118
S. Nakanwagi
fight climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This presents
an opportunity for the development and utilization of Nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is a form of energy produced by an atomic reaction. A
nuclear reactor produces energy through a chain reaction that splits a
uranium nucleus, releasing energy in the form of heat. The collision
of one neutron with one nucleus of uranium leads to the production
of electricity, among others. Many SSA countries such as South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia have got large
uranium deposits, and this makes the region a fertile ground for the
growth of the nuclear industry.
14 Namibia alone has got the potential
of providing 10% of the world’s mining output due to its substantial
uranium deposits and mines.
15
Nuclear energy is capable of producing an alternative source of electrical power to that supplied by the traditional sources—coal, gas, or oil
which are considered unclean.
16 This is especially important in a world
where the focus is shifting from the conventional energy sources to other
forms with a less carbon footprint in a bid to mitigate climate change—
the ‘energy transition’.
17 Nuclear energy, although not renewable per se,
is a clean source of power considering its tiny carbon footprint.
With respect to the nexus between nuclear energy and climate change,
it is worth briefly exploring what climate change means. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as
those changes in the state of the climate which persist for an extended
period whether due to natural causes or because of human activity.
18
The adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 which focuses a lot on
14 Further information at, https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/
others/uranium-in-africa.aspx; See also OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic
Energy Agency, Uranium 2018: Resources, Production and Demand (‘Red Book’)—A Joint Report
by the Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www.oecdnea.org/ndd/pubs/2018/7413-uranium-2018.pdf.
15 See World Nuclear Association, ‘Nuclear in Namibia,’ https://www.world-nuclear.org/inform
ation-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/namibia.aspx.
16 See OECD, Risks and Benefits of Nuclear Energy, 2007, supra.
17 Nalule, V.R.,. Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy: Is Africa Ready to Bid Farewell to
Fossil Fuels? In The Palgrave Handbook of Managing Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions, 2020
(pp. 261–286). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
18 IPCC, Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 , 2007, https://www.ipcc.ch/publicati
ons_and_data/ar4/syr/en/mains1.html.
S. Nakanwagi
fight climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. This presents
an opportunity for the development and utilization of Nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is a form of energy produced by an atomic reaction. A
nuclear reactor produces energy through a chain reaction that splits a
uranium nucleus, releasing energy in the form of heat. The collision
of one neutron with one nucleus of uranium leads to the production
of electricity, among others. Many SSA countries such as South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi and Zambia have got large
uranium deposits, and this makes the region a fertile ground for the
growth of the nuclear industry.
14 Namibia alone has got the potential
of providing 10% of the world’s mining output due to its substantial
uranium deposits and mines.
15
Nuclear energy is capable of producing an alternative source of electrical power to that supplied by the traditional sources—coal, gas, or oil
which are considered unclean.
16 This is especially important in a world
where the focus is shifting from the conventional energy sources to other
forms with a less carbon footprint in a bid to mitigate climate change—
the ‘energy transition’.
17 Nuclear energy, although not renewable per se,
is a clean source of power considering its tiny carbon footprint.
With respect to the nexus between nuclear energy and climate change,
it is worth briefly exploring what climate change means. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as
those changes in the state of the climate which persist for an extended
period whether due to natural causes or because of human activity.
18
The adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015 which focuses a lot on
14 Further information at, https://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/
others/uranium-in-africa.aspx; See also OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and International Atomic
Energy Agency, Uranium 2018: Resources, Production and Demand (‘Red Book’)—A Joint Report
by the Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency, https://www.oecdnea.org/ndd/pubs/2018/7413-uranium-2018.pdf.
15 See World Nuclear Association, ‘Nuclear in Namibia,’ https://www.world-nuclear.org/inform
ation-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/namibia.aspx.
16 See OECD, Risks and Benefits of Nuclear Energy, 2007, supra.
17 Nalule, V.R.,. Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy: Is Africa Ready to Bid Farewell to
Fossil Fuels? In The Palgrave Handbook of Managing Fossil Fuels and Energy Transitions, 2020
(pp. 261–286). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
18 IPCC, Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 , 2007, https://www.ipcc.ch/publicati
ons_and_data/ar4/syr/en/mains1.html.