Role of Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Development
The many contributions of nuclear technology to sustainable development and alleviating environmental pressures were underlined by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr. Hans Blix, at the International Seminar on the Role of Nuclear Energy for Sustainable Development in New Delhi, India, on 8 September 1997.
Dr. Blix pointed to the well known role of the IAEA in facilitating the use of nuclear power and in strengthening safety in the operations of nuclear facilities and in waste management. Verifying that nuclear installations subject to IAEA safeguards are not used for military purposes is another high visibility and mandatory activity. But the IAEA is also much concerned with the development of nuclear science - including fusion - and with a host of nuclear applications.
The Director General said that India had developed a strong indigenous capacity in the field of nuclear power and made a broad based effort to bring the wide range of nuclear technologies into daily use in the cause of sustainable development. "I am confident that in the years to come - as in the forty years that have passed - India will continue to benefit from its very active participation in the IAEA and in turn others within the IAEA will benefit from the Indian nuclear experience."
"I appreciate that so many Indian scientists and engineers have contributed to the work of the Agency as experts and as staff members and that India has actively participated in the Agency's interregional and regional training courses and in activities under the Asia-Pacific Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (RCA), as well as in a broad cross-section of IAEA regular programmes."
Dr. Blix noted that nuclear power is now generating about 17% of the world's electricity - a little less than all the world's hydropower. The nuclear power option has long been pursued in India and it is attracting increasing attention in several countries of East and South East Asia. It could help this energy hungry region to avoid dependence for all its energy on fossil fuels. It could also alleviate environmental pressures associated with the increase in energy demand due to the rapid industrialization and urbanization. "Nuclear power avoids not only local environmental pollution. Perhaps even more important, an expanded use of nuclear generated electricity would offer to reduce the burden of greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2, and thereby help to counter the risk of climate change. "
Concerning nuclear safety, Dr. Blix noted that preventive action was vital. He strongly commended the fullest use of peer review - a process which not only benefits the country requesting the review, but also has benefits for those countries providing the experts. Isolation of nuclear activities clearly puts safety at risk. He said the IAEA was ready to respond positively to a recent request for an international peer review of India's new 500 MW reactor design, particularly with reference to safety aspects.