Addressing air pollution through oil and gas

Uganda will host the 10th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition (EAPCE) from May 9 to 11 at the Kampala Serena Hotel. The conference will bring together more than 1,000 delegates from all over the world and showcase the potential for oil and gas exploration and exploitation in East Africa.

The theme of the conference is ‘East Africa as a hub for investment in exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources for sustainable energy and socioeconomic development’. East Africa is rich in untapped petroleum opportunities, including the Albertine Graben in Uganda, the Kenya Tertiary Rift Basin, the Tanzania Selous Basin, the Lake Kivu area, and Akagera National Park in Rwanda, to name a few. The conference will provide investors with the chance to explore these opportunities.

In the current climate where Western activists, who claim to be environmentalists, are opposing investment in African oil and gas, this conference is a crucial platform to promote the development of the sector. Despite the global demand for oil increasing, there is a growing awareness of the need to ensure energy security worldwide. Therefore, it is essential for the region to continue hosting conferences like this to display its capacity and geology, and explain the benefits of investing in East African oil and gas.

Energy security in East Africa is crucial, as the population in the region is growing faster than the global rate. Globally, the world population is growing at approximately 1.2 percent per annum while in East Africa we are growing at 2.8 percent which is more than double the global population growth rate. Our people need cleaner and safer cooking fuels if we are to protect this pristine environment. In Uganda 90 percent of us use charcoal and firewood for cooking. In Tanzania it is more than 95 percent of the population that use charcoal. The Alliance for Science has estimated that “In sub-Saharan Africa, almost 490,000 premature deaths per year are related to household air pollution, with women and children the worst affected”. Charcoal and firewood are the primary cooking fuels used in the region, leading to high rates of deforestation and air pollution. The conference will push for cleaner and safer cooking fuels.

According to recent estimates, Tanzania has the highest rate of deforestation in the world, with approximately 483,859 hectares of forest ecosystem lost annually to charcoal production. Uganda also experiences a high level of natural forest loss, with an average annual loss of 2 percent, which is one of the highest rates globally, as stated in the 2019 Uganda Water and Environment Sector Performance Report.  In Kenya, the Forestry Services estimates that more than 50,000 hectares of forest are lost each year due to deforestation, resulting in a forest cover loss of 1.13 percent. Biomass burning is a significant contributor to carbon pollution, and without action, the region’s greenhouse gas emissions will likely increase.

It’s important to resist those who oppose Uganda’s oil project, which will produce Liquefied Petroleum gas, as it can help reduce our reliance on charcoal, even if only modestly. Tanzania possesses some of the world’s largest gas reserves, and their development has the potential to be a game-changer for the entire region. There are plans to develop a reverse gas pipeline to Uganda and a gas pipeline to Kenya, which could have significant positive impacts.

Opposition to East African oil and gas projects by Western poverty conservationists masquerading as environmentalists must be resisted. The region needs to develop its petroleum resources to reduce reliance on charcoal and firewood and promote energy security. Conferences like EAPCE will bring investment and seriousness to the conversation and help move the region towards sustainable energy and socioeconomic development.

With the growing need for energy security and the challenges posed by high deforestation rates and air pollution from biomass burning, it’s essential for East Africa to explore and exploit its petroleum resources.

The writer is an advocate and partner at Kampala Associated Advocates

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