FROM RESERVES TO RISKS: UNDERSTANDING THE HARZARDS OF FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCY IN UGANDA.

What are fossil fuels?

Fossil fuels are crucial energy sources formed from the decomposition of buried carbon-based organisms that died millions of years ago. They create carbon-rich deposits that are extracted and burned for energy. They are non-renewable and currently supply around 80% of the world’s energy. Among their uses area; making plastic, steel, and a huge range of other products. There are three types of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and gas.

In the pursuit of energy sources, Uganda, like many states, has tapped into its reserves of fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels can be found in the Albertine Graben region of Uganda. However, their withdrawal and use bring about considerable dangers such as environmental degradation, air and water pollution, and health problems for local communities.

Benefits of the fossil fuel industry in Uganda

Accessibility and Dependability of Energy: Fossil fuels offer a steady and dependable energy source. This is critical to Uganda's economic development since stable energy supplies are necessary for households, companies, and industries to operate effectively. Fossil fuels are a significant source of electricity generation in Uganda. They fuel thermal power plants that make major contributions to the nation's grid, guaranteeing a steady supply of electricity for private residences, commercial buildings, and public utilities.

Industrial Development: Fossil fuels are frequently used to power machinery and equipment in industries including manufacturing, mining, and agriculture. This boosts economic productivity and promotes industrial progress.

How big is the impact of fossil fuels on climate change and global warming?

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. In 2018, 89% of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels and industry. Coal as a fossil fuel is the most dangerous of all of them, responsible for over 0.3C of the 1C increase in global average temperatures.

Oil releases a large amount of carbon when burned—approximately a third of the world’s total carbon emissions. Natural gas is usually preferred as a cleaner energy source than coal and oil; however, it is still a fossil fuel and is responsible for a fifth of the world’s total carbon emissions.

When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, leading to global warming. Already, the average global temperature has increased by 1 °C. Warming above 1.5C risks further sea level rise, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and species extinction, as well as food scarcity, increasing heath, and poverty for millions of people worldwide.

Statistics from the United Nations show that fossil fuels account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. According to Knoema, Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in Uganda increased from 1,304 million metric tons in 2001 to 5,675 million metric tons in 2020, growing at an average annual rate of 8.33%. Uganda is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, ranking 14th of 182 countries and 163rd among ready countries in the 2019 ND-GAIN Index, or the Notre Dam Global Adaptation Index.

According to Dr. Christine Naggawa, a lecturer at Makerere University’s School of Forestry, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences, the consensus in global climate science circles is that conventional energy sources or fossil fuels, such as oil, are the primary cause of global warming and climate change.

Dorothy Abalo, an environmental scientist, says that high fossil fuel emissions are possibly the reason African leaders demanded a carbon tax on them at the recently concluded Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi. Abalo further states that environmental scientists owe it to Ugandans to explain what the use of fossil fuels will mean for Uganda’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 24.7% by 2030.

The risks posed by fossil fuels are not merely abstract concepts but tangible threats to Uganda’s ecosystems and its people’s well-being. Environmentalists, policymakers, and the global community point fingers at the fossil fuel industry and regulatory gaps for these pitfalls. But blame alone won’t solve these issues. Tackling these uncertainties requires a multifaceted approach: stringent regulation, investments in renewable energy, and enhanced public awareness.

Health implications

The consequences of indoor air pollution as a result of the use of fossil fuel energy include respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, endocrine abnormalities, and pregnancy-related complications. Exposure to these factors doubles the risk for poor health outcomes, predominantly among women and children in rural communities, as they are directly involved in household activities.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 3.8 million people die annually from premature illnesses attributable to household air pollution caused by the inefficient use of solid fuels and kerosene for cooking. These illnesses include pneumonia, stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.

Climate change and global warming

When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in our atmosphere, leading to global warming. Already, the average global temperature has increased by 1 °C. Warming above 1.5 oC risks further sea level rise, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and species extinction, as well as food scarcity, increasing heath, and poverty for millions of people worldwide.

What can be done?

According to Global Rights Alert, the government should encourage more innovations that spearhead the energy transition. For instance, in December 2021, the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) rolled out the cooking tariff plan, which was a deliberate strategy to shift away from charcoal to electricity (Electricity Regulatory Authority, 2021).

According to Global Rights Alert, the government should ensure that there is adequate stakeholder participation when it comes to developing future policies on the energy transition. This is significant because it ensures that Uganda designs approaches that are workable within the country’s socio-economic context. This promotes communal ownership and support for the energy operations developed.

According to Global Rights Alert, the government should encourage local design and manufacture of appropriate technologies to aid in the energy transition. This can be done by providing incentives for local producers.

According to Global Rights Alert, service providers should provide affordable avenues through which individuals can pay for clean energy products, such as by entering into flexible and user-friendly agreements for payments. This is because low-income earners usually avoid lump payments, even if it means paying up to twice as much per unit of energy as bulk purchasing. (Leach, 1992)

The writer is a communication’s student at Uganda Christian University.