Unconventional and environmentally destructive oil resources are about to go global. Time is of the essence to ensure that the devastating effects on communities and the environment are put high on the political agenda. Tar sands and other unconventional oil deposits have been discovered or are already being exploited in Venezuela, Congo-Brazzaville, Russia, Jordan, Nigeria, Angola and Madagascar. We’ve been actively gathering facts on future tar sands developments, including a fact-finding mission to Madagascar.
Madagascar hosts one of the most biodiverse regions on earth, and is home to numerous indigenous communities, whose livelihoods are based on land that multinational oil companies such as Total, Madagascar oil and Sunpec, are targeting for exploitation of its tar sand oil deposits. FoEE extractive industries campaigner Darek Urbaniak met with local groups and representatives of civil society, to build a network for future cooperation and help ensure that local voices are heard at the European level.
