IAEA in need of €40mn to close funding gap on addressing radioactive and toxic waste in Central Asia

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) during a conference in Vienna on September 21 announced that a funding gap of €40mn must be closed to finance urgent work addressing the imminent danger caused by radioactive and toxic waste in Central Asia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said in a statement.   

The international community established the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA) in 2015 to address the legacy of Soviet uranium mining in the region. Managed by EBRD, the ERA has led to significant progress thanks to work at two critical sites in Kyrgyzstan approaching completion ahead of schedule and within budget.

However, five more sites in the region are in urgent need of rehabilitation, with work on one new site expected to commence in Kyrgyzstan.