{"id":4281,"date":"2016-01-21T20:14:21","date_gmt":"2016-01-21T20:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/?p=4281"},"modified":"2017-01-26T09:47:02","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T09:47:02","slug":"environmentalist-caution-licensing-of-exploration-in-virunga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/environmentalist-caution-licensing-of-exploration-in-virunga\/","title":{"rendered":"Environmentalist Caution Uganda’s Licensing of Exploration in Virunga National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over 60 environmental and tourism groups called for UNESCO and the governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to reach a deal to stop new oil drilling licences from being awarded in Virunga National Park and the surrounding area.<\/p>\n

Groups, including Global Witness, Greenpeace and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), are warning that a new \"1st<\/a>oil licence, for which the Ugandan government is currently inviting six bids, could have a devastating impact on the UNESCO World Heritage Site including endangering species of some of the world\u2019s last remaining mountain gorillas.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrilling for oil in Lake Edward may have a devastating impact on both Virunga and the local people and wildlife in Uganda, Oil activity in one part of the lake will affect all of it \u2013 the wildlife who call the lake home aren\u2019t aware of these national borders. There are also over 200,000 people who are dependent on Lake Edward for food. UNESCO and the governments of Uganda and Congo need to act urgently to stop oil exploration in the entire lake for good,\u201d said George Boden, a Senior Campaigner at Global Witness and a spokesperson for the group.<\/p>\n

The groups are also calling attention to the potential damage to Uganda\u2019s growing tourism sector with exploration in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, which forms part of the oil block in question and which is responsible for a third of all visits to Uganda\u2019s national parks.<\/p>\n

\u201cDrilling in this area is bad for the environment and bad for business. It may cause irreparable damage to one of Uganda\u2019s key tourist attractions and to Uganda\u2019s growing tourism sector. Given the global downturn in oil prices Uganda should protect other growing areas of our economy. Lake Edward could be worth a lot more to both countries as an area of outstanding natural beauty,\u201d said Onesmus Mugyenyi, the Deputy Executive Director at ACODE (Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment) Uganda.<\/p>\n

Exploration on and in the environs of the Virunga National Park has been a bond of contention with Soco International\u2019s seismic<\/a> testing for oil on the Congolese side of Lake Edward prompting widespread local opposition and an international outcry.<\/p>\n

Soco has since committed to no further involvement in its oil block in Virunga and announced in November 2015 that it no longer owns t<\/a>he block\u2019s licence.<\/p>\n

