Islamabad: As a state party to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, Pakistan continues to uphold a nuclear safety regime aligned with international standards, including in radioactive waste management, said Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority Member (Executive) Shahid Rashid on Friday.
"We're committed to strengthening national capabilities and advancing international cooperation to ensure the protection of people and the environment from the effects of ionising radiation," Rashid told a five-day national workshop on radioactive waste management at the PNRA headquarters here.
The workshop was attended by 25 participants from regulatory body and operating organisations across Pakistan, along with three experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Participants discussed important topics such as waste characterisation, classification and criteria setting for safe waste acceptance. The sessions included expert talks, international practices and interactive discussions.
The PNRA member (executive) said that protecting people and the environment from harmful radiation depended on the safe handling of radioactive waste. He noted that proper identification and classification of waste were key steps in ensuring safety.
Nuclear safety expert Latife Ozge Unver, from the IAEA, emphasised the need for close inter-agency coordination amongst stakeholders as safe handling of radioactive waste is a shared national responsibility at the level of government, regulatory body and operating organisations.
