscape that leaves in- Table 1. The USAID Blueprint for Biodiversity Conservation goals and objectives References delible images. Two in particular are still very Vision To conserve biodiversity for sustainable resilient development much alive in our memory. We can still hear the CRED, (2014). Civic response on environment and Goals Conserve biodiversity in priority places roar of the Victoria Nile as it plunges through a development. land rights abuses in the oil rich al- Integrate biodiversity as an essential component of human development six-meter gorge before spreading out into a broad bertine graben in Uganda. Objective Support enabling conditions for biodiversity conservation flood plain, supporting populations of hippos, Reduce priority drivers and threats to biodiversity Nile crocodiles and elephants. We can also still CRED, (2015). Securing communal land and re- smell the dry grass supporting populations of source rights in the Albertine region of Uganda. Integrate conservation and development for improved biodiversity and development outcomes Lelwel hartebeest and Uganda kob that literally Manyak, T. G. (2015). Oil and Governance in Ugan- Build partnerships to mobilize resources in support of biodiversity conservation stretch across the horizon, in numbers impossi- da. Journal of Public Administration and Gover- Influence key international policies in support of biodiversity conservation ble to count. We still have memories of the endan- nance, 5(1), 40-58. Apply science, technology, and learning to enhance biodiversity conservation practice gered Rothschild’s giraffes as they elegantly stroll and later settle for a good meal of twigs of the Médard, C., & Golaz, V. (2013). Creating depen- savanna shrubs, their necks stretched high above dency: land and gift-giving practices in Uganda. currently being converted into the “Compendium”, and we are entering the final year of funding. the savanna. Only now, in that same vast land- Journal of Eastern African Studies, 7(3), 549-568. containing slides and lecture notes. The compen- This represents a critical time, because it has be- scape, there are oil wells tall among the shrubs. dium will form the basis of the instructional mod- come far too common for projects funded over Plumptre, A.J., M. Behangana, E. Ndomba, T.R.B. ules that can be added as components to either the short term to eventually fade and become in- Davenport, C. Kahindo, R. Kityo, P. Ssegawa, G. current classes or newly developed disciplines. active as interest wanes and sources of support Eilu, D. Nkuutu, I. and Owiunji. 2003. The Biodi- disappear. The investment in developing capac- versity of the Albertine Rift. Albertine Rift Rech- We are now beginning perhaps the most exciting ity, providing instructional materials, and initiat- nical reports No. 3. 114 pp. phase of the project, initiating a “Professoriate ing faculty exchanges is designed to try to leave Program” at Texas A&M University. This fall se- sufficient infrastructure in place to train more Reid, W. V. et al. 2005. Millennium Ecosystem As- mester (2016), six Ugandan professors will spend trainers to confront the potential impacts of an sessment. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: the semester on campus taking classes and par- expanding oil and gas industry. We also hope Synthesis. Island Press, Washington, DC. ticipating in multiple activities, workshops, and that the interactions among the Ugandan visiting seminars. Two staff members were selected from faculty and Texas A&M researchers will result in USAID. 2014. USAID Biodiversity Policy. USAID, each of the participating universities of Kyambo- project and proposal ideas for research through Washington, DC. go University, Mbarara University of Science and the College of Engineering and the College of Ag- Technology, and Makerere University with one riculture and Life Sciences. From an ABS perspec- Uzoigwe, 1969. Kabalega and the Making of a New faculty member focusing on Petroleum Engineer- tive, there are urgent needs for research on bio- Kitara. Tarikh,3(2), 5-21. ing (PE) expertise and one focusing on Environ- diversity surveys, conservation planning, social ment, Life Sciences and Biodiversity (ELSB). The and cultural impact assessment and mitigation, Winterbottom, B and G. Eilu. 2006. Uganda Biodi- six visiting faculty are Norah Mutekanga (ELSB) and examination of the influence of foreign in- versity and Tropical Forest Assessment. Prepared and Titus Watmon (PE) from Kyambogo Univer- vestment on natural resource governance struc- for USAID, International Resources Group (IRG), sity; Grace Birungi (ELSB) and Theodora Mondo tures. The Ugandan participating faculty and Washington, DC. (PE) from Mbarara University of Science and Tech- institutions are eager to development of new re- nology; and Hillary Kasedde (PE) and co-author search collaborations and engage both TAMU and Patrick Byakagaba (ELSB) from Makerere Univer- Ugandan students in these projects. The Professo- sity. The PE faculty will take two classes in the riate Program can open up both a new geography Thomas E. Lacher, Jr., Professor Department of Petroleum Engineering and one and new conservation research questions for the Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, biodiversity related class in Wildlife and Fisher- ABS Program. Texas A&M University ies Sciences or Ecosystem Science and Manage- ment, and the ELSB faculty will do the reverse. There is oil under the savannas of Murchison Falls Patrick Byakagaba Patrick Byakagaba meeting with the community (above, credit: Patrick National Park, one of the jewels of the Ugandan pro- Byakagaba). Author, right, with Sadic Waswa (left) and Robert Kityo Department of Environmental Management, The USAID EMOS Project is a 4-year investment tected area system, that many people want taken (center) on field trip during workshop (credit Thomas E. Lacher, Jr.) Makerere University

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