IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency

11/09/2026 | Press release | Archived content

Seven Ways Nuclear Science and Technology Help Protect the Environment

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Seven Ways Nuclear Science and Technology Help Protect the Environment

This week, global leaders, international organizations, scientists, business representatives and civil society are gathering in Antalya, Türkiye, for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference.

9 November 2026

Photo: Adobe Stock

This week, global leaders, international organizations, scientists, business representatives and civil society are gathering in Antalya, Türkiye, for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31). Among them is the IAEA, spotlighting how nuclear science and technology support Member States in strengthening energy security, protecting natural resources and improving food security.

Beyond generating reliable low carbon electricity, nuclear techniques are enabling scientists all over the world to monitor and protect ecosystems, enhance food security and reduce pollution.

Some of these solutions are already making a difference in the COP31 host country, Türkiye: for example, a nuclear-based pest control method, known as the Sterile Insect Technique, is helping citrus growers fight the Mediterranean fruit fly while using fewer insecticides.

Other innovations will be featured at the IAEA's Atoms4Climate Pavilion. Meanwhile, read on to discover seven ways in which nuclear science and technology are helping protect our environment:

1. E-Beam Processing for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Treating wastewater contaminated by industrial pollutants remains a major challenge for many countries. Through its support for electron beam (e-beam) technology, the IAEA is helping countries develop innovative, chemical-free solutions that break down complex contaminants and improve water quality. The IAEA launched a transportable e-beam system in 2025 to make the technology more accessible. Housed in two shipping containers at the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, it can treat liquids, solids and gases, and is used to train experts from around the world in the safe operation and use of e-beam irradiation.

Read more: Water Pollutants: The Invisible Crisis | IAEA Boosts Global Access to Electron Beam Technology

2. Protecting Oceans, from Coastal Carbon to Safe Seafood

Coral reefs are threatened by ocean warming and acidification. Researchers at the IAEA Environment Laboratories in Monaco study the effects of ocean acidification and other environmental stressors on marine organisms. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)

The IAEA's Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco support blue carbon initiatives that focus on mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes - coastal ecosystems that capture and store organic carbon. Using nuclear and isotopic techniques, the IAEA helps countries assess carbon sequestration rates and ecosystem health. The IAEA also helps scientists use nuclear techniques to track how pollution and ocean acidification affect marine life, providing the data countries need to protect ocean health and keep seafood safe.

Read more: What is Blue Carbon? | How Nuclear Science Helps Protect the Ocean and Coastal Livelihoods

3. Sterile Insect Technique for Resilient Crops

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environmentally friendly pest control method used to control harmful fruit fly populations in countries such as Chile, Mexico and Türkiye. SIT works by releasing male insects that have been sterilized using radiation, which mate with wild female insects, resulting in no offspring. The sterile insect technique reduces reliance on insecticides, protects crops and enables countries to gain access to international markets for food exports. In Türkiye, scientists working with the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released 1 million sterile males in a citrus orchard near İzmir in 2024 and 2025, reducing wild females by 95 per cent.

Aside from crop pests, the IAEA is also working with Member States to use SIT to control populations of disease-carrying mosquitoes, the tsetse fly, screwworm, moths and other insect pests that are hazardous to human health and the environment.

Read more: Sterile Insect Technique | Türkiye Protects Its Citrus Harvests with Nuclear Science | Five Ways Nuclear Science Helps Protect Our Crops

4. Monitoring Glaciers and Water Resources in Mountainous Regions

Nuclear data helps track glaciers' retreat and the impact on water resources. (Photo: IAEA)

Glaciers are retreating and even disappearing in many mountainous regions, threatening water supplies for millions. The IAEA supports countries like Bolivia in using nuclear techniques - such as Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensors and isotope hydrology - to monitor soil moisture and water availability in high-altitude ecosystems. These tools help scientists and decision makers assess the impact of glacier retreat on water resources and guide sustainable land management. Keeping up with cutting-edge technological developments, in 2026 the IAEA launched a research project that applies artificial intelligence to isotope hydrology to fill data gaps and improve predictions of water availability.

Read more: Glaciers on Borrowed Time: Capturing Data from Vanishing Ice in Bolivia | Research Project Applies AI to Isotope Hydrology to Strengthen Water Management

5. Unlocking Fusion for a more Energy-Secure Future

Fusion energy is a promising technology with the potential to provide a reliable source of energy that could contribute to diversify electricity generation in the long term. The IAEA continues to support countries in developing fusion energy technology and preparing for its future deployment. In 2026, it concluded a five-year research project that brought together 24 institutions from 18 countries working with small and medium sized fusion devices. These smaller machines complement large facilities such as ITER, offering flexible, accessible platforms for experimentation, innovation and training, and a new IAEA project now builds on this network.

Read more: IAEA World Fusion Outlook 2025 | Nuclear Explained: What is Nuclear Fusion? | IAEA Research Project Advances Work with Small and Medium Fusion Devices

6. Expanding Clean Energy through Nuclear Power

Nuclear energy can provide reliable, baseload power for growing global electricity needs. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

The IAEA supports countries in identifying pathways to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power by providing technical guidance, capacity building and peer review services to help strengthen the infrastructure needed for safe, secure and sustainable nuclear energy programmes. In September 2026, the IAEA raised its nuclear power projections for the sixth consecutive year: in its high case, global capacity could more than triple by 2060.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) offer flexible options for powering small or remote energy grids, making them suitable for energy intensive industries, data centres. Their possible use in maritime applications is also being explored. Microreactors, the smallest SMRs, could take nuclear energy even further. The IAEA publication Microreactors: Advances in Technology Development (2026 Outlook) identifies 24 microreactors at various stages of development and deployment and explores how they could supply remote and off-grid communities and help decarbonize hard-to-abate industries.

Read more: IAEA Projects Global Nuclear Power Capacity Could Triple by 2060, Continuing Rising Trend | Five Reasons the Clean Energy Transition Needs Nuclear Power

7. Nuclear Cogeneration for Heating and Cooling

Nuclear power plants not only produce electricity, but reactors can also generate heat that would otherwise go unused. Cogeneration - producing electricity and heat at the same time - captures this residual heat, making fuller use of the fuel used for electricity generation. That heat can warm whole cities through district heating networks, power cooling systems as summer heatwaves drive up demand for air conditioning and supply industrial processes. Through cogeneration, nuclear energy can also support the production of low carbon hydrogen for industry and transport and desalinate seawater to boost supplies of drinking water. New designs such as small modular reactors are expanding these possibilities further.

Read more: The Use of Nuclear Power Beyond Generating Electricity: Non-electric Applications

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