Venezuela's oil leaks, gas flaring continues to devastate environment, despite pledges of remedy: Report
livemint.comReuters report also notes that the result of the Latin American country's economic crisis is evident in the environmental damages. An economic crisis has resulted in lower investment and staffing, thereby failing on the promises of clean up for oil spill and control of gas flaring. Experts have also cited the US sanctions on Venezuela for the damages on the environment.
Residents and environmentalists are denouncing what they say are ever-worsening spills and pollution in Lake Maracaibo and increased gas flaring in Monagas, affecting human health, wildlife and ecosystems, the report read. This comes even as PDVSA aims to boost production this year. According to earlier reports, Venezuela's President had in July 2023 promised a ‘clean up’ in Lake Maracaibo.
He had said that the ‘oil overflows’ would be cleaned up and that the government also has long-term plans to capture gas in the eastern state of Monagas. Reportedly, PDVSA had also joined hands with the environment ministry pledging to plant five million cashew trees in oil spill areas to control the damage. Notably, in July this year , PDVSA published a report on its website detailing some 11,492 spills in the year 2017, but the document was hastily removed, Reuters reported.
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