Climate Change and Nuclear Security: Assessing Risks to Nuclear Infrastructure in Vulnerable Regions
Abstract
This study investigates how climate change intensifies security risks to nuclear infrastructure in vulnerable regions, where rising temperatures, flooding, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events increasingly threaten operational stability and safety systems. The problem lies in the absence of integrated frameworks that simultaneously address climate projections and nuclear security planning, leaving critical infrastructure exposed to compound environmental risks. The study is guided by risk society theory and resilience theory, which together explain how modern technological systems become increasingly fragile under conditions of environmental uncertainty and cascading hazards. A mixed-methods research design is adopted, combining qualitative policy analysis with quantitative climate-risk modeling to assess exposure levels across coastal and inland nuclear facilities. The dataset includes IPCC climate projection reports, International Atomic Energy Agency safety and incident records, and global disaster databases covering extreme weather events from 2000 to 2025. Results indicate that coastal nuclear plants face heightened risks from storm surges and sea-level rise, while inland facilities are increasingly vulnerable to heat stress and water scarcity that disrupt cooling mechanisms. Furthermore, governance gaps, outdated safety thresholds, and uneven regulatory capacity significantly amplify systemic vulnerability, particularly in developing regions. Measurable outcomes of the study include the development of a Nuclear Infrastructure Climate Risk Index, enabling predictive risk scoring, prioritization of adaptation strategies, and integration of climate resilience indicators into nuclear safety and emergency preparedness frameworks.
Keywords: Climate change; nuclear security; infrastructure vulnerability; resilience theory; risk assessment; climate hazards; nuclear safety governance
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20518841
