VIENNA, Austria: Pakistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed the fifth Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period 2026–2031 on Wednesday, during the IAEA General Conference in Vienna.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwar, Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and Mr. Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, a statement issued by the IAEA said.
The CPF outlines Pakistan’s national priorities where nuclear science and technology will contribute to socio-economic development. It builds upon a long-standing partnership and aligns with Pakistan’s national development agenda and global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Spanning three Technical Cooperation cycles, the framework focuses on five key areas: food and agriculture, human health and nutrition, climate change and water resource management, nuclear power, and radiation and nuclear safety.
In agriculture, which contributes nearly a quarter of GDP and employs more than a third of the workforce, nuclear techniques will be used to boost crop yields, strengthen pest control, improve livestock health, and enhance food safety. Pakistan’s participation in the IAEA’s Atoms4Food initiative demonstrates its commitment to food security and climate-resilient farming.
In the health sector, the growing burden of cancer and non-communicable diseases has made healthcare a national priority. Under the CPF, Pakistan will enhance its collaboration with the IAEA in areas such as nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, medical physics, and radiopharmaceuticals.
On the environmental front, Pakistan remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, facing acute water scarcity and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Through the CPF, nuclear techniques—particularly isotope hydrology—will be used to monitor water resources, improve irrigation efficiency, and enhance climate resilience. The Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), an IAEA Collaborating Centre, will play a key role in implementing these technologies.
In the energy sector, nuclear power contributes more than 18% to Pakistan’s annual electricity generation, with six reactors currently operational and a seventh under construction at Chashma. The CPF prioritizes critical areas such as plant life management, waste management, non-destructive testing, and safe decommissioning. These efforts aim to ensure long-term energy security while helping Pakistan meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030.
In the area of nuclear safety, the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) will continue to enhance its regulatory oversight of nuclear activities. With IAEA support, efforts will focus on improving emergency preparedness, the safe disposal of radioactive waste, secure transport of nuclear materials, and the integration of artificial intelligence into regulatory processes.
