Mitigation Adaptation Monitoring
Preserving a Liveable Planet with Nuclear Science
To preserve a liveable planet, a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is an urgent priority.
The IAEA supports countries in the safe and peaceful use of nuclear science and technology to reduce GHGs and mitigate the severe impact of climate change.
Do you know where most greenhouse gases come from?
The largest share of greenhouse gases comes from the energy sector— which is largely based on fossil fuel (coal, oil, and gas) — accounting for around 2/3 of total emissions.
Agriculture accounts for 23% of global emissions, making it the second-largest producer of greenhouse gases after energy.
As the global population grows, the demand for energy and food will continue to rise, further increasing GHG emissions. To mitigate their damaging impact, it is crucial to move towards low carbon energy and climate-smart agriculture.
Did you know that the IAEA supports countries in both areas?
With one of the lowest carbon footprints among energy technologies, 24/7 availability, and the ability to operate flexibly and safely, nuclear power can make an important contribution to the stability and security of a fully decarbonized power system.
The IAEA helps countries use nuclear energy to mitigate climate change while meeting growing energy demand for development.
With a combination of nuclear and renewable energy, we can achieve a cost-effective energy transition with minimized land occupation.
With a combination of nuclear and renewable energy, we can achieve a cost-effective energy transition with minimized land occupation.
To harness the full potential of nuclear energy in the transition to net zero energy systems, the IAEA launched a new initiative.
Nuclear techniques offer substantial advantages over conventional techniques for mitigating the impact of climate change.
The IAEA, together with the FAO, supports countries in using nuclear and isotopic techniques to develop climate-smart agriculture practices that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing GHG by managing fertilizer use
The inappropriate use of Nitrogen fertilizer, a key component in food production, can lead to emissions of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), which all contribute to climate change and global warming.
However, by using Nitrogen-15, a stable isotope of nitrogen and an ideal tracer, farmers can easily measure its quantity in plants, soils, water and air, control the amount of fertilizer used and thus reduce emissions.
When the soil is fertilized with animal manure and crop residues, its content of organic carbon increases. By using stable isotopes, such as nitrogen-15 and carbon-13, scientists can track and analyse how efficiently crops consume nitrogen and how well carbon is stored in the soil. This enables them to advise farmers on exactly how much animal manure and/or chemical nitrogen fertilizer they need to apply to their crops.
In addition to mitigation efforts, the world needs solutions to ensure water supply and food production despite extreme weather conditions, which have made it harder to grow food and sustain freshwater availability.
The IAEA supports countries in adapting to the severe impact of climate change by transferring relevant nuclear technologies and techniques. Over the past decade, the IAEA has supported almost 500 projects related to climate change adaptation in more than 100 countries around the world, disbursing over €110 million in support.
Isotope hydrology for sustainable water resource management
Isotopic hydrology can provide countries with vital data on the age, quality and source of their water, critical information needed to know how much water they have, and how long it will last. This information enables resource managers to strengthen national water security and resilience planning.
Climate-smart agriculture
Water is a vital resource for food production. An estimated 70% of freshwater usage in the world is for agriculture, and the demand is growing. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) foresees that by 2050 water demand for agriculture will increase by 50% due in part to population growth.
The IAEA is committed to helping countries make optimal use of nuclear science and technology to conserve water resources.
Conserving Water: In Agriculture, drip irrigation, a technique used to conserve water, can be made more effective by using an isotopic technique, which can determine the precise amount of water a plant needs and the appropriate application times and intervals.
▶︎ See below how Namibia conserves water and improves harvests using drip irrigation.
Managing Water Resources: In many countries, due to inadequate monitoring and reporting systems and insufficient resources, there is a lack of credible and timely data for managing water.
Since the 1960s, the IAEA has been a world leader in generating and exchanging isotope hydrology scientific information through its global isotope observation networks.
Now a new global laboratory network — Global Water Analysis Laboratory (GloWAL) Network — is empowering countries around the world to generate the data needed to manage their water resources effectively.
Climate-resilient food production using nuclear techniques
The IAEA works through the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture to assist countries in adapting to climate change.
Nuclear techniques can be used in many areas to adapt food production to climate change.
