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Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Natural radiation from space can interfere with measuring radioactivity in scientific samples. The IAEA built an underground lab to minimize this interference and allow precise measurements. In Monaco, heavily-shielded detectors check for tiny amounts of radioactivity in marine samples collected globally, helping countries assess their marine environments.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Jordan: Advancing SMR-Powered Desalination
Jordan, where 75 per cent of the land is classified as arid desert, is taking significant steps toward nuclear desalination. The government is exploring Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), compact reactors that could power desalination plants. In 2023, an IAEA team evaluated Jordan’s studies on using SMRs to provide drinking water from the Red Sea to Amman, where water demand is rising.
“Desalination is considered the primary source of fresh water in Jordan to fulfil the expected demand and reduce the supply-demand deficit,” says Khalid Khasawneh, Commissioner for Nuclear Power Reactors at the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC). “It offers competitive prices for fresh water to end consumers, in comparison with imported energy sources.”
Saudi Arabia: The Desalination Leader Exploring Nuclear
Saudi Arabia, already the world’s largest desalinated water producer, began exploring the use of nuclear energy for desalination in the late 1970s. As part of its strategy to move from an oil-based economy toward a diversified power production, the country is now considering nuclear plants to achieve its net zero ambitions and meet its long-term water needs.
According to the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), “the Kingdom is planning a sustainable energy mix that includes atomic energy to meet the energy needs of the Kingdom to produce electricity, desalinated water and thermal energy,” which aims to reduce reliance on hydrocarbons and support economic growth.
Egypt: Nuclear Power and Water Strategy
Egypt is also integrating nuclear technology into its water strategy. With the country’s first nuclear power plant, El-Dabaa, under construction, discussions are underway about pairing nuclear energy with desalination in coastal regions. According to the Egyptian State Information Service: “Nuclear energy contributes to enhancing energy security and achieving environmental balance and water security.” As “nuclear facilities can supply the energy required for desalination plants to produce potable water.”
Kuwait: Exploring Nuclear Desalination for Sustainable Water Solutions
Kuwait, which depends heavily on seawater desalination to meet its freshwater needs, is increasingly turning to nuclear technologies to find more sustainable solutions for water and the environment. “Kuwait is facing the effect of climate change, ocean acidification, pollution from the oil and shipping industry, power and desalination activities,” said Nader Al-Awadi, the Executive Commissioner for International Cooperation at the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR). In line with its efforts to address these environmental challenges, Kuwait has also established a large-scale facility to carry out research on ocean acidification, aiming to further understand the impacts of changing ocean conditions on marine ecosystems, which are directly tied to the effectiveness of desalination technologies.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
“This conference provides a unique platform to bring together stakeholders from across the EPR community to discuss best practices, future trends and new technologies to enhance emergency preparedness,” said Carlos Torres Vidal, Director of the IAEA Incident and Emergency Centre, which is organizing the event. “By fostering international cooperation and sharing insights, we aim to help countries bolster their emergency response capabilities in a rapidly changing world.”
“Saudi Arabia is privileged to host this significant conference, organized by the IAEA, as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness nationally, regionally, and globally. Over the years, we have worked closely with the IAEA to advance capabilities and foster international cooperation in this vital field,” said Khalid Aleissa, Chief Executive Officer of the NRRC.
“Through this conference, we aim to provide a platform for experts and decision-makers from all organizations involved in emergency response to collaborate, exchange insights, and shape the future of nuclear emergency preparedness and response, ensuring readiness for the challenges of an evolving world,” he added.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
(Graphic: P. Gregory/IAEA)
The deadline to submit abstracts for scientific posters for the IAEA’s International Conference on Radiation Protection in Medicine — X Ray Vision to be hosted in Vienna, Austria from 8 t0 12 December 2025, has been extended to 30 May 2025.
The conference, co-sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, will extend on the achievements of previous IAEA conferences on the topic held in 2012 and 2017 focusing on the radiation protection and safety of patients and health professionals undergoing or using radiation to diagnose and treat health conditions.
The latest research shows that about 4.2 billion medical radiological examinations are performed each year, and this number continues to grow: for example, more computed tomography (CT) scanners are being installed in clinics around the world to replace conventional X ray procedures, while in nuclear medicine therapy, there is increasing use of radionuclides for treating metastatic cancer cells. In addition, an estimated 6.2 million courses of radiation therapy treatment are performed each year. New medical radiation technology and procedures continue to be developed.
“The conference will review significant global developments in the radiation protection of patients and health professionals taking into account current trends and advances in medical radiation technology and procedures,” said Hildegarde Vandenhove, Director of the IAEA Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety.
