Newsletter of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission September-October,2002 Back to Main Chairman PAEC addresses 46th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference Pakistan seeks IAEA cooperation to build more nuclear power plants There is a close relationship between peace, economic growth and technology. While deliberating upon relationship between technology and economic growth, the importance of energy can hardly be overemphasized. Pakistan's limited hydro and fossil fuel resources are not sufficient to cater for an ever increasing demand of energy. The nuclear option in our national energy strategy has taken a firm footing. This was stated by Mr. Parvez Butt, while addressing as the leader of the delegation from Pakistan to the 46th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, held at Vienna, Austria, from 16- 20 September, 2002. Excerpts from his address: "We are encouraged by the recent positive shift in attitude towards nuclear energy at the international level. The Agency's annual report for the year 2001 predicts even better prospects for nuclear power. We, in Pakistan, want to build more safeguarded nuclear power plants and seek the cooperation and assistance of the member states of IAEA. The construction and operation of nuclear power plant not only has direct economic advantage but creates thousands of job opportunities", he said. Pakistan fully supports the importance of International Project on Innovative Nuclear Re- actors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO) and the need for accelerating the activities in this regard. Pakistan is actively participating in IAEA's nuclear desalination project and working on the establishment of a demonstration nuclear desalination facility at our Karachi Nuclear Power Plant with the help of IAEA. Pakistan is an active adherent to the International Nuclear Safety Convention The recent review conference held in Vienna appreciated the safety record of Pakistan. Our active membership of WANO and CANDU Owners Group has also helped us enhance our safety There is a close relationship between peace, economic growth and technology. Tile importance of energy can hardly be overemphasized. Pakistan's limited hydro and fossil fuel resources are not sufficient to cater for an ever-increasing demand of energy. Tile nuclear option in our national energy strategy has taken a firm footing. Encouraged by the re- cent positive shift in attitude towards nuclear energy at the international level, Pakistan wants to build more safeguarded NPPs and seek the co- operation and assistance of IAEA. The construction and operation of NPP not only has direct economic advantage but creates thousands of job opportunities as well. related capabilities. We give top priority to the strengthening of safety culture in all our nuclear establishments. Sub- sequent to the setting up of an independent Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), that reports directly to the head of the government, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission has further strengthened its own Directorate of Safety, that addresses issues of nuclear safety and radiation protection and operates the nuclear emergency response coordination center. We look forward to greater cooperation of the advanced countries in terms of unhindered avail- ability of technology in keeping with the spirit of the Nuclear Safety Convention. Barriers and embargoes especially on safeguarded facilities are counter productive. "We must not forget that a nuclear accident anywhere is a nuclear accident everywhere" Recalling the catastrophic and tragic events of September the eleventh that took place around this time last year, he .said Pakistan joined hands with the international community and the IAEA right from the , outset, and established fail-safe and robust physical protection measures that remain under constant review. "We are pleased that the Agency also took prompt action to meet the new challenges. We note that action is also being taken by each and every country to safeguard not only its own interests but of the region and the world at large. We fully recognize and appreciate the important role that the IAEA has to play in the coming years in this context. In our view, this role has to be further developed and should encourage, rather than hinder, the promotional and developmental activities of the Agency. We will continue to support the IAEA and offer our contribution, in kind, to the Agency's programme". "As we grapple with the issues of security and safety, we are at the same time reminded of the indispensability of promoting a more egalitarian society. Whatever we do must be complementary means to achieve greater safety and security of nuclear materials. This conviction has led us to work for the strengthening of the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, in cooperation with the international community. Referring to the the difficulties the Agency has been facing in implementing its mandated activities due to budgetary constraints,and the various means Agency has been adopting to overcome these financial difficulties, he said this trend certainly