Tanzania and Malawi may still be disputing the boundaries on Lake Malawi, but this month Malawi’s Environmental Affairs Department, under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Management, will be holding public hearings on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) presented by Surestream Petroleum, prepared by RPS Group, on seismic operations for the exploration of oil in the Lake. Surestream Petroleum was awarded exploration licences for two blocks (total of 20,000 square kilometres) on Lake Malawi in 2011.

Watch Surestream Petroleum’s promotional video about exploring Lake Malawi for oil and the ESIA: http://www.surestream-petroleum.com/video-3.htm

As announced in the press this week, the public is invited to review the ESIA, as outlined in the Environment Management Act (1996), and to submit their comments to the Environmental Affairs Department by 12 February 2014 prior to the government’s decision to stop or give the go ahead to Surestream’s exploration activities.

Copies of the ESIA reports are displayed at

• Karonga – Office of the District Commissioner, Karonga District Council
• Rumphi – Office of the District Commissioner, Rumphi District Council
• Mzuzu – Office of the Chief Executive, Mzuzu City Council
• Nkhatabay – Office of the District Commissioner, Nkhatabay District Council
• Nkhotakota – Office of the District Commissioner, Nkhotakota District Council
• Lilongwe – Office of the District Commissioner and National Library Service
• Blantyre – Office of the District Commissioner, Blantyre District Council

Following the disclosure of the report at these venues, hearing will be held to allow the general public to provide their views on the ESIA report:

• Karonga – Hotel Taj, 20 January 2014, 9am
• Rumphi – Country Annex Hotel, 21 January 2014, 9am
• Mzuzu – Mzuzu Hotel, 22 January 2014, 9am
• Nkhatabay – District Chamber, 23 January 2014, 9am
• Nkhotakota – DHO Teaching Unit, 24 January 2014, 9am
• Lilongwe – Capital Hotel, 27 January 2014, 9am
• Blantyre – Sunbird Mount Soche, 29 January 2014, 9am

If you have further enquiries, the general public can contact:

• Environmental Affairs Department – Catherine Musa – 0999 346 466 or Bryson Msiska – 0993 010 344
• Surestream Petroleum – Caroline Mpingasa – 0994 250 407 or 01 774 407
• RPS Group: Gen Wingrave [email protected] (for an electronic copy of the ESIA)