Abstract
Over the course of more than half a century, oil companies have worked in Libya without serious concern for the impacts of their activities on communities living in or in close proximity to concession areas. The impact of oil development presents a compelling paradigm of larger international challenge: maintaining a balance between a source for economic growth and the human right to live in a sustainable housing milieu. It is hoped that this paper will contribute to a more complete understanding of the dangers of oil production activities on surrounding settlements, natural environment and future quality of human and natural life. It will try to highlight the overall importance of promoting a strategy for sustainable economic and spatial development.