Nuclear energy: powering a peaceful, sustainable future

Misinformation hinders nuclear energy’s role in clean power, healthcare, and food security

Worldwide energy crises, pollution and the increasing gap in economic inequality are just few of the reasons that put nuclear energy in the eye of the storm. It can be either feared as one of the most hardcore elements of the past or accepted as the one that bears enormous potential of transformation. A Global Forum symposium organised by OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) at the University of Michigan late last year was a strong reminder that the future of nuclear technology will not be based on its use in warfare but rather on how different societies utilise it for peace, progress and sustainability.

The main takeaway from the symposium was that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is not simply an option, but a necessity. There is no question about the necessity to switch to clean energy sources. With climate change becoming even more pronounced, countries are required to reduce their carbon emissions without halting their progress. Nuclear energy, a victim of misunderstanding, is still one of the most stable and environmentally friendly sources of energy. In contrast to fossil fuels, nuclear power plants release almost no greenhouse gases, they are cleaner and almost carbon-free.

Such double benefits of nuclear power make it the bedrock of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are particular goals 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action). In addition to electricity generation, nuclear devices are becoming the agents of change in the field of healthcare, agriculture and water management – sectors that are mostly overlooked in developing countries. Radiation techniques are increasing crop yields and keeping food fresh; nuclear medicine is allowing early detection of diseases; and small modular reactors (SMRs) are pledging to bring the much-needed energy to far-flung areas.

The peaceful utilisation of nuclear energy can become the ground-breaking project for holistic progress and poverty alleviation in Pakistan where millions are still deprived of sufficient electricity and clean water. Pakistan's history of nuclear technology through Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) can be the poster child of how tightly regulated nuclear applications can be the best servants of the public welfare. The nuclear power plants such as Chashma and Karachi (KANUPP-2 and KANUPP-3) have already played their role in energy gap reduction and the national power mix diversification.

Nevertheless, the real challenge is not in the ability but in the level of understanding. Numerous communities have not yet realised that nuclear energy is the cleanest and the most efficient method of energy production that would eventually benefit them. The biggest obstacle in front of the development of nuclear technology as a tool for growth is misinformation, which is mostly influenced by the relationship between nuclear power and weapons that continues to be the major factor in hiding its potential from the world. This storyline should be replaced. As the Global Forum's conversations suggested, nuclear knowledge at the community level is important in terms of creating acceptance and facilitating sustainability.

In case people are informed that nuclear energy is capable of providing power to schools, hospitals and industries, they will be willing to support such investments. Awareness campaigns, educational programmes and youth engagement initiatives play a major role in removing the veil covering nuclear science and changing people's attitude from being fearful to taking advantage of the situation.

Another crucial aspect pointed by the Global Forum was the absolute necessity to put money into a country's most valuable resource, the people. The existence of the nuclear agenda in the future is heavily dependent upon the presence of a knowledgeable, skill-full, ethical workforce that is capable of dealing with advanced technologies in a safe and efficient manner. It is not only technically, but also morally, a must to equip the following generation of scientists, engineers and policymakers with the necessary know-how and skills.

Examples of such efforts are international projects like the NEA's Young Professionals Programme, which helps in capacity building. This programme, by allowing exchange between students and early-career professionals from different cultural backgrounds, promotes the learning from one another, seeking a guide and coming up with new ideas. The participants from Pakistan, India, Kenya and Japan took part in the knowledge-sharing that was beyond the political and geographical barriers, a proof of the uniting power of science.

When nuclear energy is supported by principles like openness, collaboration and education, it turns to be the sign of our common humanity. It sets an example of how global partnerships can yield local benefits, from cleaner air to job security and better healthcare infrastructure.

However, technology alone cannot guarantee victory. Public confidence is the base on which a long-lasting energy policy is built. It is the duty of the government to be transparent in taking decisions, to keep the safety measures strictly in practice, and to give both the risks and benefits information to the public. Conversations with the community members, especially in the countryside or poorly developed districts, about involvement, give them the feeling of being owners and diminish the distrust.

Moreover, women should have a more significant contribution in the formation not only of nuclear policies but also in nuclear education. The inclusion of gender not only leads to more creativity but also makes sure that nuclear technologies meet the requirements of different social groups. The Global Forum argued that peaceful nuclear energy is not just a technologically complex field, it is a social contract that connects science with service.

The globe is facing the dual problems of climate change and energy poverty at the same time and thus can no longer afford to reject nuclear energy. Its use for peaceful purposes is the way to reconcile economic growth with environmental protection i.e. the rare case of progress and conservation going hand in hand. However, they have to win over the public through knowledge, collaboration and trust.

In the case of Pakistan, and other developing nations, the road leading to a sustainable and fair future could be lit by the power of the atom, if it is used wisely, transparently and for the benefit of all. The dialogue must be changed to nuclear energy, not whether we should use it but rather why and how we can use it responsibly to keep the peace.