Oil, gas, wildlife, and communities: Capacity building to mitigate conflict in Uganda

Abstract

Several companies have drilled exploratory wells to assess the production potential, including wells inside Uganda's national parks. In addition, the region is home to a number of traditional peoples and several Community Wildlife Areas, and there is the potential for significant social and cultural impacts in the districts within and adjacent to the primary zones of exploration. Oil and gas is a new opportunity and challenge for Uganda, and there is little current infrastructure to train either petroleum engineers or specialists in the environmental and social impact assessments associated with this new industry. The challenge currently facing Uganda is to develop educational training programs to build capacity within the country to mitigate these threats to biodiversity, natural systems, and local and traditional communities.