LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ON DECOMMISSIONING OF UPSTREAM PETROLEUM INSTALLATIONS AND PROTECTION OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS IN TANZANIA

Abstract

This article examines the effectiveness of Tanzania'slegislative and institutional framework governingdecommissioning of petroleum projects in protectingmarine ecosystems. The data used in this article werecollected using semi-structured interviews and contentanalysis of laws, reports, and academic works. The findingsshow that Tanzania's legal and institutional frameworks areinadequate and ineffective in addressing decommissioningas a whole. The article unveils that the law and practice inTanzania lack effective mechanisms to ensure thatdecommissioning in petroleum projects results in positiveoutcomes for the protection of marine ecosystems. Thelegal regime imposes no mandatory obligation to the licenseholder to conduct an assessment to guide on the choice ofdecommissioning alternative. The article, therefore,suggests reform in the legal regime governingdecommissioning of petroleum projects with a specialfocus on the protection of marine ecosystems.