Buliisa | August 17, 2025
TotalEnergies Uganda says it is stepping up efforts to conserve biodiversity even as oil and gas activities expand inside Murchison Falls National Park.
During a media tour across Bunyoro, Richard Olwa, the company’s biodiversity monitor, told journalists that protecting the park’s fragile ecosystem is a key part of their Environmental and Social Impact Assessment plan.
Olwa said TotalEnergies is taking measures such as restoring drilling sites, minimizing noise, protecting breeding areas, and burying oil pipelines to avoid stressing wildlife.
▶️ : Olwa on biodiversity – English
Meanwhile, Alex Atukwase, an environment monitor with the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, also emphasized that environmental protection remains a top priority as oil projects progress.
Atukwase dismissed reports linking elephant invasions in Buliisa District to drilling activities in the park, calling the claims baseless.
▶️ : Atukwase on environment – English
Both officials stressed that oil development and conservation can go hand in hand if strict environmental safeguards are followed.
