Q&A:
GERALD
OWACHI
INTERFACEZINE: Briefly tell us what the SHBS project is in relation to TOTAL E&P Uganda and Tullow Oil Operations
GERALD OWACHI
t’s a global requirement for the extractives sector –in which the Oil and Gas sector falls-- to carry
out a series of studies to inform each critical stage from exploration to production. These studies are normally designed to give these sector players a good understanding of the areas in which they plan to or are operating in. The basic idea is that the operation of the Oil and Gas sector should not negatively impact on the lives, livelihoods and generally the wellbeing of the people located in the areas in which the sector operates. While some activities might inevitably have a negative impact on the community it is required that the sector actors develop mechanisms to mitigate such undesirable impact.
The above can only happen on the back of a detailed study to understand the current state of things (baseline) across the areas covered by the project. This detailed understanding is what the SHBS was designed to provide. The process was focused on a detailed analysis and understanding of a broad spectrum of issues that affect daily lives including health, education, livelihoods, household food and economic security, governance structures, and the like.
The SHBS is one of many studies being carried out; others include Environmental Impact and Social Assessment (ESIA) studies. Collecting all these studies helps to provide a baseline upon which to measure the positive and negative impacts of the activities of the Oil and Gas sector overtime. In earlier times, oil companies would often carry out activities and then measure the impact of their footprint almost retroactively.
Times have now changed and there are very strict national and international criteria that need to be followed by the sector. For instance, new international bodies like the IFC set standards that have to be followed in the planning and implementation of projects or activities that could have significant impact on a given population. Similarly, there is now a mandatory requirement for large projects like this to carry out social economic and environmental impact assessments before they commence.
The SHBS will inform production phase which is going to be the next phase in the oil extraction process. It will paint a picture and provide analysis of the potential interaction between the activities of the production phase and the community across different levels including livelihoods, governance, social dynamics and economic issues over time.
This study is being carried out by a bunch of specialists across different fields including health, land, governance and the dominant livelihoods there like agriculture and animal husbandry. The study will flag potential risks but will also suggest mitigation to those risks.
Izine: What is Interface's role in the project? Tell us more about the team that was forged to handle the assignment.
GO: Interface is working jointly with Artelia Eau & Environnement, and has fielded 80% of the specialists across the different specialties. Before the field work the team had engagement sessions to agree data collection tools and analytical frameworks. For 21 days the team was deployed in Buliisa and Nwoya to collect primary data. We are working on the analysis of the data and trying to piece together a coherent baseline story that will be presented to TOTAL and Tullow.
The report is structured in a way that the team component borrows from the report structure. There are different work streams that include; land and natural resources, health, tourism and community profiling among others. All the different work streams or strands interact with each other on different levels.
I
Informing the Oil Production Phase