IAEA and Central Asian Countries Extend Cooperation on Safe Management of Former Uranium Sites

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has published a new strategic master plan outlining continued cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as with international organizations, on the reclamation of uranium legacy sites in the region through 2030.

The plan aims to ensure the long-term safety of areas previously used for uranium mining and processing and to reduce risks to human health and the environment.

Uranium legacy sites include former facilities for uranium extraction, processing, and enrichment, operating from the mid-1940s to the 1990s, which were later abandoned without proper closure and decommissioning plans. These sites often contain residual radioactive and toxic materials.

The IAEA Uranium Legacy Sites Coordination Group supports regional states in the safe management of such sites, helping to minimize potential impacts on human health and ecosystems.

Hildegarde Vandenhove, Director of the IAEA’s Radiation, Transport, and Waste Safety Division, noted that the new plan represents a logical continuation of cooperation initiated in 2017. It focuses on strengthening the legal and regulatory framework, technical solutions, financial mechanisms, and human capacity needed for sustainable and safe management of reclaimed sites in line with IAEA standards.

The document was presented in Tashkent in October 2025 and will serve as the foundation for future activities by the IAEA, international partners, and regional countries. It emphasizes systematic monitoring of reclaimed areas, technical maintenance, comprehensive documentation, and continuous engagement with stakeholders to ensure the safe and productive use of land after remediation.

Over the eight years of implementing the previous 2017 plan, significant progress was made in Central Asia. Seven uranium legacy sites were designated as high-priority due to elevated risks to nearby communities and the environment.

To date, four of these have been fully reclaimed—two in Kyrgyzstan and two in Uzbekistan—allowing these areas to return to safe productive use.

Work continues on one of the largest and most complex sites in Kyrgyzstan, with reclamation expected to be completed by 2032. In Tajikistan, one site has been partially reclaimed, while work on another has yet to begin.

The new strategic plan goes beyond previously defined priorities and also includes lower-risk sites not covered in the prior reclamation phase. These are locations with lesser environmental, social, and economic threats, but which still require systematic monitoring and long-term management.

At the signing ceremony, Sardorbek Yakubekov, Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Committee for Industrial, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety, emphasized that the IAEA Uranium Legacy Sites Coordination Group is a clear example of how collective international efforts, united by a common goal to protect people and the environment, can achieve tangible and sustainable results.

Since 2012, the IAEA Coordination Group has provided comprehensive support to Central Asian countries, including developing practical recommendations for reclamation strategies, sending expert missions to oversee work, and assisting in building institutional capacity and regulatory frameworks for uranium legacy site management. Its members include the IAEA, the European Commission, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and other international organizations and member states.