“By bringing together experts in the field we aim to identify future challenges and opportunities so that we can all benefit from the latest technologies in the safest possible way,” added Vandenhove.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Rizk’s journey in radiation protection and dosimetry started in 2005 when, after completing her master’s degree in Material Science and Electronic Components in 2004, she was offered the job of Technical Manager at the Individual Monitoring Laboratory at the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission.
There she oversaw the safe occupational radiation exposure of more than 6000 workers across over 400 healthcare facilities, industrial companies and research centres.
“It is important to know what dosimetry is and its importance,” Rizk says, explaining that “it is the measurement and calculation of the radiation dose absorbed by the human body or other devices or objects. It is crucial in fields like radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy to ensure safe and effective use of radiation.”
She also achieved ISO accreditation for the Lebanese laboratory — the first of its kind in the Middle East — setting a new benchmark of standards and quality for radiation protection of occupationally exposed workers in the region.
“Chadia’s efforts have made a lasting impact, consistently raising standards and enhancing practices in the field,” said Director General of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, Bilal Nsouli, and Rizk’s former professor during her Master’s degree.
In 2007, her collaboration with the IAEA began, initially as a fellow and later as a counterpart in four projects under the technical cooperation programme. Rizk worked with the IAEA on individual monitoring and regulatory compliance to improve occupational radiation protection in Lebanon in line with the IAEA International Basic Safety Standards.
“Despite limited resources, she remained steadfast in her commitment to providing dosimetry services according to international standards and her passion for radiation protection research has always stood out,” reflects Filip Vanhavere, Radiation Protection Research Coordinator at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre who worked with Rizk on an IAEA mission to the Lebanese laboratory.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Ukrainian engineers and construction workers are carrying out temporary repairs of the Chornobyl site’s New Safe Confinement (NSC) that was severely damaged in a drone attack earlier this year, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.
The drone strike on 14 February pierced a big hole through the roof of the large confinement structure built to prevent any radioactive release from the reactor destroyed in the 1986 accident and protect it from external hazards. It took several weeks to completely extinguish the fires and smouldering caused by this strike.
The IAEA team based at the Chornobyl plant in northern Ukraine visited the NSC in recent days to discuss ongoing efforts by the site to assess the building’s structural integrity following the attack almost three months ago and to observe repairs of the inner and outer cladding to prevent water ingress.
“Immediately after the drone strike Ukrainian emergency personnel rushed to contain and eventually put out the fires. The site is now focusing its efforts on assessing the full extent of the damage while also carrying out short-term repairs. It is clear that the confinement structure – constructed at huge expense and with major international support – suffered extensive damage,” Director General Grossi said.
The Director General reiterated, however, that there has not been any radioactive release as a result of the damage, and that the NSC is able to continue to perform its protective function.
At Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), the IAEA team has continued to hear explosions in the distance every day over the past week, a constant reminder of the potential dangers facing nuclear safety and security.
The IAEA team has conducted walkdowns across the site to observe site activities, visiting all Emergency Control Rooms of the six reactors, the safety systems of unit 4, and the two fresh fuel storage facilities.
At Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants (NPPs) – Khmelnytskyy, Rivne and South Ukraine – three of their total of nine reactors remained shutdown for maintenance and refuelling outages.
At the South Ukraine NPP, the IAEA team reported about many air raid alarms over the past week. The team was informed by the site that six drones were detected at a distance of 1.5 km from the plant in the night of 25 April, coinciding with the sound of military activity that appeared to be coming from an attempt to shoot them down.
At the Khmelnytskyy NPP, the IAEA team members were required to shelter on the morning of 30 April due to an air raid alert.
As part of the IAEA’s medical assistance programme for Ukraine, 200 boxes of influenza medication were delivered to the National Research Centre for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine (NRCRM), funded by Japan.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
IAEA and South African G20 Presidency side event on the role of nuclear power and the clean energy transitions, in Cape Town. (Photo: B. Carpinelli/IAEA)
For the second year in a row, the IAEA has been invited to collaborate with the G20 on work related to nuclear power. The cooperation with the G20 (Group of Twenty) resumed under the presidency of South Africa at meetings this week in Cape Town, kicking off with a side event hosted by the IAEA and South Africa on the role of nuclear energy in clean energy transitions, as one of the technology dialogues that the presidency is featuring throughout the yearlong process.
Building on its first-ever collaboration on nuclear power with the G20 in 2024 under the presidency of Brazil, the IAEA engagement this year will include publications tailored to inform the group on topics such as the prospects for nuclear power in Africa and repurposing coal-fired plants with nuclear power such as small modular reactors (SMRs), as well as participation in the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy, set for 23-26 September.
