International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano touted the benefits of nuclear energy in a speech at the Symposium on Nuclear Applications For Sustainable Development in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States this week in Kuwait.
Amano highlighted the peaceful uses of nuclear science and how GCC nations can use it to improve health care, water quality, agriculture and energy generation. Amano also said the IAEA provides support for these areas of development globally and detailed IAEA efforts to supply countries in Latin America with specialized equipment to aid in mitigation efforts against the Zika virus, as well as aid African nations during the recent Ebola outbreak.
“The IAEA has been contributing effectively to sustainable development in areas such as food and agriculture, human health, and water resource and environmental management for decades,” Amano said.
Amano also stressed the importance of nuclear technology for energy generation in developing infrastructure, especially for nations with carbon-reduction goals. The United Arab Emirates is currently building nuclear reactors in cooperation with the agency.
