HUGE black drums stare at you like stranded elephants. You look at them. They stare back. These are the storage facilities for oil waste from oil sites in Western Uganda.
These drums receive dangerous waste dug out from over one thousand metre deep oil wells scattered across Hoima.
There are forty nine oil wells in Hoima and Arua district. Five of these wells are dry. In other words, there are no prospects of getting oil.
Two companies are involved in oil exploration here. Tullow is exploring oil in Hoima and Neptune in Arua.
Out of the forty four oil wells, thirty one are in the protected areas.
Environmentalists therefore are monitoring how oil exploration here will be done without destroying the environment.
“We are making sure no waste or solid waste is put away,” Aryamanya Mugisha the Executive Director of National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) said in Hoima during the trip to the oil wells recently.
According to Aryamanya a temporal storage facility has been put in place but a permanent centralized system will be constructed near a refinery.
“The location will be near the refinery. We want to move the waste outside people’s residences. We know what is in the waste.” Aryamanya Mugisha says.
Tullow has put a temporal waste storage facility in Nagassa 2 oil well near Lake Albert. Nema has asked Tullow to label the waste indicating composition and origin. According to Aryamanya Mugisha management of waste is the responsibility of the drilling company.
“Before we go to refining oil, these issues will have to be concluded.” Aryamanya said.
Environmentalists say that, part of the waste after being treated can be useful for road construction. However, it may not be used in areas near water bodies.
According to Aryamanya, there is also a study to explore how the waste will be useful in construction of airfield run ways.
“We have discouraged the use of waste in making bricks. We have refused the disposal of wastage anyhow. If we continue in this manner, I don’t think there will be a problem,” Aryamanya said.
As part of its plan to address oil waste, Nema recently sent a team of environmental experts to Texas to study waste management. It is part of this team that regularly ensures that oil companies comply with environmental regulations.
Even then, there are concerns how crude oil and waste will be transported from the scattered wells to the refinery without affecting the environment.
Aryamanya says there is a proposal to transport oil using pipes to a central refinery plant.
According to environmentalists five sights have been proposed for this purpose. Nakasongola district and Kaabale in Hoima district are some of the proposed sites.
Kaabale is proposed because it is easy to access water. It is also in the middle hence easy to access oil wells scattered across Hoima. Finally, the population is not big therefore less likely to affect people.
However, communities here are scared that powerful people are forcing them to sell their land at a cheaper rate.
“People are being threatened. The local leaders are telling people to sell their land and if they refuse they will be chased away. They are selling an acre of land at shs 400,000.” one local community member in Kaabale said.
In Kasemene drilling site in Bullisa district, people were told to move three hundred metres away from the oil well. Despite the fact that, they were compensated for damaged crops and property community members have come back near the oil wells.
“People are complaining that, why don’t you tell us to leave.” Dozith Abeinomugihsa petrolleum expert in the ministry of energy said.
Tullow Oil Cooperate Communications Manager, Cathy Adengo said, Tullow pays much attention on waste and environment.
“We are here not to destroy the environment but to build the nation,” Adengo told reporters in Arua.
A team of oil drillers in Kigogole oil site in Bullisa district said, they are committed to reducing waste by 70 percent and restoring environment to near its original position after oil exploration.
This view is not shared with some environmentalists.
“These people would not mind about waste. If you looked away, they would never pay attention in reducing waste. We have to pay close attention to their work.” one environmental official said on condition of anonymity.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Food secuirty: Will the late rains affect food production in Teso?
Okello lay under the verandah motionless and weak.
He had not eaten for the last two days. On the third day, neighbours donated an old blanket to keep his old tired bones warm, a plate of atap and boiled eboo to ignite hope in his stomach.
This was the plight of Okello, 81, an old man in Amuria district abandoned by relatives not because they hated him but they too had nothing to offer.
The neighbors said, the relatives too were starving and surviving on wild plants and dregs (adakai). Okello lay down helpless as if waiting for the day of reckoning as camera flaxes disturbed his already tired eyes.
