IAEA Forum 2025 Highlights Nuclear Science as Key to Global Water Security

At the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna, the annual IAEA Scientific Forum brought together government ministers, scientists, and international experts to address one of the most urgent issues of our time—global water security. The 2025 edition, themed “Atoms for Water”, showcased how nuclear science and isotope hydrology are providing solutions to water scarcity, pollution, and climate-driven stresses. More than 350 participants attended the opening session, reflecting the rising global urgency around water challenges.

Nuclear Science for Water Challenges

Water resources worldwide are under mounting pressure from climate change, population growth, and pollution. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stressed the importance of scientific innovation in his opening remarks: “Water is one of our most vital shared resources. Through nuclear techniques, we can better understand, manage and protect it, and mobilize the partnerships and resources needed to turn science into solutions.”

Nuclear techniques such as isotope hydrology help trace the origin, movement, and quality of water resources. This data enables policymakers to assess groundwater reserves, monitor the impact of climate change, and implement efficient irrigation and desalination strategies. Nuclear tools are also being applied to water pollution control, including through the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics initiative, which uses radiation to upcycle plastics and treat wastewater.

The Philippines will host the International High-Level Forum on NUTEC Plastics in November 2025, advancing global dialogue on combating plastic pollution before it reaches water sources.

Building Resilience Through Innovation

The Forum’s technical sessions explored tools for advancing water sustainability, including data collection, governance, financing, and innovation. Speakers underscored the need to close critical knowledge gaps.

Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, warned: “Too much of the world’s water remains understudied, unmeasured, and unmanageable. Nuclear science, alongside meteorology and hydrology, can help close this data gap.”

France’s Anne-Isabelle Étienvre of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission echoed the sentiment, calling for science, policy, and industry to work together, insisting that “science always harboured hope.”

Strengthening Global Networks

The IAEA announced that its Global Water Analysis Laboratory (GloWAL) Network has begun accepting applications from laboratories worldwide. The initiative will improve countries’ capacity to track and manage water resources, produce reliable data for policy, and foster regional and international collaboration.

Country Commitments and Partnerships

Several nations highlighted how IAEA support is already making a difference:

• Niger signed a World Bank–backed agreement with the IAEA to build a national water quality laboratory and modernize regional labs, enhancing water resource management.

• China reaffirmed its partnership with the IAEA, recalling support for its first isotope hydrology lab in 1990 and committing to future collaboration.

• Peru’s Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Ángel Manuel Manero Campos, emphasized the peaceful role of nuclear technology in addressing water scarcity and irrigation challenges.

These examples underscore how partnerships between governments, scientific communities, and multilateral banks can transform water challenges into opportunities for sustainable development.

Mobilizing Finance for Water Security

Financing emerged as a central theme of the Forum. Experts agreed that while governments, international organizations, and civil society currently invest about $165 billion annually in the water sector, trillions are needed to meet growing demand.

Winston Yu, Water Practice Manager at the World Bank, stressed that the private sector must increase its contribution, which currently accounts for just 2 percent of global water funding. He pointed to Niger’s partnership with the IAEA as a model for blending technology and financing.

Najat Mokhtar, IAEA Deputy Director General, reminded participants that “science alone is not enough—we need resources and partnerships to bring nuclear solutions where they are most needed.”

Looking ahead, the 2026 UN Water Conference in Dakar will focus heavily on water finance. Senegal’s representative, Mohamed CBC Diatta, said the conference will “harness science, multilateralism, cooperation and innovation” to protect water as a global public good.

Nuclear Science as a Cornerstone for Action

The Forum concluded with a strong call for scaling up innovation, international cooperation, and policy action. Speakers agreed that nuclear sciences—through isotope hydrology, radiation technologies, and advanced data systems—are critical to achieving sustainable water management.

Grossi closed the Forum by emphasizing that water challenges are solvable if global partnerships harness science effectively: “Science alone is not enough. We must bring together governments, international organizations, and financial institutions to turn knowledge into resilience. The IAEA will continue to be a partner in ensuring water security for future generations.”