Affecting factors on the Iraqi Marshlands as a World Heritage

Transcription

1 International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) Affecting factors on the Iraqi Marshlands as a World Heritage Ryuichi FUKUHARA UNEP-DTIE-IETC CBD COP10 Side Event: Current status of the biological diversity in Iraq 22 OCT 2010

2 UNEP-UNESCO Joint Initiative on the Iraqi Marshlands Cultural and Natural resources management of the Iraqi Marshlands utilizing the World Heritage Nomination process as a tool To ensure sustainable development of the Iraqi Marshlands, reflecting the Outstanding Universal Values of its historical, cultural, environmental, hydrological, and socio-economic characteristics of the area, in particular utilizing the World Heritage (WH) inscription process as a tool to develop and implement a management framework Budget: 3.11M USD funded by Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea from

3 Biodiversity as the central value of the Iraqi Marshlands Natural: Aesthetic values (criterion vii) Natural: Ecological processes (criterion ix) BIODIVERSITY (criterion x) Cultural: Resource base of Ma adan culture (criterion v, ) Resource base of marsh inhabitants 3

4 Factors affecting on the biological diversity of the Iraqi Marshlands? Short-term: Continued developments in upstream areas (Iraq, Syria and Turkey) min or 2 hours Short-Mid term: Oil developments in the Marshlands areas min 4 Long-term: Forecasted decrease of precipitation in the headwater regions of the Tigris and Euphrates due to global climate change min International Environmental Technology Centre 4

5 Factors affecting on the biological diversity of the Iraqi Marshlands = the whole life of the Iraqi Marshlands? Short-term: Continued developments in upstream areas (Iraq, Syria and Turkey) min or 2 hours Short-Mid term: Oil developments in the Marshlands areas min 5 Long-term: Forecasted decrease of precipitation in the headwater regions of the Tigris and Euphrates due to global climate change min International Environmental Technology Centre 5

6 Water Demand in Iraq as of 2010 Drinking water : 3.78 BCM Industrial water : 2.72 BCM Irrigation water : BCM Evaporation from Reservoirs : 8.4 BCM Marshes : 19.6 BCM Total : 76.5 BCM Historical average of available water (Tigris and Euphrates) BCM (Source: Iraqi MoWR) 6 International Environmental Technology Centre 6

7 Continued upstream developments Dam construction and Irrigation projects are still under development in the upstream areas Only 4 BCM in the Tigris will be left by 2020 and no surplus in 2030 if all planned projects completed in the upstream 7 International Environmental Technology Centre 7

8 Schematic diminishing transboundary flow of the Euphrates 8

9 Recent oil development in the Marshlands area 9

10 Oil developments are imminent More than 90% of the gov t revenue depends on crude oil export Oil fields are auctioned to foreign oil companies in No strong legislation and mechanism for environmental protection against oil production International Environmental Technology Centre 10

11 Oil developments are imminent Petroleum extraction needs water of 5.9 litre to 23.5 litre to extract one barrel ( litre) Awarded oil companies are desperately looking for freshwater resources 11 Water injection project spearheaded by Exxon Mobile to bring water International Environmental Technology Centre 11

12 Article 31 of draft Iraqi Hydrocarbon Law A. In addition to carrying out their Operations in accordance with Good Oil Field Practices, INOC and other holders of Exploration and Production rights shall conduct Petroleum Operations in accordance with environmental and other applicable legislation of the Republic of Iraq to prevent pollution of air, lands and waters. They shall also conduct Petroleum Operations so as to comply with the environmental management standards of the ISO series, as amended. In general, they shall carry out Petroleum Operations in order to: 12

13 Article 31 of draft Iraqi Hydrocarbon Law 1. Ensure that there is no ecological damage or destruction caused by Petroleum Operations, but where unavoidable, ensure that measures for protection of the environment are in accordance with internationally acceptable standards. For this purpose, INOC and other holders of a right shall prepare and submit to the relevant authorities for approval an environmental impact assessment, including environmental impact mitigation measures, for each major operation in the Contract Area; 2. Notify the Ministry and other specified authorities immediately in the event of an emergency or accident affecting the environment; 3. Control the flow and prevent the escape or loss of Petroleum discovered or produced within the Contract Area; 4. Avoid damage to Petroleum Reservoirs; 5. Avoid destruction to land, the water table, trees, crops, buildings or other Infrastructure and goods; 13

