Uganda’s Oil development Could Aggravate Climate change

Fossil fuels are primarily coal, oil and natural gas, formed from the remains of dead plants and animals. They are non renewable sources of energy. Despite the current global slump in oil prices, government has gone ahead to invest in the production of its crude oil reserves with plans of implementation of projects including a 30,000 barrels per day refinery and a$6bn pipeline to enable the country produce  oil by 2018.Over the past couple of days, Ugandan officials have been huddling through marathon meeting between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as the neighbors scramble to be the main gate way of the country’s oil reserves.

However, as government seeks to turn today’s oil reserves into tomorrow’s fuels, it should be mindful of the fact that oil development could further lock us onto the path to irreversible climate changes and be prepared to deal with the consequences.  One of the most significant gases emitted when fossil fuels are burned, is carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the earth's atmosphere and is responsible for global warming. Moreover, oil development projects continue to rob locals of their land and livelihoods. In Hoima district, 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) piece of land was acquired by government to pave way for the oil refinery.Currently, government is in the process of acquiring 7 km² of land in Kiziramfumbi and Buhimba Sub County in Hoima district for the construction of an oil pipeline. Oil development projects continue to eat up land that locals depend on for their livelihoods

 The international agreement reached at the Paris climate conference COP21 last year indicates that governments everywhere have pledged to step up their efforts to reduce carbon emissions, by eliminating use of fossil fuels to address the current climate crisis and keep global warming at bay. The recurrent heavy rainfall, floods such as kasese floods,hailstorms ,landslides and droughts are all manifestations of the changing climate in Uganda.

Government has made it clear that climate change and variability is a major threat to sustainable progress in the country. According to the country’s climate action plan, also known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Uganda commits to a 22 percent emission cuts on a business as usual basis by 2030 in a bid to mitigate and adapt to climate change and transit to a low-carbon climate-resilient economy.

 Government hopes to do this by increasing renewable energy deployment and achieve a total of at least 3,200 Mega Watts renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030.Government is yet to take meaningful action in fulfillment of these commitments.While we can only hope that  our leaders keep to their word . Let’s all pledge today to protect the planet for future generations by taking action individually to reduce the human causes of climate changes.

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