An Analysis of the Legal and Regulatory Framework for the Protection of Biodiversity From the Impact of the Upstream Petroleum Industry in Kenya

Abstract

The Petroleum industry is among the key drivers of economies in oil producing countries. With the discovery of commercially viable petroleum in Turkana County, Kenya is set to benefit majorly from exploitation of this natural resource. This ranges from social -economic growth to technical and infrastructural development. Kenya is home to a wide range of biological diversity. Specifically, Turkana County is well known for being home to the world’s largest dessert lake, Lake Turkana also known as Jade Lake. The county provides a hosts a wide variety of biodiversity. Despite the major benefits that will come with the upstream petroleum operations in Turkana, the same poses great risk to loss of biodiversity in the country. This is attributed to pollution from the exploration and production process. This paper seeks to evaluate the legal and regulatory framework that seeks to protect biodiversity from the impact of the upstream petroleum industry in Kenya.