hinders the progress of the Agency's work. "Pakistan, despite its economic difficulties, has always paid its dues in full in a timely manner. We would encourage all those Member States who have not yet paid their contributions to do so as early as possible. Chairman PAEC briefly informed the General Conference of the progress made by PAEC during the last year. "Pakistan follows a broad and liberal policy towards basic and applied research. Our main research center, PINSTECH, has been declared as the Regional Resource Unit by the IAEA. This institute is actively engaged in research, and is offering services and specialised training programme" "Technological and economic development is ultimately dependent upon the build-up of a strong scientific infrastructure. It was on Pakistan's initiative that UN declared the 10th of November as 'World Science Day for Peace and Development'. He called upon the Member States to celebrate the Day emphasizing the importance of unhindered and technological knowledge throughout the globe. During the year 2002, the two nuclear power plants namely Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) and Chashma Nuclear Power Plant (CHASNUPP) operated safely. KANUPP operated with an availability factor of around 80% while CHASNUPP satisfactorily completed the first two years of its operation. The plant will soon see its first refueling outage. The P AEC has so far released 41 varieties of high-yielding and disease-resistant crop varieties with a measurable impact on our economy. For the control of salinity, methods have been developed which are now being introduced to 10 developing countries, under the auspices of the IAEA. We have also prepared a project for the restoration of 25,000 acres of wasteland in the four provinces of the country . PAEC is using nuclear and other advanced techniques in health 'care and its 13 centers throughout the country provide nuclear medicine, radiotherapy and related facilities to more than 300,000 patients every year. Work on five new nuclear medical centers has also been initiated. He expressed deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for the Director General, Deputy Directors General, and their staff for co- operation and valuable assistance to Pakistan. Joint PAEC-IAEA/RCA/UNDP Executive Management Seminar on 'Environment and Health' Scientists and media can play an effective role in creating public awareness on health hazards and environmental degradation. This was stated by Minister for Science and Technology, Prof. Dr. Ata-ur- Rahman while inaugurating the three-day Joint PAEC- IAEA/RCA/UNDP Executive Management Seminar on "Environment and Health", at Islamabad from 1-3 October, 2002. The Seminar, attended by about 120 scientists and professionals, was organized by PAEC, as one of the activities conducted under joint PAEC-UNDP/RCA/IAEA project: "Isotopic and Related Techniques to Assess Air Pollution". Warning about health hazards of pollution, the Federal Minister said that sub-standard food products and unhealthy environmental conditions are the main reasons for cancer and other deadly diseases in the poor countries. The industrial effluents are equally big sources of diseases caused by human- induced conditions. Tons of solid waste are the breeding grounds for multitude of ailments faced by the society and as such these areas need our immediate attention. Hepatitis B and resurgence of TB are the menaces coming out of poor environment and unhygienic foods. Talking about the neglect and non- seriousness in health related products and facilities offered by various private agencies, I he said that a recent study by HEJ Institute, I Karachi revealed that 15 bottles of well reputed mineral water companies carried ingredients different from those shown on the I label. He said that legal process is very slow I and leads to justice denied, hence, we will try to control this by public awareness and publishing the results in the media. He also made a reference to scientific environment, and prevailing frustration and lamented upon the cumbersome bureaucratic C set-up dealing with science and technology. Enumerating various steps the government C had taken for the promotion of basic and C applied sciences, he said the budget of Ministry was increased manifold and endowments have been provided to engineering universities of the country and similar endowments will be provided to agricultural universities as well. "We are concentrating on the a quality of higher education and production of d 1,000 Ph.Ds is our immediate aim", he said. Dr. Masud Ahmad, Member (Physical Sciences), PAEC, in his welcome address, said , that technology has emerged as one of the a most powerful driving forces of the present ~ times that greatly contributed to the shaping of the world and affects all aspects of life. P However, the technology has negative fallout CI also like disruption of ecological equilibrium, creation of pollution, noise, waste, and many psychological distresses. He emphasized that the logical and realistic approach is to adopt a suitably-guided technological development process, which enhances the benefits and abates the undesirable effects.