IAEA TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN AFRICA · Algeria Côte d’Ivoire Congo ... integrated pest...

IAEA TECHNICAL COOPERATION IN AFRICA

International Atomic Energy AgencyDepartment of Technical Cooperation

2013

PHOTOS

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Foreword by the IAEA Director GeneralThe IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme is a key mechanism for transferring nuclear expertise and technology to IAEA Member States. The TC programme aims to strengthen technical and human resource capacities in the peaceful and safe application of nuclear science and technology, with the long term aim of contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development. Much of the programme is devoted to building capacity in less developed countries, where innovative methods to address national development challenges are most needed.

Nuclear techniques can often provide a viable, cost effective alternative or complementary solution to many development problems. In addition, they generate credible, timely data that help countries make informed decisions on national and regional policies and plans.

In Africa, over forty countries receive IAEA technical cooperation support in areas that include increasing food security, improving nutrition and human health, better managing groundwater resources, enhancing energy development planning, supporting quality control in industrial development, and ensuring a cleaner, safer environment.

This brochure provides an overview of our TC programme in Africa, highlighting successful projects in food and agriculture, human health and water resource management. It aims to raise awareness among legislators, political decision makers, stakeholders, donors and partners of the potential of nuclear techniques for helping to achieve sustainable development in Africa. I hope that readers will find this document interesting and useful, and that it will increase understanding of the benefits of nuclear science and technology for sustainable development.

Yukiya Amano

The IAEA’s technical cooperation programme is active in some forty countries in Africa, providing support in a wide range of fields that address crucial development issues: human health, non-communicable disease and infant nutrition; improved agriculture, better crops, healthier livestock and environmentally friendly pest management; environmental monitoring and water resource management, to name just a few areas.

We bring countries together to resolve common development challenges, providing them not only with technical capacity, but the tools to work together and to learn from each other. For example, together with sister UN organizations and other partners, we have started a long-term project with thirteen countries in the Sahel region that will enhance knowledge and understanding of the five large transboundary aquifers that they share. This will provide a firm basis for decision-making and regional cooperation in resource management.

IAEA technical cooperation with and between countries in Africa is key to addressing the diverse science and technology needs of the region. It draws on regionally available skills and facilities, and strengthens links between institutions. It builds the sustainable capacity that is essential for long term development.

Kwaku Aning, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation

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Atoms for peaceThe IAEA is the world’s centre of cooperation in the nuclear field. It was set up as the world´s “Atoms for Peace” organization in 1957 within the United Nations (UN) family. IAEA works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.

The IAEA’s technical cooperation programmeThe IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme is the main mechanism through which the IAEA delivers services to its Member States. Through the programme, the IAEA helps Member States to build, strengthen and maintain

capacity to use nuclear technology in support of national development priorities. The TC programme is developed and managed jointly by the Member States and the IAEA Secretariat. Through technical cooperation, the IAEA also contributes to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

IAEA technical cooperation in Africa The IAEA provides assistance to African Member States in line with Africa’s regional and national development priorities in fields where nuclear techniques have a comparative advantage or can supplement conventional technologies to meet the development needs of the region. The TC programme has been strengthening Africa’s human and institutional capacity for the peaceful and safe utilization of nuclear techniques in the areas of human health, food and agriculture, water and environment, energy and industry for over fifty years. In addition to addressing national development priorities, the TC programme aims to support self-reliance and sustainable development in Africa.

The IAEA has 44 Member States in the Africa region, 25 are Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Forty African Member States are participating in the TC programme.

Algeria Côte d’Ivoire Congo

Angola* Kenya Rwanda*

Benin* Lesotho* Senegal*

Botswana Liberia* Seychelles

Burkino Faso* Libya Sierra Leone*

Burundi* Madagascar* South Africa

Cameroon Malawi* Sudan*

Central African Republic* Mali* Swaziland

Chad* Islamic Republic of Mauritania*

United Republic of Tanzania*

Democratic Rep. of the Congo*

Mauritius Togo*

Egypt Morocco Tunisia

Eritrea* Mozambique* Uganda*

Ethiopia* Namibia Zambia*

Gabon Niger* Zimbabwe

Ghana Nigeria

* Least Developed Countries

IAEA Member States in Africa

Major areas of technical cooperationUsing nuclear techniques, the IAEA is helping Member States in Africa to:

• Grow more food, fight animal and plant pests and diseases, and ensure the safety of food products;

• Improve and optimize the utilization of water resources;

• Develop and enhance capabilities to prevent, diagnose and treat disease;

• Build an enabling nuclear safety, security and regulatory infrastructure;

• Develop infrastructure and human resources, and build capacities in the peaceful use of nuclear technology.

