TITLE:
The Mitigation Strategies for Managing the Potential Environmental Risks Posed by Oil and Gas Development on Mangrove Ecosystems in the Coastal Communities
AUTHORS:
Collin Augustus Henry, Thomas B. Singh, Temitope D. Timothy Oyedotun
KEYWORDS:
Enforcement, Monitoring, Oil Spill, Policy, Regulation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.11 No.5,
May
31,
2023
ABSTRACT: Guyana is an oil-producing country vulnerable to potential
oil spills and the environmental risks posed by oil and gas exploration and production
activities. Despite the technologically advanced equipment employed by ExxonMobil
Guyana and affiliates, an oil spill could occur due to accidents,
equipment failures, or sabotages. The selected
coastal communities as the study areas in Region 1 and Region 2 could be
adversely affected, particularly the mangrove ecosystems. Potential oil spill pollution
will adversely impact mangrove ecosystems in Region 1 and Region 2. Mangroves offer
significant benefits to coastal communities, such as coastal defence and carbon
sequestration, which puts Guyana on the world map. The research aimed to investigate
the mitigation strategies to manage the potential
environmental risks on mangrove ecosystems in the coastal communities of
Region 1 and Region 2. It followed a qualitative approach and conducted semi-structured
interviews with the Toshaos of the selected coastal
communities. The data analysis strategy was thematic analysis using the Nvivo
software. The major themes included legal and policy frameworks, oil spill response
strategies, community-based involvement, and monitoring and enforcement of regulations.
The significant results included reviewing and updating the regulatory framework
for mangrove management and conservation; oil spills mitigation measures such as
containment and shoreline protection and cleanup, cost recovery and compensation,
and limited monitoring and law enforcement of mangrove management and conservation
regulations by inter-agencies. The regulatory and institutional framework is outdated
and needs to be amended. The agencies overseeing
mangrove management and conservation have overlapping responsibilities and require
more coordination. There should be greater collaboration among agencies for mangrove
management and conservation and improved monitoring and enforcement programmes through
institutional support.