The Congolese government has not commented publicly on the future of oil block 5, which covers Virunga National Park, since Soco\u2019s announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlobal Witness and other NGOs are concerned that the Congolese government may seek to re-draw the boundaries of the World Heritage Site in Virunga in order to allow for drilling in this oil block,\u201d the environmentalist organisations said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Among groups against the exploration include:\u00a0Action des Chr\u00e9tiens Activistes des Droits de l’Homme \u00e0 Shabunda (ACADHOSHA ) DRC, Action Coalition for Climate Change, Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE), Advocates for Natural Resource Governance and Development (ANARDE), Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), African Wildlife Foundation, Association pour le d\u00e9veloppement des Initiatives paysannes (ASSODIP) \u2013 RDC, Australian Rainforest Conservation Society, Biosphere Expeditions, Bob Brown Foundation, Buliisa Initiative for Rural Development Organisation (BIRUDO), Civic Response On Environment & Development (CRED), CJDH-RDC, Community Development and Conservation Agency (CODECA), Conservation Action Trust, CREDDHO, Earthworks, Ecological Christian Organisation\u00a0 (ECO Uganda), eCountability, Elephants Alive, EST, Fauna & Flora International, FECOPEILE, Gaia Foundation, Global Rights Alert, Global Witness, Greenpeace, Greenwatch, IDPE, Jeunesse du Monde R\u00e9publique D\u00e9mocratique du Congo, Lake Albert Biodiversity Conservation Alert\u00a0 (LABCA)\u00a0, Matoke Tours, Mid-western region Centre for\u00a0Democracy & human rights (MICOUD), Mutanda Lake Resort, Nature Uganda, New Eden Christian Foundation, New Progressive Alliance, Pro-Biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda (PROBICOU), Publish What You Pay \u2013 Uganda (PWYP-U),Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest Foundation Norway, Rainforest Foundation UK, RCGW, Real Agency for Community Development(RACD), Road Free, Save the Elephants, Save Virunga, Save Virunga Team,SEA DRC, SORADEC, South Western Institute for Policy & Advocacy (SOWIPA), SVAN, Synchronicity Earth, The Wild Foundation, Transparency International Uganda, Union D’etude Pour La Conservation De La Nature (UECN), UFAREP, Voluntary\u00a0Initiative Support Organisation (VISO), Water Governance Institute, World Heritage International and Zevin Asset Management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over 60 environmental and tourism groups called for UNESCO and the governments of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to reach a deal to stop new oil drilling licences … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":4282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[7,11],"tags":[3958,3957,3955,3959,3960,3961,3962,3963,3964,3965,3966,3967,3968,3969,3970,504,3971,3972,3973,3974,3975,3976,775,3977,3978,3979,3980,3981,1022,3953,3982,3983,3984,3985,1367,3986,3987,3988,3989,3990,3991,3992,3993,3994,3995,3996,3997,3998,3999,4000,4001,4002,4003,2339,2340,4004,4005,4006,4007,4008,3956,4009,4011,2603,2628,4010,2677,4012,4013,4014,3870,4015,3954],"class_list":["post-4281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oil-politics","category-top-news","tag-action-coalition-for-climate-change","tag-action-des-chretiens-activistes-des-droits-de-lhomme-a-shabunda-acadhosha-drc","tag-advocates-coalition-for-development-and-environment","tag-advocates-coalition-for-development-and-environment-acode","tag-advocates-for-natural-resource-governance-and-development-anarde","tag-africa-institute-for-energy-governance-afiego","tag-african-wildlife-foundation","tag-association-pour-le-developpement-des-initiatives-paysannes-assodip-rdc","tag-australian-rainforest-conservation-society","tag-biosphere-expeditions","tag-bob-brown-foundation","tag-buliisa-initiative-for-rural-development-organisation-birudo","tag-civic-response-on-environment-development-cred","tag-cjdh-rdc","tag-community-development-and-conservation-agency-codeca","tag-congo","tag-conservation-action-trust","tag-creddho","tag-earthworks","tag-ecological-christian-organisation-eco-uganda","tag-ecountability","tag-elephants-alive","tag-environment","tag-est","tag-fauna-flora-international","tag-fecopeile","tag-gaia-foundation","tag-global-rights-alert","tag-global-witness","tag-greenpeace","tag-greenwatch","tag-idpe","tag-jeunesse-du-monde-republique-democratique-du-congo","tag-lake-albert-biodiversity-conservation-alert-labca","tag-lake-edward","tag-matoke-tours","tag-mid-western-region-centre-for-democracy-human-rights-micoud","tag-mutanda-lake-resort","tag-nature-uganda","tag-new-eden-christian-foundation","tag-new-progressive-alliance","tag-pro-biodiversity-conservationists-in-uganda-probicou","tag-publish-what-you-pay-uganda-pwyp-u","tag-rainforest-action-network","tag-rainforest-foundation-norway","tag-rainforest-foundation-uk","tag-rcgw","tag-real-agency-for-community-developmentracd","tag-road-free","tag-save-the-elephants","tag-save-virunga","tag-save-virunga-team","tag-sea-drc","tag-soco-international","tag-soco-international-plc","tag-soradec","tag-south-western-institute-for-policy-advocacy-sowipa","tag-svan","tag-synchronicity-earth","tag-the-wild-foundation","tag-tourism","tag-transparency-international-uganda","tag-ufarep","tag-uganda","tag-unesco","tag-union-detude-pour-la-conservation-de-la-nature-uecn","tag-virunga-national-park","tag-voluntary-initiative-support-organisation-viso","tag-water-governance-institute","tag-world-heritage-international","tag-world-heritage-sites","tag-zevin-asset-management","tag-zoological-society-of-london","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Map_of_region_no_oil_gyser_xg00YaB.width-1280.png?fit=1128%2C635&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5JWkQ-173","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1194,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/soco-international-wwf-reach-deal-on-controversial-virunga-national-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":4281,"position":0},"title":"SOCO International, WWF reach deal on controversial Virunga National Park","author":"Samuel Kamau Mbote","date":"June 11, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"SOCO International plc (SOCO) has agreed with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in a joint statement to commit not to undertake or commission any exploratory or other drilling within Virunga National Park unless UNESCO and the DRC government agree that such activities are not incompatible with its World Heritage status.