There is no doubt that Covid-19 pandemic
was a challenge for everyone: since the World Health Organisation (WHO)
declared in March 2021 a pandemic, hence triggering a global lock-down and
affecting every-day life. The nuclear industry felt the impact worldwide, and
in the UAE it was resilient in many aspects and especially in terms of
emergency preparedness and readiness to address a nuclear or radiological
emergency in such uncertain times.
Preparing for nuclear or radiological
emergencies is not a single agency undertaking. If history has taught us
anything over the past decades it is that local and regional collaboration and
coordination along with international cooperation are essential elements of
ensuring the safety of the public, workers and the environment.
At its core, preparing for nuclear or
radiological emergencies is a nationwide exercise in inter-agency
collaboration, continuous improvement, and regular testing and monitoring, in
addition to the development of international partnerships and knowledge sharing
agreements that allow regulatory authorities and other stakeholders around the
world to share best practices and technical data.
In September of 2009 the Federal
Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) was established as the UAE's
independent regulatory body for the nuclear sector. As part of its expansive
remit, FANR is responsible for overseeing the UAE's first Nuclear Power Programme
where the country is building a four-unit nuclear power station. It is also
responsible for licensing the more than 2500 organizations that utilize various
types of radiation sources as a part of their operations, and ensuring that all
licensees prepare plans to respond to any emergency that might occur.
In addition, FANR, through its Emergency
Operation Center, is responsible for independently following and assessing the
actions from licensees, providing technical advice to Incident Commander and
other decision-makers and liaising with the National Emergency Crisis and
Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA), other relevant government entities and
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). When fully activated, FANR's Emergency
Operation Center is staffed by a number of specially trained FANR employees who
operate around the clock in shifts.
Our work at FANR, however, is only a cog
in the well-oiled machine that represents the UAE's radiological emergency
preparedness. More than 30 government entities and countless personnel from
first responders, environmental, medical professionals to law enforcement form
a part of the UAE's plans and have undergone extensive training on how to react
and address nuclear or radiological emergencies. An example of these preparations
can be found in Ruwais, where members of staff at the Al Ruwais Hospital have
undergone special radiological emergency training and a special new Police
Nuclear Security Unit has been established as a part of the Al Dhafra Police
Directorate that specializes in responding to nuclear emergency.
In the development of its programme, the
UAE has benefitted from the collective experience and expertise of the international
community. FANR, NCEMA, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and its
subsidiaries, the Ministry of Interior and numerous other government entities
actively engage with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other
international organizations to share knowledge and ensure the highest standards
of safety, security and emergency preparedness.
The UAE routinely invites international
experts from the IAEA to review the nation's emergency program. During the 2019's
Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) Mission, the IAEA team noted the excellent
cooperation of all organizations involved and the mission stated that: "The UAE
has built its nuclear emergency preparedness and response program in an
effective way on the basis of an already strong national infrastructure for
crisis and emergency management."
In a further sign of the nation's
readiness to address a nuclear emergency, the UAE hosted in 2021 the Barakah UAE
Convex-3 exercise, which is organized every three to five years by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It fully activated its emergency
response centres across the country to test its emergency preparedness
and response capabilities simulating a radiological accident at the Barakah
Nuclear Power Plant. Over 76 countries, 12 international organizations and
111 laboratories took part in the exercise. The UAE, with its various
stakeholders covering different sectors, desomsranted its robust emergency
preparedness and response systems to address any potiencial emergency.
The UAE's commitment to inter-agency
collaboration, continuous improvement, international cooperation and regular
testing and monitoring, has resulted in the nation being unique prepared for
radiological emergencies.
Today, the UAE acts as a leading example
of how to successfully develop both a peaceful nuclear energy programme as well
as a comprehensive radiological emergency preparedness and response
infrastructure.