Thirty-four Anglican bishops and three archbishops from across the world have signed a petition calling for an immediate halt to exploratory drilling in the Kavango Basin, Namibia.
The move comes after Canadian company ReconAfrica bought the rights to drill for oil in more than 35,000 square kilometres of the Kavango Basin, a World Heritage-listed and Ramsar Wetland Site that supplies water to the Okavango Delta. The region, which is protected under the protocol of the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission, is reportedly home to largest remaining population of African elephants and 400 species of birds and is a sanctuary for many other animals.
The petition, which was delivered to the Namibian Government and ReconAfrica in Vancouver, Canada, states that the exploration “violates San rights under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous people”.
“Unconventional oil and gas’ exploration and extraction will bring roads, heavy trucks, ribbon development and pollution,” the petition reads. It also expresses concern over the impact on groundwater in the region. “Water is a scarce and precious commodity in Namibia, the driest country south of the Sahara.”
The document says there has been an “inadequate public participation process” and “inadequate environmental impact assessment”.
“Drilling in the Kavango Basin will fracture its geological structure and destroy the water system that supports this unique ecosystem and wildlife sanctuary.”
Signatories include Bishop Luke Pato of Namibia, Archbishop Thabo Cecil Makgoba of Cape Town, Archbishop Julio Murray, chair of the Anglican communion environmental network, Canadian National Indigenous Archbishop Mark Macdonald, Bishop Kito Pikaahu, chair of Anglican Indigenous network, and Bishop Nicholas Roderick Holtam of Salisbury.
Bishop Luke Pato said the process had not been “an open one, with Namibians waking up to a mining venture that has already been signed and settled”.
“There are many questions to be answered.”
Rev Prof Dr Ioan Sauca, actiing general secretary of the WCC, said in a statement that “we cannot sacrifice the rights of indigenous communities and destroy God’s gift of creation for oil.”
“If we are to meet the international goal of halving emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, we must end our dependence on fossil fuels and transition to renewable energy systems now.”
A ReconAfrica spokesperson told South Africa’s Mail & Guardian last month that the company was not pursuing unconventional methods, including fracking.
