Uganda's oil discovery rattles conservationists

The discovery of oil in the rich biodiversity region of the Albertine is both a blessing and bane for Uganda. The Albertine region which stretches from the northern end of Lake Albert to the southern end of Lake Tanganyika is blessed with a great number of wildlife and bird species endemic to the region. It also straddles the countries around the western arm of the east African rift valley.
Its mountains and lakes are a watershed for clean fresh water for the surrounding communities and the those outside of the region.

It boasts the highest concentration of mammals, birds, reptiles and butterflies in the world. The regions most notable contribution has been foreign exchange through the promotion of eco tourism in its many protected areas. Some of the species to be found here include the endangered mountain gorillas offering mountain gorilla trekking , mountain monkeys, the golden monkey, rare butterflies, bird species, fish and numerous reptiles.

All this however, is bound to be destroyed with the discovery of oil if there's no thorough environmental impact analysis of the region. Not to mention the unsightly oil pipelines that will run through the region.

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) argues that, the discovery of oil in the region will most likely upset the conservation efforts they have put in place over the last 12 years. The landscape and scenery of the region will definitely be destroyed including the habitats of many the regions birds and wildlife which was already being threatened by human population explosion and encroachment.

The lure of petrol dollars and the worlds hungering for more fuel is definitely a great impetus for the government of Uganda. The minister of tourism argues that the development that will come with the drilling of oil will definitely improve the tourism industry rather than impact it negatively. He argues that the construction of hotels and road networks in the region will facilitate easy access of tourist to the protected areas.

However, when the oil wells run dry and there's no more oil to drill, what will we be left with? It is something that the government of Uganda and conservationist have to look into before any concrete steps can be taken.
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