Several ASEAN Member States aspire to include nuclear energy in their future and long-term power generation sources to boost their energy security and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, radioactive sources are already widely used for civilian non-power applications in medical, industrial, agricultural, and scientific research fields in Southeast Asia. ASEAN Member States have a shared interest in ensuring that future nuclear power plants constructed in the region as well as the use of radioactive materials are safe and secure. There is a need to examine the current gaps in nuclear energy governance in the region and how Southeast Asia, through the ASEAN Network of Regulatory Bodies on Atomic Energy (ASEANTOM), deepens cooperation on civilian nuclear energy, including radiological security, and on nuclear emergency preparedness and response.
This RSIS Roundtable will bring together nuclear experts from the region and beyond to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with civilian nuclear energy development and the utilisation of radioactive materials in Southeast Asia. It will examine nuclear energy governance issues, national approaches, ASEANTOM’s capacity-building initiatives, and lessons learnt from Japan and South Korea.
Please click here for more details of the programme.