Georgia Becomes the 50th Member of IAEA's International Radiation Monitoring System

Georgia and Albania’s accession strengthens IRMIS’ coverage in Eastern Europe and enhances data sharing regionally and globally.

Khatia Jikuridze, Head of Georgia’s Agency of Nuclear and Radiation Safety (ANRS) expressed appreciation for “the IAEA’s immense efforts to maintain tools that assist all countries in taking appropriate protective actions during emergencies.

“Georgia’s recent membership in the IRMIS underscores our unwavering commitment to the international legal regime and global collaboration," she added.

IRMIS is established to assist in the implementation of the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident. It is not an early warning system but instead focuses on providing real-time monitoring of environmental radioactivity and assessment of radiological hazards caused by radioactive materials, emergencies or accidents. This aids countries in decision-making for public protection.

IRMIS's data comprises two types: routine data, which includes radiation dose rates from fixed monitoring stations voluntarily submitted by countries, and emergency data shared during nuclear or radiological emergencies when countries deem it necessary. The IRMIS also supports and strengthens the Unified System for Information Exchange in Incidents and Emergencies (USIE).

The IRMIS displays real-time information on radiation levels on a map showing what are known as IAEA Operational Intervention Levels (OILs), which are guidelines used by emergency response teams during a nuclear or radiological emergency. They help these teams quickly decide what actions to take to protect people and the environment, based on the levels of radiation they detect through monitoring. This information enables countries’ emergency responders to assess and minimize any potential risks to human health and the environment.

Since its creation in 2016, the radiation monitoring information system network has expanded to 50 countries including: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom and United States of America.