A recent report reveals that oil exploration activities in Murchison Falls National Park pose significant risks to wildlife and vegetation, including habitat loss, reduced food availability, and increased sediment run-off into water bodies.
The report, titled “Murchison Falls National Park Is Dying,” highlights the devastating impact of oil and gas exploitation, climate change, and poaching on the park’s ecosystem.
The report notes that the construction of well pads and supporting infrastructure has led to increased pressure on vulnerable species, and the paved roads built to support the Tilenga oil project have exposed wildlife to poaching, accidents, and pollution.
The report warns that if urgent action is not taken, the park’s biodiversity, including endangered species like elephants, could be lost.
The Africa Institute For Energy Governance (AFIEGO) published the report, calling for immediate action to address the severe impacts of oil activities, climate change, and poaching on the park’s ecosystem.
The report assessed the risks presented by oil rigs, well pads, oil roads, and the Victoria Nile Pipeline Crossing, which could affect the Murchison Falls-Albert Delta Ramsar site.
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda responded, stating that the country has taken steps to ensure sustainable oil and gas development through robust policies and legal frameworks.
However, critics argue that the government’s decision to allow oil exploration in the park will lead to environmental degradation and violate people’s rights.
However, Ali Ssekatawa, the Director Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda says that Uganda has taken decisive steps to ensure that oil and gas development proceeds sustainably robust policies and legal frameworks, such as the National Oil and Gas Policy, National Environment Act, 2019, and the Wildlife Act, 2019 to safeguard conservation and tourism interests alongside resource exploitation.
“To sustainably manage the oil and gas developments, a suite of environment monitoring tools have been established, and are under implementation.
These include the Albertine Graben Environment Monitoring Plan, the Environmental Sensitivity Atlas for the Albertine Graben, Operational Guidelines for Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in Wildlife Protected Areas, National Guidelines for Biodiversity and Social Offsets, and the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan,” he writes in an article titled ‘Balancing Oil Development And Conservation In Uganda’s Albertine Graben.’
By adopting Improved Technology and Innovative Methods, Ssekatawa says that technological advancements and innovative methods have been employed to minimize the environmental footprint of oil and gas operations.
“Comprehensive habitat mapping and species-specific surveys have been conducted to understand the ecological characteristics of the Albertine Graben.
Studies on animal ranging behaviour, stress levels, and population dynamics for species such as the African lion, African elephant, spotted hyena, reedbuck, hartebeest, Uganda Kob and vultures provide critical data.
This information informs project designs and helps develop effective mitigation measures, establishing benchmarks for evaluating ecological changes during oil and gas development,” he adds.
According to the Article, from 2019 to 2023, surveys revealed no significant changes in habitat utilisation, animal behaviour, or stress levels. Studies between 2022 and 2023 on lion and hyena populations in Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) indicated steady population growth, with no shifts in territorial ranges.
“Wildlife camera traps around well pads confirmed stable lion prides and hyena clans. Studies on elephants also showed that oil exploration activities have had minimal effects on the ranging patterns of elephants, as elephant range size did not differ significantly during the period of oil exploration compared with subsequent years with no exploration,” the article adds.