Impact of climate change on nuclear waste management (CLIMATE)
Objectives
Identify knowledge gaps and provide recommendations for future research needs on the impact of climate change on radioactive waste management facilities and sites (predisposal; shallow and near surface low level waste, LLW; deep geological repositories, DGR, for low and intermediate level waste LILW, and high-level waste HLW) during construction, operation and post-closure phases.
Description of the WP
- Climate evolution on millennial timescales or longer is a main driver of thermal conditions, regional sea level, local and regional geomorphological evolution, weathering processes, local and regional hydrogeological and hydrological conditions, and changes in natural and anthropogenic ecosystems.
- Climate change is affecting the frequency and intensity of events (floods, landslides, snowstorms, tornadoes, etc.), which can lead to climate-related risks. This, in turn, has the potential to affect the safety of different types of nuclear waste management facilities during construction, operation, and post-closure phases, and have an impact on the public and the environment.
- Assessing the impacts of climate change and its associated risks is a relatively new research topic within the nuclear waste management field, although climate scenarios are considered in post-closure safety assessments. In this context, the WP aims to identify knowledge gaps and provide recommendations for future research needs of the impacts of climate change and its associated risks on all types of nuclear waste management facilities and sites across Europe. The WP considers different climate regions and risk will be assessed in both in the short and long term, and consequently foster civil society’s confidence in radioactive waste management safety.
Outcomes
Implementation Safety
Collection of understanding from scientific community and visions from stakeholders of the climate change impacts on predisposal, LILW (surface/shallow and underground) and HLW facilities and sites in Europe during the construction, operational and post-closure phases.
Enhanced understanding of climate change impacts on predisposal, LILW (surface/shallow and underground) and HLW facilities in Europe during the construction, operational and post-closure phases through evaluation of hazard and risk assessment methodologies for improved confidence in safety case and operational safety.
Societal Engagement
Engagement with Civil Society and increased exchange of know-how and visions on climate change impacts among different stakeholders.
Knowledge Management
A deeper integration among different fields (climate change, biosphere, hydrological evolution, etc.) for better evaluation of climate change impacts on radioactive waste management.
