The Rush for Nuclear Energy in Southeast Asia: Promises and Pitfalls

THE WORLD’S surging demand for energy, coupled with the urgent need to mitigate the impact of climate change, has pressed many states to explore clean energy alternatives. For many developing countries in Asia, nuclear energy seems to be the most viable option. Japan — which relies heavily on nuclear energy for about a third of its electricity needs and is a prime advocate for the use of nuclear energy for civilian use —has been a good point of reference.THE WORLD’S surging demand for energy, coupled with the urgent need to mitigate the impact of climate change, has pressed many states to explore clean energy alternatives. For many developing countries in Asia, nuclear energy seems to be the most viable option. Japan — which relies heavily on nuclear energy for about a third of its electricity needs and is a prime advocate for the use of nuclear energy for civilian use —has been a good point of reference.More importantly, this raises more concerns as to whether developing countries in Southeast Asia – many of which have poor public safety records and/or are in earthquake prone areas – are able to effectively manage their own nuclear energy programmes without jeopardizing the security of the region.