[6]Last week we launched a new report, Governance and livelihoods in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben [6].
The report measures the degree and quality of change in the livelihoods of the communities where oil exploration is taking place in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine Graben.
It argues that while Uganda’s oil bills, policies and laws have increasingly taken on a national outlook, particularly regarding the demand for greater transparency and accountability, consultation at the local government and community levels appears to have been limited.
Some communities therefore remain sceptical about the impact that oil exploration will have on their lives – economically, socially and culturally.
The report makes recommendations for:
- increased transparency of oil contracts and licences
- increased transparency in the management of an eventual Uganda oil fund
- stronger provisions for rapid responses to environmental damage
- the development of a comprehensive and evidence-based programme to strengthen vocational skills training
- strengthening the capacities of local governments to address oil- and gas-related matters
- engagement of cultural and religious institutions in mechanisms to resolve land-related conflicts
- improved collaboration between oil companies and communities
To find out more about this research, read the report in full here. [6]