Posted on October, 30 2019

The three public hearings were held in the districts Kakumiro, Mubende and Masaka Districts.

In their issues paper, WWF and the partners noted that while the ESIA report recognizes the potential loss of biodiversity along the pipeline Right of Way, the report rates the impacts as insignificant yet the pipeline traverses ecosystems of a common good including wetlands, forests, wells, and streams which have no compensation.

The paper also indicated that the ESIA report does not recognize the increase on the cost and standards of living due to the project development. Additionally, the same report did not take into consideration inter-district potential conflicts related to varying compensation rates, employment of non-natives among others.
 

WWF’s Extractives Manager, Ivan Amani added that the report generalized climatological data of the 10 EACOP Districts and cited project impact on climate but did not consider the implications of climate change on the development and operation of the EACOP project.

“As WWF, are excited that government committed to implement the National oil and gas policy 2008 which spells out protection of the environment during petroleum development. However,    the ESIA report generalized existing laws on biodiversity as opposed to quoting specific provisions of the law and other important pieces of legislations including the National Investment policy,  National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2015-2025), Physical Development Plan for the Albertine Graben among others”, he explained.

Minister of State for Minerals, Peter Lokeris, who graced the hearings   reasserted government’s commitment to having the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project delivered as planned.

“I know many of you had started thinking that the project has stalled but this public hearing should now take away all doubt since it is one of the pre-requisites to having the EACOP project delivered,” he said.

The EACOP project involves the development of the 1443km heated, buried crude oil pipeline from Hoima Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania. The pipeline will transverse 10 Districts in Uganda (Hoima, Kikuube, Kyankwanzi, Kakumiro, Gomba, Mubende, Lwengo, Sembabule, Kyotera and Rakai). The 24 inch-diameter pipeline will cover 296km in Uganda alone.