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Oil Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Oil Politics","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/oil-politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/virunga_fb_02.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1052,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/soco-to-complete-seismic-in-controversial-drcs-virunga-park-by-june\/","url_meta":{"origin":4281,"position":1},"title":"Soco to complete seismic in Controversial DRC\u2019s Virunga Park by June","author":"Samuel Kamau Mbote","date":"May 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Soco international will complete the ongoing lake bed seismic survey on Lake Edward on Block V by the end of this quarter according to the latest update by the company. Soco international says the seismic survey represents the Company\u2019s final operational activity onsite Block V under its current work programme\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Oil Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Oil Politics","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/oil-politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/virunga_fb_02.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":925,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/soco-set-to-begin-seismic-testing-in-controversial-congos-virunga-park\/","url_meta":{"origin":4281,"position":2},"title":"Soco set to begin seismic testing in controversial Congo’s Virunga Park","author":"Samuel Kamau Mbote","date":"April 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Soco International will start seismic tests in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Edward amid widespread protests by environmentalists who are against exploration at the Virunga park home to the endangered mountain Gorillas and a world heritage site. According to one of Soco\u2019s managers in Congo Roger Cagle seismic testing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Oil Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Oil Politics","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/oil-politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/virunga_fb_02.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1224,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wwf-celebrates-victory-over-soco-international-in-drc\/","url_meta":{"origin":4281,"position":3},"title":"WWF celebrates victory over SOCO International in DRC","author":"Samuel Kamau Mbote","date":"June 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Statement from WWF WWF celebrates a major victory in protecting Virunga National Park today. Soco International PLC, the London-based multinational oil company, announced that it would end controversial oil exploration inside Virunga. More than 750,000 global activists joined WWF\u2019s campaign that called on Soco to leave Virunga, Africa\u2019s oldest national\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Oil Politics"","block_context":{"text":"Oil Politics","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/oil-politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/virunga_fb_02.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":530,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/progress-claimed-in-bid-to-stop-congo-oil-drilling\/","url_meta":{"origin":4281,"position":4},"title":"Progress claimed in bid to stop Congo oil drilling in Virunga National Park by SOCO International","author":"Samuel Kamau Mbote","date":"February 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"[twitter-follow screen_name='oilnewskenya'] GENEVA (AP) \u2014\u00a0An environmental organization said Friday it is making progress in its bid to block a proposal to dig for oil in a national park in Africa where 200 gorillas live. Switzerland-based\u00a0WWF\u00a0said the British government was backing some of the concerns raised by the organization over the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News by others"","block_context":{"text":"News by others","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/news-by-others\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/virunga_fb_02.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4289,"url":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/environmentalists-calls-for-end-to-oil-exploration-in-virunga-increase\/","url_meta":{"origin":4281,"position":5},"title":"Environmentalists Calls For End to Oil Exploration in Virunga Increase","author":"","date":"January 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"60 environmental protection groups have signed a moratorium dubbed Global Mobilization for Protection of UNESCO World Heritage against Oil: Save\u00a0Virunga \u00a0calling for a halt to all oil activities in the wider Virunga area. In a joint statement the groups under the name Virunga Alliance called on UNESCO and the governments\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Top News"","block_context":{"text":"Top News","link":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/category\/top-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/virunga.jpg?fit=1196%2C751&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/virunga.jpg?fit=1196%2C751&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/virunga.jpg?fit=1196%2C751&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/virunga.jpg?fit=1196%2C751&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/virunga.jpg?fit=1196%2C751&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4281"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4285,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4281\/revisions\/4285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oilnewskenya.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}