Page 17 - AfrElec Week 46 2022
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AfrElec NUCLEAR AfrElec
IAEA report at COP27 reveals
how nuclear can mitigate
climate change in Africa
AFRICA THE International Atomic Energy Agency The report highlights IAEA projects that sup-
(IAEA) has released a new report on Nuclear port African countries in cultivating and export-
Technologies and Climate Adaptation in Africa ing food, including growing drought-tolerant
during the last COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, crops and applying the sterile insect technique
demonstrating how these technologies are (SIT) to eradicate insect populations, such as
already widely used to build agricultural resil- tsetse flies, fruit flies and mosquitoes, that harm
ience on the continent. both human health and the economies.
The report observes how, despite Africa con- IAEA projects have supported Africa in
tributing very little to greenhouse gas (GHG) collecting and analysing data on the quality of
emissions worldwide, the continent is severely water in river basins and the ocean. These find-
affected by global warming. The UN estimates ings allow policymakers to put measures in place
that the regional economic losses due to cli- for better resource management, and adapting
mate change for the past 50 years have exceeded to ocean acidification in coastal areas, which is
$70bn. aimed at protecting the African fishing industry,
“The IAEA is at the centre of global efforts to and thus preventing environmental and social
make sure no one is left behind when it comes crises.
to benefiting from nuclear science and its appli- The report stresses the importance of global
cations,” said IAEA Director Rafael Mariano partnerships in undertaking projects to support
Grossi, noting how these technologies are vital to developing regions in line with the 2015 Paris
boost the continent’s adaptive capacity to rapid Agreement’s commitments, and sees COP27 as
climate change conditions. a unique opportunity “to forge and strengthen
Over the past ten years, the IAEA has carried partnerships, and raise awareness in deci-
out almost 50 percent of its climate change adap- sion-making bodies”.
tation projects in Africa. These includes land The IAEA is an intergovernmental organisa-
use management, soil erosion, climate-smart tion based in Vienna and operating within the
agriculture, food production systems, improved United Nations (UN) framework. It strives to
crop varieties, analysis of GHG emissions, water promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and
resource management, coastal protection and technologies and discourage their deployment in
ocean change monitoring. military contexts.
Week 46 16•November•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P17
