EFFECTS OF OIL AND GAS EXPLOITATION ON THE INHABITANTS OF UNITY STATE AND THE RUWENG ADMINISTRATIVE AREA, SOUTH SUDAN
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This article examined the environmental, health, socioeconomic, and security effects of oil and gas exploitation on the inhabitants of Unity State and the Ruweng Administrative Area and situates these effects within the broader resource curse literature and South Sudan's petroleum governance architecture.
Statement of the problem: Unity State and the neighboring Ruweng Administrative Area lie above much of South Sudan's proven petroleum reserves. Despite more than two decades of near-continuous extraction, residents of these regions report deteriorating water and soil quality, rising rates of birth defects and livestock deaths, chronic underinvestment in basic services, and recurrent violent conflict linked to competition over oilfield infrastructure and revenue.
Methodology: The article draws on investigative reporting, advocacy documentation, government and donor reports, and academic literature to synthesize evidence on the environmental, health, socioeconomic, and security effects of oil and gas exploitation in the two areas.
Results of the study: The reviewed evidence indicates environmental contamination, reported health harms, limited local development benefits, and recurrent insecurity, while weak implementation of the Petroleum Act of 2012 and the Petroleum Revenue Management Act of 2013 has constrained accountability and effective benefit sharing.
Conclusion: In the absence of enforceable environmental regulation, transparent and timely revenue sharing, and genuine community consultation, oil wealth continues to function as a source of harm rather than a driver of development for populations living closest to extraction sites.
Recommendations: The study recommends stronger environmental oversight, transparent revenue transfers, genuine community consultation, and improved accountability by the Government of South Sudan, joint operating companies, and development partners.
Keywords: Oil pollution, Unity State, Ruweng Administrative Area, South Sudan, resource curse, petroleum governance
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