Oil And Gas Exploration Blocks In Kenya
WWF Kenya
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Abstract: This document provides an atlas view and a brief summary of all protected areas (PAs) and world heritage sites (WHS) in Kenya that may directly or indirectly be threatened by actualisation of oil and gas explorations across Kenyaâ??s landscape. The document does not dwell in detail on the environmental audit of such operations but rather considers simple spatial overlay analysis of oil blocks visa vie protected areas as an indicator of potential threat to biodiversity. Observations/ recommendation on management regimes as provided in table 1 and in different sections of the narrative were based on general qualitative assessment of potentially affected PAs or WHS and this was informed by: spatial analysis on extent of overlap and the corresponding number of PAs and WHS features affected; the IUCN category of such features and finally the ecosystem type in which these features fall i.e. marine or terrestrial. A total of sixteen (16) awarded oil exploration blocks in Kenya covering approximately 142,023 km2 registered at least 13.4 % overlaps on key biodiversity areas equivalent to 19,056 Km2 of Kenyaâ??s PAs and WHS. Spatial overlay results noted that while terrestrial PAs and WHS may not be highly impacted due to their extensive coverage inland,majority of marine PAs were wholly overlapped by the Oil exploration blocks thereby making them more susceptible in the event of unsustainable exploration process. Further this analysis pointed to retention of status quo for oil blocks 9A,L14A and L19A which are not awarded yet due to the extensive coverage of their overlaps on key protected areas