Targeting of Nuclear Plants: Playing with Fire

Paper: GS – II, Subject: International Relations, Topic: Global Issues, Issue: Nuclear plants attacks threaten energy stability.

Context:

The targeting of nuclear plants in Iran and Ukraine poses significant global risks, especially considering the current fragile state of energy transitions.

Key Highlights:

• Renewed Relevance of Nuclear Power: Nuclear power is gaining importance as a low-emission, high-reliability energy source in an era of climate urgency and energy scarcity.

• Emerging Threat: Nuclear facilities are increasingly becoming targets in conflicts, eroding the long-standing principle of their protection.
• Examples: Recent incidents include Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and military activity around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
• Violation of International Law: Attacks on safeguarded nuclear facilities violate international law and the UN Charter, as outlined in Article 56 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions.
• Justifications and Tensions: Israel justifies its actions as preventive self-defense, while Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and under IAEA safeguards.
• This highlights the tension between enforcing non-proliferation and upholding the legitimacy of international safeguards.
• India’s Stake: India has a major stake in this conversation due to its ambitious nuclear energy expansion plans and commitment to net-zero goals.
• India-Pakistan Agreement: The Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan serves as a rare example of nuclear restraint.
• Need for International Convention: There is a need for a binding international convention that bans attacks on civilian nuclear facilities under all circumstances.
• Growing Demand for Nuclear Power: Nuclear power is essential for delivering clean, reliable, large-scale energy in a world shaped by climate stress, digital expansion, and geopolitical volatility.

Consequences and Implications:

• Radiological Disaster: A miscalculation or errant strike could lead to a radiological disaster, endangering thousands and contaminating entire regions.
• Erosion of Non-Proliferation Regime: Attacks on internationally safeguarded nuclear sites undermine confidence in the multilateral non-proliferation regime.
• Impact on Energy Security: Normalizing attacks on reactors changes the risk calculus for countries expanding their nuclear fleets, threatening energy security and development goals.
• Global Crisis: Every regional conflict risks triggering a global crisis if attacks on nuclear installations go unaddressed.
• Economic Development and Climate Action: Undermining nuclear infrastructure hampers economic development and climate action efforts, as nuclear power is a cornerstone of both.
• Need for Stronger Legal Protections: Current legal instruments are fragmented and lack enforcement, necessitating a binding international convention.
• Preservation of Global Energy Growth: Protecting nuclear facilities preserves prospects of global energy growth while safeguarding the global nuclear framework.
• Responsible Stewardship: India’s commitment to the Agreement with Pakistan underscores its record of responsible stewardship and strengthens its credibility in calling for global protections.

The increasing threat to nuclear facilities requires urgent attention and a concerted international effort to reaffirm the principle that nuclear infrastructure is not a target. A binding international convention is essential to protect lives, preserve energy security, and prevent a potential global crisis.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/targeting-nuclear-plants-in-iran-and-ukraine-playing-with-fire-10074810

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