14 Article 31 of draft Iraqi Hydrocarbon Law 6. Clean up the sites after the closure of Petroleum Operations and comply with the environmental resolution requirements; 7. Ensure the health and safety of personnel in the planning and conduct of Petroleum Operations, and take preventive measures if their physical safety would be at risk; 8. Report to the competent entity within the government on the amounts of operational and accidental discharge, leakage and waste resulting from Petroleum Operations, and 9. Provide compensation for damages to State and private property in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations. B- INOC and other holders of a right under this Law shall act in a secure and effective manner when conducting Petroleum Operations. In order to guarantee the disposal of polluted water and waste oil in accordance with approved methods, as well as the safe plugging of all boreholes and wells before these are abandoned. 14

15 Questions with regard to the Oil and Gas Law What are the measures for protection of the environment in accordance with internationally acceptable standards? What are the environmental and other applicable legislation of the Republic of Iraq to prevent pollution of air, lands and waters.? Who are responsible for assessing approval an environmental impact assessment, including environmental impact mitigation measures submitted by oil companies? 15

16 World Heritage and Oil development: Legal Basis The WH Convention is an international legal instrument designed to encourage countries to identify and protect cultural and natural heritage of global significance. Countries propose national sites to the intergovernmental World Heritage Committee for formal recognition as World Heritage. Only those sites that meet specific criteria may be inscribed onto the World Heritage list. 16

17 World Heritage and Oil development: Legal Basis By ratifying the WH Convention, countries commit, before the international community, to conserve World Heritage sites for the benefit of current and future generations. Countries are also engaging themselves not to knowingly harm WH sites in other countries (article 6.3). This might be used in regards to state companies involved in activities causing harm to WH sites in other countries (hydro-electric, oil & gas, mining) 17

18 History of How OIL & GAS are considered within WH sites Oil & Gas exploration and extraction, along with mining, were originally considered as generally incompatible with WH sites, though the policy was ad hoc, and based more on a case by case basis, as per the current paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines. In the past, some sites were inscribed in which minor amounts of oil & gas, and mining exploration activity had been taking place, or which included oil & gas exploration concessions (e.g. Belize Barrier Reef, Alejandro Von Humboldt National Park - Cuba) Several landmark cases involving mining and World Heritage in the late 1990 s (Kakadu National Park Australia; Yellowstone National Park USA and Doñana National Park Spain) led to a more systematic analysis regarding the relationship between mining, and World Heritage. 18

19 History of How OIL & GAS are considered within WH sites Over time, the position of the WH Committee became more unequivocal where oil & gas exploration and extraction, and mining, were considered incompatible at all times with WH sites. In 2003, both the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), which regroups over a dozen of the biggest mining companies of the world, and Royal Dutch Shell, made a commitment not to explore nor carry out activities within WH sites. From that point on, the policy adopted by the WH Committee is not to tolerate these activities within WH sites, under any circumstances. In 2007, the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman) became the first WH site ever to be removed from the WH list, largely because the government insisted on carrying out oil exploration work within the site s boundaries. 19

20 What kind of actions to be taken? Technical and institutional capacity building for environmental management for oil exploration and production Establish robust legislations to regulate and monitor the oil development activities. MEAs implementation will also provide the international legitimacy. Involve a wide range of stakeholders to advocate the values of the site 20

21 Institutional building for environmental management for oil development 21

22 OIL & GAS AND THE NOMINATION OF A SITE Local communities are an important component of long term WH site integrity. If these feel that they have a stake in the conservation of the site, they will be more supportive of policies restricting development options there. Similarly, other stakeholder groups should be consulted, and high level engagement reached, prior to finalizing a nomination file. This should include those government departments that may have a potential interest in the site (public works, natural resources, tourism, energy). Engaging the conservation NGO sector at the outset and giving them the opportunity to participate in the nomination process can also help develop long term buy-in and support for a site and result in valuable support. 22

23 Schematic for Global Circulation Model (GCM) To run a model, scientists divide the planet into a 3-dimensional grid, apply the basic equations, and evaluate the results. CO 2 Emission scenario Altitude Latitude longitude Maximum Medium low 23 23

24 Anomaly of annual mean precipitation between present and Too much water and too little water problem Ari d Are a Humid Area In Middle East and Central Asia In South & East Asia Source: Kito Akeo (JST/CREST) Decrease Increase 24

25 Future change in annual mean temperature and precipitation in the Middle East, projected by 60-km-grid MRI-AGCM (Meteorological Research Institute, Atmospheric General Circulation present future-present Model) temperature (degree) annual mean annual mean precipitation (mm/day) 25

26 International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) Shiga Office 1091 Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu City, Shiga , Japan Tel: Fax: Osaka Office Ryokuchi Koen, Tsurumi-ku, Osaka , Japan Tel: Fax: Web: