While South Sudan is endowed with 3.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, the exploitation of this natural wealth is turning into a  catastrophe for some local communities, particularly in Melut County.  Through focus group discussions, individual interviews, and field  observations, the authors found the following: Many households in Paloch, Melut County, are in close proximity to oil wells and facilities, and within a short distance of a large lake of toxic produced water, exposing…