Abstract
Vietnam is a vibrant and emerging South East Asian economy. However, the country faces a challenging task in meeting rising energy demand and the need to securitize energy while addressing the negative environmental impact of fossil fuel utilization. Growing concerns about sustainable development have led Vietnam to develop civilian nuclear energy for electricity generation. Nuclear power is widely recognized as a clean, mature and reliable energy source. Its inclusion in Vietnam’s energy mix by 2030 is expected to supplement other energy sources from fossil fuel, hydropower plants, renewable resources and energy imports. Despite strong reservations in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, Vietnam has pursued its national nuclearization program. Civilian nuclear energy development has been widely regarded as a controversial issue, although it is intended for peaceful purposes and as a solution for long-term energy security. Anxiety over nuclear safety measures, inadequate nuclear regulatory mechanisms, lack of institutionalized radioactive waste management, the threat of nuclear accident, theft and terrorism, and nuclear proliferation have marred public perception. The apprehension towards nuclear energy development has raised serious questions on the ethics and risks of the technology. Using a qualitative approach of reviewing published scholarly research, we investigated the ethical and risk issues that manifest in civilian nuclear energy development in Vietnam. Our findings reveal that the conundrum of civilian nuclear energy revolves around balancing energy security, environment preservation and societal well-being with ethical and risk predicaments of nuclear energy.
Highlights
Rapid industrialization, along with population growth, high electrification rate and urbanization, has resulted in mounting pressure on energy demand and supply in Vietnam
Naidu & Moorthy: Ethics and risks in Vietnam nuclear energy safety measures in place to minimize the risk of nuclear incidents
Radiation leakage is subjected to ethical calculation, studies have shown that the magnitudes and probabilities of leakages are inconclusive (UNESCO 2012)
Summary
Along with population growth, high electrification rate and urbanization, has resulted in mounting pressure on energy demand and supply in Vietnam. Ethics Sci Environ Polit 22: 1–12, 2022 energy, nuclear power addresses the dual objectives of strengthening energy security and mitigating climate change effects. Despite Vietnam’s peaceful intention of developing nuclear power to meet long-term energy demand, complex ethical and risk concerns exist between energy requirements and environmental well-being, societal health and national security. The contention is further exacerbated as developed nations such as Germany and Switzerland have opted to completely phase out nuclear power in their energy mix by 2022 and 2034, respectively, in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident (Peimani 2012). Other countries’ mixed positions regarding nuclear energy development have propelled a global debate on the technology (Goodfellow et al 2015). The risks and ethical concerns led the Vietnamese government to reconsider the adoption of nuclear energy in 2016 (Nguyen & Minh 2016)
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