Improving Harvests: Plant breeding is being used to induce mutations in plants to develop new varieties that have greater resilience to climate change and tolerance to environmental stresses.
▶︎ See how Bangladesh has developed 85 improved crop varieties that not only survive harsher climates, but also show increased crop yield and quality.
Food Safety: Countries are enhancing food safety and preventing foodborne illnesses and the spread of insect pests by irradiating food using X-rays or gamma rays.
▶︎ See how Viet Nam processes more than 14,000 tonnes of food each year for safe consumption using nuclear techniques.
Animal Health: Nuclear and nuclear-derived techniques are being used to diagnose diseases, characterize variants, and develop vaccines.
▶︎ See how Ethiopia protects its livestock and produces more than 260 million animal vaccine doses per year.
To ensure food security, the IAEA and FAO have launched the initiative Atoms4Food to provide countries with ground-breaking solutions tailored to their specific needs and circumstances by harnessing the advantages of nuclear techniques.
Learn more about how nuclear techniques are helping countries adapt to climate change.
▶︎ Namibia Conserves Water and Improves Harvests
▶︎ Namibia Conserves Water and Improves Harvests
▶︎ Ensuring Freshwater Availability
▶︎ Ensuring Freshwater Availability
▶︎ Bangladesh Develops New Crops and Improves Harvests
▶︎ Bangladesh Develops New Crops and Improves Harvests
▶︎ Viet Nam Ensures Food Safety
▶︎ Viet Nam Ensures Food Safety
▶︎ Ethiopia Protects Animal Health
▶︎ Ethiopia Protects Animal Health
As the international community works towards long term solutions to the consequences of climate change, reliable data on how GHGs cause the changes occurring on land, in the oceans and throughout the atmosphere are critical.
The IAEA uses a variety of nuclear techniques, primarily isotopic, to identify and monitor the risks and threats associated with GHG emissions, and then shares that data with Member States to help further research and the formulation of sustainable climate policies.
Did you know that oceans absorb about a quarter of CO2 emissions every year?
While the full impacts of climate change on the oceans are unclear, studies predict increasing temperatures, rising sea levels and changes to the ocean chemistry, such as ocean acidification, among others.
The IAEA supports Member States in using nuclear and isotopic techniques to develop a science-based understanding of changes in the ocean and support climate change monitoring and adaptation activities.
To raise awareness of the impact of climate change on oceans, the IAEA’s Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre promotes international collaboration on ocean acidification and informs about the role of nuclear and isotopic techniques in assessing its impacts.
Learn more about how the IAEA's helps countries to understand changes in the ocean
Monitoring Marine Ecosystem: For more than ten years, the IAEA has worked with the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) to develop and apply nuclear techniques for monitoring the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. The information gathered informs policies needed to ensure the resilience of marine ecosystems and coastal communities. Read more here ▼
▶︎ Kuwait Monitors Marine Ecosystems Using Nuclear Science
▶︎ Kuwait Monitors Marine Ecosystems Using Nuclear Science
Do you know where the greenhouse gases in your region come from?
To fight climate change, we need to know where greenhouse gases are coming from.
To determine their origin, IAEA and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have been cooperating since 1960 to help countries perform high-quality stable isotope analysis.
The data generated enables scientists to provide decision-makers with the tools and know-how necessary to take meaningful actions to reduce emissions in their countries.
The IAEA promotes nuclear-based solutions to preserve and restore the environment from climate-related weather events and disasters through the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to and monitoring of the adverse consequences of climate change.
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Learn more about nuclear solutions to fight climate change.
MITIGATION
Nuclear power and climate change
How can we get carbon emissions to net zero?
Sustainable nuclear energy
ADAPTATION
Agriculture
Water
MONITORING
Targeting greenhouse gas emissions
Ocean acidification
Measuring greenhouse gases
The IAEA looks forward to strengthening and establishing partnerships to support Member States towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the Paris Agreement in areas such as energy, sustainable land use, climate smart agriculture, food production systems, analysis of global greenhouse gas emissions, water management, and oceans and coastal protection. The IAEA brings together experts, coordinates research, and fosters cooperation between countries to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change.
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