Climate Risks to India’s Nuclear Program

The document examines the vulnerabilities of India's nuclear infrastructure to climate-induced threats, including sea-level rise, cyclones, and extreme rainfall. It highlights a history of 'near-misses' and safety lapses, arguing that the lack of an independent regulator and a culture of secrecy exacerbate these risks. The author identifies the west coast and Tamil Nadu as high-risk zones and notes that climate change may indirectly increase nuclear tensions via the India-Pakistan rivalry over the Indus River Basin.

• India's nuclear facilities face significant risks from climate-driven extreme weather, with the highest risk enhancement for sites on the west coast and in Tamil Nadu due to cyclones, flooding, and sea-level rise.
• Inland nuclear installations are increasingly vulnerable to major flooding caused by a projected increase in extreme rainfall events, a risk previously demonstrated by a 1994 incident at the Kakrapar plant.
• The safety of India's nuclear program is undermined by the lack of an independent regulatory body, as the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is not autonomous from the agencies that govern the program.
• Climate change may indirectly escalate nuclear risks by exacerbating water security tensions between India and Pakistan within the Indus River Basin.
• India's expansion into third-country nuclear projects, such as the project in Rooppur, Bangladesh, exposes it to the climate risks of those geographies, including cyclonic activity and sea-level rise.
• The transport of nuclear materials over long distances in unmarked vehicles increases the risk of radioactive spillage during natural disasters or accidents on poorly maintained roads.

APA

Shidore, S. (2020). Climate Risks to India’s Nuclear Program. The Council on Strategic Risks. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ShidoreClimateRisksIndiaNuclear.pdf

Chicago

Shidore, Sarang. Climate Risks to India’s Nuclear Program. The Council on Strategic Risks, 2020. https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ShidoreClimateRisksIndiaNuclear.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shidore |first1=Sarang |title=Climate Risks to India’s Nuclear Program |publisher=The Council on Strategic Risks |date=20 March 2020 |url=https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ShidoreClimateRisksIndiaNuclear.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{shidore2020climate, author = {Shidore, Sarang}, title = {{Climate Risks to India’s Nuclear Program}}, institution = {The Council on Strategic Risks}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://councilonstrategicrisks.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ShidoreClimateRisksIndiaNuclear.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }