By Joseph Oduha | August 3, 2019
South Sudan authorities have announced a campaign to boost foreign investment in the oil industry’s environmental protection systems, with this especially applying to those taken to reverse the contamination of local communities’ water and land.
This campaign is being impelled by the government’s awareness of the prevalence of environmental pollution in the oil regions, and of the local populace’s outcry about it, reports Agow Daniel, South Sudan’s minister of petroleum.
“We hear what the people are saying about the environment. We are going to enact a comprehensive environmental policy that is capable of safeguarding the environment.”
The policy will be implemented via service providers who will bid for an international tender to do such.
The minister added that the tender was in line with the ministry’s policy to promote transparency in the oil sector.
Agow Daniel adds: “One key part of our campaign is learning from companies and countries that have a track record on environmental and community protection that is better than South Sudan’s.”
The minister’s statements followed his government’s confirmation that more than half a million people have been displaced by the pollution while another 600,000 are at risk of death.
Activists slammed Juba for not taking remedial action against the oil companies who caused the pollution.
Those in the list include Malaysia’s Petronas and China National Petroleum Company (CNPC).