“At a time when energy access and security of supply are issues of global concern, the role of nuclear energy in low carbon, resilient and affordable energy systems remains indispensable,” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. “Continuing the work that the IAEA began under the presidency of Brazil, we are now looking forward to working with South Africa.”
The first African country to assume the G20 presidency, South Africa is pursuing an Africa-wide approach emphasizing energy security, a just and inclusive clean energy transition and regional energy cooperation. While South Africa remains the only country on the continent to have nuclear power and aims to expand its programme, several African countries have expressed interest in or are embarking its introduction. Egypt is building four large reactors, and other countries such as Ghana and Kenya are working with the IAEA to establish the necessary infrastructure for a nuclear power programme, with a particular interest in SMRs.
The side event opened with special remarks from Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity and Energy of South Africa. Delegates from the G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) attended the event, which discussed the state of nuclear power in South Africa as well as the IAEA’s outlook on nuclear power and a description of the upcoming publications that the IAEA will publish as part of its G20 collaboration this year. A session on nuclear power project financing issues followed, with panellists from the IAEA, the International Energy Agency, France and South Africa discussing ways to unlock financing for nuclear power projects and pave the way for faster deployment.
“In the wake of the world aiming to reach net zero by 2050, there has been a return to realism where it is globally accepted that nuclear technology has a huge role to play in the energy mix as a key source to ensure countries achieve their energy security, energy sovereignty, and energy justice in the transition,” said Minster Ramokgopa. “The expansion of the nuclear programme gives South Africa energy security and sovereignty that enables the country to move its economy into a digital era, engage in new research frontiers and take its rightful place amongst leading nations.”
Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa delivering his opening remarks at the nuclear energy side event hosted by the IAEA and South Africa during the G20 ETWG meetings. (Photo: B. Carpinelli/IAEA)
During the event, delegates from G20 members and invited countries delivered remarks from the floor and offered their national perspectives.
“Italy is working to relaunch the use of sustainable nuclear energy, in its net zero emissions path by 2050. We have created the National Platform for Sustainable Nuclear involving R&D centres and industrial capabilities and nowadays our Government is strongly committed to work on enabling a favourable legislative and regulatory framework aimed at promoting the use of safe and innovative nuclear at the national level, including small modular reactors and Generation IV advanced modular reactors,” said Alberto Pela, Head of Delegation and Senior Advisor on International activities at the Department of Energy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy.
The United Arab Emirates, an invited country, recently began operating four large nuclear power reactors.
“In the UAE, nuclear energy is more than a power source — it’s a cornerstone of our clean, safe, and sustainable energy future,” said Nawal Yousif Alhanaee, Director of the Future Energy Department at the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. “With the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant meeting up to 25 per cent of our electricity needs, we affirm our commitment to a carbon-free tomorrow powered by peaceful and reliable nuclear technology.”
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the IAEA speak to the media on non-proliferation and nuclear weapons at a stakeout after a private meeting of the UN Security Council on 28 April 2025 in New York.
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
Scientific visits to the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco are a key part of harmonizing analytical protocols. (Photo: E. McDonald/ IAEA)
The IAEA training also helps to harmonize data collection methods, so that data collected in the Galapagos is comparable to data gathered by monitoring programs around the world which helps to develop policy measures.
“Worldwide, NUTEC Plastics partners and members of its Global Marine Monitoring Network are working in a wide variety of marine and coastal environments, so monitoring protocols will vary accordingly,” said Carlos Alonso-Hernandez, an IAEA research scientist and technical officer for NUTEC. “Harmonizing these protocols enables us to compare data globally, which gives countries the whole picture of microplastic pollution.”
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA
IAEA Director General Grossi met with World Bank President Ayaj Banga during his three-day visit to Washington DC. (Photo: D. Candano/IAEA)
“To achieve sustainable development and prosperity, the world needs an abundance of clean, reliable and sustainable energy,” Director General Grossi said.
With World Bank President Banga, Director General Grossi shared the IAEA’s perspective on nuclear energy and said the IAEA stands ready, upon request, to provide technical support to MDBs, particularly on nuclear infrastructure development including nuclear safety, security and safeguards.
The World Bank and other MDBs currently do not contribute financing to nuclear power new build projects, although some MDBs have provided lending for upgrades to existing nuclear power reactors or their decommissioning.
Director General Grossi said that financing nuclear power would better align MDBs with the “new global consensus” forged at COP28 in Dubai, where the world called for accelerating the deployment of nuclear power along with other zero emission energy technologies to achieve deep and rapid decarbonization.
In addition, the Director General spoke at two high-profile think-tank events organised by the Council on Foreign Relations and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace respectively, answering questions on Iran’s nuclear programme, North Korea’s nuclear activities, the renewed worldwide momentum for nuclear energy and other current issues.