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IAEA partnerships/cooperation with specialized agencies and institutions in AfricaArea of partnership/cooperation

Organization/Institution

Human health

World Health Organization (WHO)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

African Radiation Oncology Group (AFROG)

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)

Food and agriculture

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)Pan African Tsetse and Trypanosomiasis Eradication Campaign (PATTEC)

CGIAR

Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI)

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)

Water

United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF)

Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS)

Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)

United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS)

Industry and environment

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Nuclear safety and security

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Regional Advisory Safety Committee for Research Reactors in Africa (RASCA)African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE)Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA)

Other partnerships

African Development Bank (AfDB)

Islamic Development Bank (IDB)

Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Commission (EC)

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

OFID (OPEC Fund for International Development)

IAEA technical cooperation support to least developed countries in AfricaThrough the TC programme, the IAEA helps to address the specific sustainable development needs of LDCs, keeping in mind the particular characteristics of these countries. Over the last four TC cycles, covering the period 2005–2013, the IAEA implemented 315 projects for African LDCs.

The IAEA also cooperates with other UN agencies to contribute to creating or upgrading LDC capacity in specific scientific and technological areas.

IAEA’s cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has helped improve agricultural productivity in LDCs through the development and adoption of nuclear and related biotechnologies. Such technologies have contributed to better control of insect pests, improved livestock production and health, better water and soil management practices, and more efficient crop nutrition.

Number of approved national projects for LDCs by TC programme cycle

Field of Activities

2005–2006

2007–2008

2009–2011

2012–2013

Total

Food and Agriculture 21 37 30 51 139

Human Health 22 26 19 31 98

Water and Environment 13 16 5 14 48

Energy - 10 6 14 30

Total 56 89 60 110 315

Partnerships and cooperation in development Nuclear technology is an important resource for socioeconomic development, and can also be successfully integrated with other conventional technologies. As the TC programme provides support in sectors where it does not possess the lead UN mandate (for example, human health, food and agriculture, and water and the environment), partnerships and cooperation with leading specialized UN system organizations are essential if the programme is to reach its full potential. Over the years, such cooperation has helped African Member States to develop and maintain capacity for sustainable socioeconomic development.

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Funding the TC programme and resource mobilizationThe TC programme is funded by the IAEA Technical Cooperation Fund (TCF), extrabudgetary resources including contributions from donor countries, international and bilateral organizations, and in-kind contributions as well as government cost sharing.

In addition to project support, the IAEA helps Member States in Africa to develop bankable project documents and to establish platforms for cooperation with development banks and other financial institutions.

Figure 2: TC Programme for Africa (TCF), 2001–2013 (in thousands of USD).

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10 000

15 000

20 000

25 000

30 000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013Technical Cooperation Fund

As shown in Fig. 2, the TCF support allocated to the Africa region for the year 2001 was USD 16.9 million, which has risen to US $27.6 million in 2013. In addition, Fig. 3 shows the extrabudgetary contributions provided to Member States in Africa since 2005.

Technical cooperation projects in AfricaSince 2000, the TC programme for Africa has implemented a total of 865 projects, including 110 regional projects in thematic areas such as human health, food and agriculture, water resources management, energy, environment and safety. The IAEA is currently implementing 316 national and regional technical cooperation projects in the region.

Figure 3: Extrabudgetary contributions to the Africa region (in thousands of USD).

Figure 1: Disbursements in Africa by technical field, 2012.

Extrabudgetary resources

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Technical cooperation in the area of food and agriculture in AfricaUsing nuclear techniques, the IAEA helps countries in the Africa region to grow more food, fight animal and plant pests and diseases, and ensure food security and the safety of food products.