This was 2009, when the famine was threatening households in Teso. The famine was a result of the long drought that destroyed most crops in the region.
At that time, local leaders were busy accusing each other for abandoning people and denying the existence of famine in the region.
As the situation worsened, president Museveni flew to Malera sub-county one of the hard hit regions in Bukedea district.
After meeting local leaders and inspecting gardens of communities, Museveni said government will not let people starve.
Government through the ministry of disaster preparedness quickly donated food items to most households. Even opposition political extremists agreed government had done something and local leaders for the first time cooled down and united against famine.
Today there are signs that, this might again repeat in the region. “The rains have stubbornly delayed,” said Okurut a local farmer from Bukedea.
“We prepared our gardens on time, but the rains have failed us. Even as the rains are coming back, we don’t think the harvest will be good,” he said.
Okurut is one of the many farmers in Teso, who had ploughed their gardens early in December 2010 with the hope that, in January, they would be able to sow millet and rice.
“We have been told the rains are returning for a short time. I hope, we shall be able to plant something,” Okurut says. He is not really optimistic.
Okurut said most farmers were affected by the prolonged drought hence ate up their seedlings.
“The drought forced many to eat up their seedlings. Now we have nothing,” Okurut said.
This has forced the prices of food crops to rise. A kilo of sorghum has risen to shs 1,000 from shs 300, maize to shs 700 from 150 a kilo and bag of groundnuts goes at shs 90,000 from 40,000.
“Now I can not even afford to buy a bag of sorghum for planting. I had ten bags of sorghum in 2010 and sold it at 20,000 each. If I had known the situation would be terrible, I would have waited, ” Amulen a local farmer in Serere said.
The prolonged drought left many springs dry in most parts in Teso. Swampy areas that were once water logged have dried up. Farmers, who attempted to plant rice in wetlands have lost.
The Environmental experts here say that, the effects of destroying wetlands are now affecting the water system in the region.
“The rains were common here in February every year but that is no more. We told farmers not to plough the wetlands. They did not listen. What we are experiencing are the effects of climatic change.” One environmental expert here said.
He added that, the situation can only be reversed, if the farmers listen to advise and desist from destroying wetlands.
Even as rains are expected to fall here heavily in April, there is fear famine will hit the region hard.
Local leaders here say farmers have not prepared the gardens early enough.
“Our people are used to planting very many crops at once. This means therefore that, they will attempt to grow many types of crops and fail to weed. We want to advise them to concentrate on few crops and manage well,” said one local leader.
The biggest challenges facing farmers in Teso is water, insecurity and funding.
One leader said the problem of water can be solved if irrigation system is put in place. There are quite enough water bodies like Awoja, Opeta and kyoga for that purpose.
Local leaders admit tapping water for irrigation has not been done here.
President Museveni while campaigning in Teso recently said, there is need to tap water for irrigation to help farmers in the region. It is not clear, whether the issue was captured in the National Agricultural Plan.
At least government solved the problem of insecurity. The Kony rebels who attempted to destabilize the region in 2003 are no more. The common cattle rustling in parts of Katakwi are slowly being weeded out.
Although government sent billions of shillings under Naads programmes, farmers are still not convinced how the funds were utilized.
Probably as Naads restructures its operations will farmers have hope in it.
“Iam moving around registering all household heads and their dependants to benefit from Naads programme,” said Amuriat local council chairperson in Bukedea, Tamula ward.
If the programme is well handled, Amuriat hopes that more than ten groups in his ward will benefit at least two bags of ground nut seeds.
Amuriat and his group are optimistic. He said nature is on their side. Adding that, their prosperity this time around will come from farming and famine will be history.
Indeed, history will judge whether they will prosper this time around amidst late rains and other challenges.
He had not eaten for the last two days. On the third day, neighbours donated an old blanket to keep his old tired bones warm, a plate of atap and boiled eboo to ignite hope in his stomach.
