As climate emergencies intensify and countries like Pakistan bear the devastating brunt of it, what solutions are available to mitigate impact on the people? The world is increasingly relying on civilian nuclear programs to address these challenges; Syeda Saba Batool discusses Pakistan’s current initiatives in the sector, and the challenges confronting the country in expanding it for the benefit of its people. 

The integration of advanced nuclear technologies will significantly boost Pakistan’s disaster management capabilities. With a coastline of 1,046 kms and vulnerability to a variety of environmental disasters (melting glaciers, floods, droughts, deforestation), Pakistan is ranked 5th in the Global Climate Risk Index. The frequently occurring weather patterns of heavy rainfall and prolonged heatwaves in a geographically diverse area with extensive arable land, deserts, mountains, and glaciers pose a grave challenge to Pakistan in the future.

To minimise the impact of natural disasters, it is crucial for Pakistan to take advantage of advanced technologies and sustainable energy sources like solar, wind and nuclear power. Pakistan’s civilian nuclear program offers such a foundation — for utilising nuclear technology in natural disaster management strategies — but needs international cooperation to expand its civilian nuclear program.

Current Civilian Nuclear Projects

Pakistan has made notable progress in employing nuclear technology for disaster resilience, prevention and management, particularly in addressing challenges posed by climate change. In collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has implemented climate-smart agricultural techniques. Institutes such as the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) have developed salt-resistant, high-yield crop varieties and vertical farming methods to address food insecurity. These innovations are crucial for increasing agricultural resilience in the face of growing environmental threats like soil salinity and water scarcity.

Following the devastating floods in 2022, Pakistan enhanced its disaster management efforts by partnering with the IAEA to develop an emergency support package. This initiative focuses on monitoring the impact of natural disasters on agriculture and livestock, addressing soil degradation, water contamination and zoonotic diseases.

Nearly 25 per cent of Pakistan’s agricultural land is affected by salinity which Pakistan is addressing through various means. The PAEC’s Biosaline Research Stations, for instance, are encouraging farmers to cultivate salt-tolerant crops, ensuring long-term food security. According to Javed Shah, a scientist at NIAB:

The increase in productivity following the IAEA Integrated Option exemplifies how combining chemical and organic fertilisers can lead to higher yields and better soil health.

This focus on soil health contributes to climate-resilient land management, a vital element in disaster prevention. Such nuclear-driven advancements, alongside the country’s strong collaboration with international bodies, underscore Pakistan’s commitment to utilising peaceful nuclear technologies to tackle climate-related disaster management challenges for a sustainable future.

Nuclear technology is being used for site characterisation, geo-thermal resource studies, soil erosion from watershed/catchments and cultivated fields, sedimentation in dam reservoirs, and environmental monitoring, including:

• Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) along with Tritium Dating to determine the age of ice and ice-melting in Passu Glacier.
• Helium (He-3) and Tritium for mother-daughter dating system in the Thal (Sindh Sagar) doab using stable isotopes.
• Artificial radioactive tracers for Clean Water study.
• National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) has developed Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs) and Constructed Wetlands (CWs) and applied these at full scale in the wastewater stabilisation ponds at several locations to attenuate heavy metal concentrations.
• Developing expertise in surface water and ground water interaction, run-off analysis, groundwater salinisation, measurement of discharges in streams, and tracking water pollution.
• PAEC has established heavy and medium infrastructure projects for disaster management: HMC-3 is one of the largest projects in the heavy engineering sector in Pakistan, and Radio Tracers are also being used to study inter-well communication.
• Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to determine construction material of national monuments and to develop heat resistance polymers.
• Uranium-234 and Uranium-238 is being used for dating of deep-sea sediments, lacustrine sediments, cave deposits, ocean and ground water and dynamics of atmosphere to detect, prevent and manage drastic natural conditions.

These technologies are also being used for climate analysis since isotopic analysis of ice cores can reveal temperature records of hundreds of thousands of years. The aim is to learn as much as possible about past climate events to help predict future event patterns. PAEC has established Mass Spectrometryabs in collaboration with the IAEA to undertake such studies at PINSTECH. PINSTECH, in turn (and in collaboration with National Institute for Oceanography (NIO) and Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology (CEMB)), is conducting studies on sustainable use of marine ecosystems. PAEC and IAEA are using nuclear technologies for studying climate change in coastal areas using mangrove plants as a source of information. Pakistan is also part of IAEA’s initiative on Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution.

Challenges and Opportunities

The IAEA is providing assistance in MC-ICP MS Isotope Ratio Analysers advanced technology to predict and prevent melting of glaciers facilitating in many countries. Pakistan being a country with multiple glaciers can benefit from this technique if assistance is provided; the MC-ICP MS Isotope Ratio Analyser is a much advanced application, and is more effective in predicting melting of glaciers. Such radio-chemical methods are used around the world to extract and purify uranium and plutonium isotopes from surface ice samples which are analysed with the highly sensitive MC-ICP-MS. Additional techniques like Gamma Ray Spectrometry and Liquid Scintillation Counting detected radionuclides like Caesium and Tritium helps refine glacier-flow models, improving predictions of glacier-melting and future behaviour.

Another technology that Pakistan can utilise for its climate objectives is the GV Instruments IsoProbe which measures precise isotope ratios by ionising samples and using a mass spectrometer to analyse them. It features multiple detectors for high accuracy, allowing it to detect tiny sample sizes even at the picogram level with minimal noise. This makes it ideal for precise scientific research and analysis, and can greatly help improve predictions of glacier behaviour and design better strategies to mitigate the risks associated with glacier-melting and related natural disasters.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) can also help Pakistan prevent natural disasters. Their design allows for quicker deployment in remote or disaster-prone areas, ensuring energy supply during crises. SMRs also carry a lower risk of large-scale nuclear accidents. By adopting SMRs through a China–Pakistan collaboration under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) programme, Pakistan can improve energy security, reduce emissions and enhance disaster resilience while promoting environmental sustainability.

Pakistan faces several challenges in using nuclear technology for natural disaster prevention and management. Limited funding and lack of international collaboration due to Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) restrictions is one of the biggest hurdles in Pakistan’s way to use nuclear technologies for natural disaster resilience. The absence of a regulatory framework for SMRs is another challenge which further complicates the adoption of this technology. The country’s limited access to the global nuclear energy market (with its NSG membership bid still on hold) restricts its ability to secure necessary resources. Misperceptions about Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities, fueled by cultural stigmatisation and ‘nuclear racism’ add to the international community’s reluctance. Domestically, public awareness of nuclear energy is low and lack of commitment of political leaders to continue welfare projects inaugurated by previous governments, coupled with economic constraints like inflation, hampers long-term nuclear energy projects and adoption of modern technologies.

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To address challenges in using nuclear technology for disaster management, the international community should support Pakistan’s civilian nuclear program with collaborations for diverse funding and technical support. The IAEA should establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for SMRs that can ensure safe deployment and operation, aligning with international safety standards, increase funding through global financial institutions, seek expedited NSG membership, improve public awareness of nuclear energy benefits, and ensure political stability to support long-term investment in nuclear projects.

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Banner image © Umar Farooq, Kalam Valley, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, 2022, Unsplash.

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