If the news that the Democratic Republic of Congo have rejected a bid for oil exploration is correct and the decision stands, we may now be witnessing an overdue turning of the tide when it comes to nations determining their own respective environmental futures. We’ve already witnessed examples such as Greenland demanding a security deposit to offset the cost of any environmental cleanups when it comes to oil exploration along the shores of the island and this news from Central Africa shows that environmental departments within governments are weighing up the potential risk of oil procurement and deciding the economic benefits fail to make the environmental pitfalls worthwhile.

The UK firm Soco International had put forward a bit to perform environmental assessments that would precede searching for oil within the Democratic Republic of Congo, most significantly the land in question includes parts of the country’s Virunga National Park which is famous for being one of the few remaining habitats of the mountain gorilla. According to a press release by the countries Environment Minister Jose Endundo he had elected to reject the proposed environmental assessment from Soco. This followed continuing pressures from environmental groups who stated that oil exploration in the area could seriously damage the fragile ecosystem of the park. It’s an especially sensitive location as the national park is home to more than a quarter of the remaining 700 mountain gorillas on earth, in addition the location is already on the United Nations list of World Heritage sites considered to be in danger.

Protecting the habitat for the endangered mountain gorilla helped shape the decision

Virunga therefore is a special example of environmental protection concerns reaching the significance they deserve but it would be encouraging if all governments were to take deeper examination before signing contracts that leave areas permanently scarred and the environment at risk. The situation in what was formerly known as the Congo is even more brittle due to political unrest coupled with many factions realizing that mineral resources in the country provide the equivalent of a bounty for whichever group seizes control of the region.

Enduno stated that in the wake of his decision the government would now move ahead with conducting its own environmental assessment pertaining to oil exploration in Virunga but also throughout the border region with Uganda which is considered to be potentially oil-rich. He is already under fire from other politicians in the country who feel that the potential for oil industry growth in the country would bring huge economic benefits that are deeply needed. Soco may be appealing the decision but have announced that oil exploration will continue on the neighbouring side of the border in Uganda.