Project highlights

Through a regional project, nuclear and isotopic techniques were used to assess different

irrigation approaches in Africa by obtaining quantitative data on water and nutrient use

efficiency, uptake and losses in different high value crops. Farmers from 19 countries have

already learned about small scale irrigation technologies and best agricultural practice through

project field days. The project found that drip irrigation increased crop yield and reduced

irrigation by up to 30%.

Under a regional project to evaluate and disseminate crops improved through induced mutation

breeding, participating African countries have developed food crops that are not only more

productive, but are also of better nutritional value and more suitable for market. The project has

also led to the establishment of well-functioning tissue culture laboratories in 14 countries in

the region.

In Mauritius, an IAEA technical cooperation project has supported the development of an

integrated pest management approach to reduce insecticide use in an environmentally friendly

way, and to increase crop production. The project assisted in establishing a surveillance

system for melon flies. As a result, cucurbit infestation, which was above 30% before project

implementation, was reduced to 5%.

Contributing to the eradication of rinderpest Prof. Margaret Kamar, the former Minister for Science and Technology, Kenya, addressing the Rinderpest Freedom (Eradication) Celebrations at the IAEA Headquarters.

The IAEA, in collaboration with FAO, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and other partners, supported Member States for more than 25 years in efforts to control and eradicate rinderpest. In early 2011 the disease was officially declared eradicated by FAO and OIE. IAEA input to this achievement was in the development of nuclear and nuclear-related immunological and molecular diagnostic tools. These tools and related capacity building efforts allowed 40 Member States to properly diagnose rinderpest and monitor the vaccination status of their national herds. The eradication has led to an annual economic benefit to the region estimated at US $920 million.

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Technical cooperation in the area of human health in AfricaThe IAEA enhances the capabilities in Member States to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases through the application of nuclear techniques. Currently, through more than 25 technical cooperation projects, the IAEA is helping the national efforts of its African Member States to build, upgrade and expand radiotherapy and nuclear medicine facilities. TC projects are also strengthening national capacity to study the effects of breastfeeding on the nutritional status of HIV/AIDS infected lactating women and the potential for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS, and to apply molecular techniques for improving disease control through cross-cutting approaches to optimize interventions against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

Project highlights

A TC project promoting regional and national quality assurance programmes for medical physics in nuclear medicine has

promoted human resource development and recognition of the medical physics profession in Africa. With IAEA support,

medical physics is today recognized as a profession in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nigeria,

South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. In addition, academic training programmes

are now in place in Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan and Tunisia. Work is ongoing to

harmonize academic and clinical training programmes in these countries.

Under an IAEA TC project, the first radioimmunoassay (RIA) service in Benin has been set up.

The centre uses in vitro nuclear medicine techniques for the detection and management of

endemic goitre. Through the project, nuclear medicine services have been introduced and RIA

services established. The project has also supported the creation of linkages between five local

health centres (Bantè, Bassila, Dassa, Djougou and Savalou). An RIA service has been set

up in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Cotonou, and a reporting system and patient database

have been developed.

The IAEA has provided extensive support over several years to the Government of Zambia in

the establishment of the country’s first Cancer Diseases Hospital (CDH). The IAEA is currently

supporting the CDH through a TC project to train key staff, such as radiation oncologists,

medical physicists and radiotherapy technicians. The training upgraded radiotherapy skills in

dosimetry, treatment planning and the physical and radiation protection aspects of modern

radiotherapy techniques. Guidance and expertise were also provided for the commissioning

of the Theraplan Plus treatment planning system and the development and validation of a

curriculum for the local training of radiation therapy technologists (RTTs).

IAEA support under several TC projects has strengthened nuclear medicine and radiotherapy

services at the Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The hospital now provides treatment

for an increasing number of patients. TC support includes long term training of radiation

oncologists and medical physicists, and the procurement of two cobalt-60 machines, a new

teletheraphy machine and other required items through government cost sharing.

