• Ensuring that oil and gas policies are in harmony with policies for the development and utilization of forest resources, wildlife and tourism.
109
In collaboration with other policies also supports measures against improper
discharge of waste into the natural environment (air, water, land) to ensure safety
of animal, fish and human life.
The policy also states the need to minimize the impact footprint in ecologically
sensitive sites such as wildlife conservation areas.
For example access roads in such areas should be kept at a minimum and their
construction or maintenance should be done in an environmentally responsible
manner.
110
The policy also empowers different institutions to put in place disaster preparedness and response mechanisms for any oil spills in the Albertine Graben, storage
facilities and any transportation corridors.
111 The policy further endorses the polluter
pays principle through placing responsibility on the licensee to avail mechanisms
plus strategies to curb oil spills. In this case the government’s role is to design
mechanisms of levying penalties for environmental pollution and/or degradation.
112
5 Conclusion
This chapter reveals that the developments in the Albertine Graben have an impact
on the land, several challenges such as oil spillages and waste disposal have been
raised as likely impacts to the environment and land. Due to pollution, heavy toxic
metals are introduced to the land and later affecting vegetation and plants. It is
obviously crucial that laws and environmental policies are improved to protect the
Albertine Graben from degradation effects of oil industrial activities. It is also
imperative that Environmental guidelines, laws and standards for the petroleum
industry in Uganda place liability on the spiller and that the spiller should be
responsible for all clean-ups and restoration to the original status of the environment.
5.1 Recommendations
To control oil spills, different measures have been adopted by some of the oil
producing countries such as Nigeria where sabotage was criminalized with very
109 Section 7.2.6.1 NOGP.
110 Section 6.2 NOGP.
111 Section 6.2 NOGP.
112 Section 6.2 NOGP.
96
W. Kassim
109
In collaboration with other policies also supports measures against improper
discharge of waste into the natural environment (air, water, land) to ensure safety
of animal, fish and human life.
The policy also states the need to minimize the impact footprint in ecologically
sensitive sites such as wildlife conservation areas.
For example access roads in such areas should be kept at a minimum and their
construction or maintenance should be done in an environmentally responsible
manner.
110
The policy also empowers different institutions to put in place disaster preparedness and response mechanisms for any oil spills in the Albertine Graben, storage
facilities and any transportation corridors.
111 The policy further endorses the polluter
pays principle through placing responsibility on the licensee to avail mechanisms
plus strategies to curb oil spills. In this case the government’s role is to design
mechanisms of levying penalties for environmental pollution and/or degradation.
112
5 Conclusion
This chapter reveals that the developments in the Albertine Graben have an impact
on the land, several challenges such as oil spillages and waste disposal have been
raised as likely impacts to the environment and land. Due to pollution, heavy toxic
metals are introduced to the land and later affecting vegetation and plants. It is
obviously crucial that laws and environmental policies are improved to protect the
Albertine Graben from degradation effects of oil industrial activities. It is also
imperative that Environmental guidelines, laws and standards for the petroleum
industry in Uganda place liability on the spiller and that the spiller should be
responsible for all clean-ups and restoration to the original status of the environment.
5.1 Recommendations
To control oil spills, different measures have been adopted by some of the oil
producing countries such as Nigeria where sabotage was criminalized with very
109 Section 7.2.6.1 NOGP.
110 Section 6.2 NOGP.
111 Section 6.2 NOGP.
112 Section 6.2 NOGP.
96
W. Kassim