Uwa indigenous people opt for a future without oil

Defending their land is the priority of the Uwa people. Their ancestral territory covers approximately 14.000 square kilometers - an area half the size of Belgium. Today however, they possess only 14% of these lands. Currently there are two projects under development in the region that would affect the indigenous reserve. One of these is the Niscota Block, an oil extraction project extending more than 600 square kilometers. Plans are also underway to construct a pipeline. For the Uwa people, the fact that their territory contains rich oil deposits has been harmful and detrimental.