Radiological Emergency Preparedness in Nepal

1Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway

2Department of Radiology, Gandaki Medical College, Pokhara, Nepal

3Department of Radiology and Imaging, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

4Nuclear Society of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal

Email: chhaviumb@gmail.com

CR Bhatt1,2, SL Shrestha3, KK Shrestha4

The Swedish Society for Radioecology Conference, 22-23 March, 2011, Stockholm

Overview of the country

Area = 147,181 sq km (~1/3 of Sweden)

Population = 28.5 million (~3 times of Sweden)

Total nuclear plants in neighbouring states (China & India)*:

Operational (n=32) Under construction (n=33)

Planned (n=31)Source: *World Nuclear Association, 2011

Source (map):International Nuclear Safety Center 2010

Pakistan

China

India

Nepal has no nuclear energy

Radioisotopes; limited use for medical purposes

China and India, emerging economic and political powers: nuclear energy is likely to expand

India

China

Pakistan

Surrounded by Nuclear plants??!!

India*: Operational (n=18) Under construction (n=7)

Planned (n=4)

China*: Operational (n=14) Under construction (n=26)

Planned (n=27)

Pakistan*: Operational (n=2) Under construction (n=1)

Bangladesh: Under construction (n=1)**

Source: *World Nuclear Association, 2011 ** Reuters, 2011

India

China

Pakistan

The geopolitical placement of Nepal & risk of cross-border RDD transport!!!

Nepal’s Nuclear Profile

Natural radiation dose is 1.8 mSv/yr (Shrestha, 2004)

4 Co-60 teletherapy sources; supervised partly by US DOE/Global Threat Reduction Initiative to improve security

Importance of preparedness for radiological emergency realized (Shrestha, 2004)

IAEA membership in 2008

Nuclear law under preparation

 

India

China

Pakistan

Nepal lacks…

National radiation protection authority

Organized radiological emergency preparedness team and resources

Health facility with radiation emergency department

India

China

Pakistan

Conclusions/Recommendations  1. Nepal should build up on radiological emergency preparedness capacity  2. IAEA should help establish and mature a nuclear program for Nepal

Chernobyl (Ukraine), 1986Fukushima (Japan), 2011