The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is helping member states develop a more sustainable nuclear power sector to help meet the rising energy demand.
Addressing almost 50 experts from over 40 countries attending a workshop on IAEA tools for nuclear energy system assessment for long-term planning and development, IAEA´s Ana María Cetto, Deputy Director General for Technical Cooperation, said: "In the past year 4% of technical cooperation (TC) disbursements were made in the area of nuclear power and another 4% in the safety of nuclear installations."
The effort is a result of the growing interest from member states in the nuclear field as the current TC program includes sub-Saharan Africa work to improve national and regional capacities for long-term strategic planning of its energy system.
In Europe, the focus is on strengthening national and regional infrastructures for the planning and development of nuclear power programs. In Asia, the IAEA helps Member States to strengthen their sustainable development in the post-Kyoto period by assessing the role of nuclear and other energy options and evaluating the resources for energy-related activities and environmental concerns. And the Agency is involved in Latin America by attempting to strengthen the national nuclear sector through strategic planning and results-based management tools. It is also working to support eight Member States in planning the introduction of a nuclear power program.