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Technical cooperation in the area of water resources management in AfricaSustainable utilization and management of water resources is of the highest priority in the national development plans of African Member States. Over the years, IAEA assistance has strengthened national and regional capacity in the application of nuclear techniques for the most optimal utilization of water resources in Africa

Project highlights

In July 2012, the IAEA launched a four-year technical cooperation project on water resources

management for the Sahel region, which has a population of more than 338 million. The project

covers five major transboundary aquifer systems in the Sahel that are shared by fifteen African

States. It aims to enhance the capacity of the Sahel countries in the appropriate assessment of

water resources, which is essential for assuring water supply, management of water resources

and sustainable development. Activities to build partnerships for funding and resource

mobilization are being carried out.

In the Dira Dawe area of Ethiopia, an IAEA-supported isotope study revealed that an aquifer

recharged at higher elevations away from the populated region is the most suitable for

development. With the assistance of the IAEA, the Ethiopian National Groundwater Database

has been developed and is in operation.

Through a regional technical cooperation project, the IAEA,

together with the United Nations Development Programme and

the Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF), as well as the

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO), have helped the four African countries that share

the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System to develop a three

dimensional computer model to gain a better understanding of

its dynamics. The project helped countries to utilize isotope

techniques to characterize the aquifer, providing essential information for the development of the computer model. Isotope

techniques were used to determine the size of the aquifer, the drawdown of water, the lifespan, potential impact of human

activity and the possible transboundary effects. As a result of the project, a three dimensional computer groundwater model

has been created which can simulate and predict how water moves through the aquifer and how water levels may change over

time. The project produced a shared aquifer diagnostic analysis (SADA) that identifies transboundary threats and their root

causes, as well as other priority issues.

Other areas of IAEA technical cooperation support for Africa: In addition to these thematic areas, the IAEA has been effectively applying nuclear techniques to support African Member States in achieving socioeconomic development goals that include meeting energy needs, protecting the environment, strengthening industry, developing human resources and building enhanced nuclear and radiation safety infrastructure.

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Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs) The formulation and delivery of national TC programmes are guided by Country Programme Frameworks (CPFs) that define mutually agreed priority development needs and interests. The CPF is a mid-term planning document, with a duration of five to six years. CPF preparation supports upstream planning for each TC programme cycle. The process includes intensive consultations with national counterpart institutions to prioritize development needs where nuclear technology can be applied for sustainable socioeconomic development. Most Member States in Africa currently have a valid CPF. To optimize the impact of the TC programme, the IAEA seeks to link CPFs with United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs), and participates in the harmonized programme cycle of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) Executive Committee agencies where possible.

Regional cooperationThe countries of Africa face many common development challenges with a regional dimension. The African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA), which came in to force in April 1990, is a regional cooperative framework that encourages nuclear research and the peaceful application of nuclear science and technology for development in Africa. Thirty-nine African Member States now participating in the TC programme are AFRA States Parties.

Regional Designated Centres (RDCs)A regional designated centre (RDC) is an established African institution able to provide regional services on the basis of the AFRA agreement and for which IAEA and donor support may be requested within the context of approved programmes. RDC designations are decided by the AFRA States Parties.

So far, 27 RDCs have been designated in fields including human health, food and agriculture, industry, safety and security, energy and the environment. RDCs play a major role in providing training and expert services for the development of the region.

Human and institutional capacity buildingEducation and training for specialists in nuclear science, engineering and related subjects are key TC programme activities, and help developing Member States to achieve self-reliance in scientific and technological fields.

A lack of qualified human resources is a significant challenge in many African Member States, especially LDCs. This is a priority for the IAEA, which offers training through regional and national courses, workshops, expert missions and scientific visits, and through fellowships in specialized institutions around the world.

Several African Member States have successfully developed institutions, universities and training centres, and the IAEA continues to support these institutions. Many of these institutions have been recognized as AFRA-RDCs.

RDC support to postgraduate training In 2012, under the AFRA Masters Fellowship Programme in Nuclear Science and Technology, nine candidates from seven African Member States (Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone and Uganda) were awarded fellowships to undertake the two-year Masters Programme in Nuclear Science and Technology in two AFRA-RDCs: the Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of Alexandria, Egypt, and the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana. In 2012, 40 candidates from AFRA States Parties were selected for the six-month Group Fellowship Training of the postgraduate education course (PGEC) in Radiation Protection which started in November 2012. This training is hosted by the Algiers Nuclear Research Centre (CRNA) and the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences (SNAS) of the University of Ghana, both AFRA-RDCs.

