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Oil for Development
© : © Global Warming Images / WWF

Limiting negative impacts of oil and gas development on nature and people

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

As Kenya strode into the 21st Century, she faced fresh opportunities brought about by renewed oil exploration, with promising outcomes. However, those opportunities brought along immense challenges that critically need to be addressed. It is extremely important to ensure that financial resources arising from oil extraction benefit local people. An equitable amount of those resources also needs to go towards reducing negative impacts on the local community and the biodiversity they heavily depend on. Ideally, oil exploration and exploitation safeguards should be developed and mainstreamed into law. Together with various partners,

© WWF-Kenya
WHAT IS WWF-KENYA DOING?

 
The oil for development project aims to promote environmental protection in the petroleum sector. WWF Kenya has been supporting the Kenya Oil and Gas Working Group (KOGWG), a national platform that is advocating for sustainable development and good governance of the oil and gas sector in Kenya. KOGWG was formed in 2009 through a resolution made during the first national civil society meeting on Oil and Gas development provides a platform for constructive stakeholder and community engagement as well as facilitates knowledge sharing and policy dialogue in oil and gas development. KOGWG membership comprise of 57 CBOs, 36 NGOs as well as networks and individual totaling to 720 members.

The major petroleum development activities underway currently are the Lokichar Lamu crude oil pipeline and foundation stage development in Turkana.  WWF Kenya and the KOGWG have been facilitating knowledge sharing and learning, trainings and convening joint position papers. KOGWG is also the focal point for the government’s capacity building program (KEPTAP) and makes sure that training opportunities are widely shared with organisations both inside and outside of the network.  Through the project, other networks have been established such as Pate Oil and Gas Working Group in Lamu and Nyakach Oil and Gas Working Group in Kisumu.

Kenya Oil and Gas Activity Reporting and Monitoring Platform