This was the plight of Okello, 81, an old man in Amuria district abandoned by relatives not because they hated him but they too had nothing to offer.
The neighbors said, the relatives too were starving and surviving on wild plants and dregs (adakai). Okello lay down helpless as if waiting for the day of reckoning as camera flaxes disturbed his already tired eyes.
This was 2009, when the famine was threatening households in Teso. The famine was a result of the long drought that destroyed most crops in the region.
At that time, local leaders were busy accusing each other for abandoning people and denying the existence of famine in the region.
As the situation worsened, president Museveni flew to Malera sub-county one of the hard hit regions in Bukedea district.
After meeting local leaders and inspecting gardens of communities, Museveni said government will not let people starve.
Government through the ministry of disaster preparedness quickly donated food items to most households. Even opposition political extremists agreed government had done something and local leaders for the first time cooled down and united against famine.
Today there are signs that, this might again repeat in the region. “The rains have stubbornly delayed,” said Okurut a local farmer from Bukedea.
“We prepared our gardens on time, but the rains have failed us. Even as the rains are coming back, we don’t think the harvest will be good,” he said.
Okurut is one of the many farmers in Teso, who had ploughed their gardens early in December 2010 with the hope that, in January, they would be able to sow millet and rice.
“We have been told the rains are returning for a short time. I hope, we shall be able to plant something,” Okurut says. He is not really optimistic.
Okurut said most farmers were affected by the prolonged drought hence ate up their seedlings.
“The drought forced many to eat up their seedlings. Now we have nothing,” Okurut said.
This has forced the prices of food crops to rise. A kilo of sorghum has risen to shs 1,000 from shs 300, maize to shs 700 from 150 a kilo and bag of groundnuts goes at shs 90,000 from 40,000.
“Now I can not even afford to buy a bag of sorghum for planting. I had ten bags of sorghum in 2010 and sold it at 20,000 each. If I had known the situation would be terrible, I would have waited, ” Amulen a local farmer in Serere said.
The prolonged drought left many springs dry in most parts in Teso. Swampy areas that were once water logged have dried up. Farmers, who attempted to plant rice in wetlands have lost.
The Environmental experts here say that, the effects of destroying wetlands are now affecting the water system in the region.
“The rains were common here in February every year but that is no more. We told farmers not to plough the wetlands. They did not listen. What we are experiencing are the effects of climatic change.” One environmental expert here said.
He added that, the situation can only be reversed, if the farmers listen to advise and desist from destroying wetlands.
Even as rains are expected to fall here heavily in April, there is fear famine will hit the region hard.
Local leaders here say farmers have not prepared the gardens early enough.
“Our people are used to planting very many crops at once. This means therefore that, they will attempt to grow many types of crops and fail to weed. We want to advise them to concentrate on few crops and manage well,” said one local leader.
The biggest challenges facing farmers in Teso is water, insecurity and funding.
One leader said the problem of water can be solved if irrigation system is put in place. There are quite enough water bodies like Awoja, Opeta and kyoga for that purpose.
Local leaders admit tapping water for irrigation has not been done here.
President Museveni while campaigning in Teso recently said, there is need to tap water for irrigation to help farmers in the region. It is not clear, whether the issue was captured in the National Agricultural Plan.
At least government solved the problem of insecurity. The Kony rebels who attempted to destabilize the region in 2003 are no more. The common cattle rustling in parts of Katakwi are slowly being weeded out.
Although government sent billions of shillings under Naads programmes, farmers are still not convinced how the funds were utilized.
Probably as Naads restructures its operations will farmers have hope in it.
“Iam moving around registering all household heads and their dependants to benefit from Naads programme,” said Amuriat local council chairperson in Bukedea, Tamula ward.
If the programme is well handled, Amuriat hopes that more than ten groups in his ward will benefit at least two bags of ground nut seeds.
Amuriat and his group are optimistic. He said nature is on their side. Adding that, their prosperity this time around will come from farming and famine will be history.
Indeed, history will judge whether they will prosper this time around amidst late rains and other challenges.
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