AFRA-RDC Algiers Nuclear Research Centre (CRNA).

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Training coursesBetween 1993 and 2012, the IAEA conducted 1104 training courses in the areas of human health, food and agriculture, water resources management, industry, energy, environment and safety and security. Figs 4 and 5 show the steady increase in the number of people trained. In 1993–1994, 45 training courses were held, and 665 candidates from the region received training. In 2011–2012, 201 training courses were held and 2809 candidates trained. These efforts support the development of a new generation of scientists in Africa.

IAEA fellowshipsSuccessful implementation of nuclear techniques for socioeconomic development requires skilled personnel, technicians and engineers. The IAEA fellowships provide important support in this area. Between 1993 and 2012,

the IAEA awarded 5458 fellowships (1305 to women) to individuals from African Member States – a total of 22 304 person months of training in various thematic fields. IAEA fellowships contribute successfully to the transfer of knowledge and technology to fellows’ home institutions, their home countries and the TC projects in which they are involved.

Gender in the TC programmeA gender perspective is incorporated in all technical cooperation activities, which include training courses, workshops, symposia, conferences, scientific visits and fellowships. Female participation as a fellow or in other training activities increases women’s access to professional opportunities and education in science and technology, and supports gender equality in nuclear related fields. Fig. 6 shows the gradual growth in the number of female fellows from Africa.

Figure 5: Fellows trained, total person months 1993–2012.

Figure 4: Number of participants trained, 1993–2012.

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1500

2000

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3000

3500

1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 1999-00 2001-02 2003-04 2005-06 2007-08 2009-10 2011-12

Total Person Months

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1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 1999-00 2001-02 2003-04 2005-06 2007-08 2009-10 2011-12

No. of Participants Trained

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IAEA fellowships: A success story in SudanIMAGE: Sudan’s Ambassador H.E. Mr Mahmoud Hassan El Amin, expressing his appreciation for the work of the IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme during celebrations to mark World Cancer Day on 4 February 2013 at the IAEA Headquarters.

Over the past 10 years, 150 specialists in Sudan have been trained through the TC programme, including radiation medicine physicists, radiopharmacists, nuclear medicine physicians, radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiotherapy technicians and equipment

maintenance technicians. This human resource capacity building has helped to improve Sudan’s ability to respond to the increasing needs of its cancer patients. Numerous IAEA fellowships have been provided to medical doctors and other essential staff working in oncology in Sudan, with the aim of improving national abilities to provide specialized treatment to cancer patients in the country.

Supporting the tsetse eradication project in EthiopiaIAEA support through Ethiopia’s Southern Rift Valley Tsetse Eradication Project (STEP) is helping to tackle the problem of tsetse flies, the vectors responsible for trypanosomosis in animals, which is at the root of much rural poverty in Ethiopia. The development of human resource capacity through external fellowships and local training has allowed increased livestock production by rural communities in parts of the 25 000 km2 project area. The support, delivered through a comprehensive, multisectoral approach, has resulted in the establishment of the most effective area-wide integrated pest management campaign against insect pests in Ethiopia, and the largest tsetse mass rearing facility in Africa.

Nuclear techniques offer proven solutions for many development challenges in Africa, and the IAEA, with more than five decades of relevant expertise, is working with a range of partners to contribute to the achievement of the strategic national and regional goals of African Member States.

Figure 6: Number of female fellows trained in the Afica region, 1993-2012.

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100

150

200

250

1993-94 1995-96 1997-98 1999-00 2001-02 2003-04 2005-06 2007-08 2009-10 2011-12

Female Fellows

For more information on the IAEA technical cooperation programme in Africa, please contact:

Division for AfricaDepartment of Technical CooperationInternational Atomic Energy Agency

PO Box 100Vienna International Centre

1400 Vienna, AustriaTelephone: (+43-1) 2600-0

Fax: (+43-1)2600-7Email: [email protected]

www.iaea.org/technicalcooperation

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