Amid Obstacles, Central African Republic Opts for Progress with Nuclear Technology

In cooperation with 12 other countries in the Sahel and with the support of the IAEA, scientists at the University of Bangui are back on track, taking samples from groundwater in the Lake Chad Basin in northern Central African Republic.

Using isotopic techniques and collaborating with neighbouring countries, the scientists have so far delineated the source of water of the main aquifer at the Lake Chad Basin for the very first time: rivers that come from northern Central African Republic. Knowing where the groundwater comes from will now help policymakers protect it against pollution.

Click here to learn more about this project in the Sahel.

Agriculture

Cassava — or manioc, as it is known in the region — is the most consumed food in central Africa. It contains plenty of starch, calcium, phosphorous, protein and vitamin C. Crucially, it can grow in harsh environments when adequate nutrients are added to the soil.

But even such a resilient plant needs protection.

“In every field, you will see cassava, but not all varieties are resistant to climate change and disease,” said Sila Semballa, coordinator of the Laboratory of Biological and Agronomic Sciences for Development (LASBAD) and dean of the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Bangui.

The IAEA, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is using irradiation techniques to improve cassava and enable it to resist adverse climate conditions and diseases such as the mosaic virus and the brown streak virus disease in the Central African Republic.

Scientists use irradiation to induce genetic variation in plants. This increases the genetic diversity of crops and can result in new varieties with improved characteristics. In 2016, scientists at the FAO/IAEA Laboratories in Austria irradiated cassava cuttings, which are now planted in the Central African Republic for testing. Scientists at LASBAD also send selected varieties to farmers for further testing.

“The plants need to be in a natural environment exposed to all types of aggression” said Geralde Gado Yamba Kassa, a researcher who spent six months as a visiting fellow at the FAO/IAEA Laboratories in 2015-2016. “This way, we can check which ones resist and which ones do not. There is a tremendous opportunity to increase production in this country.”

A new FAO/IAEA project to increase soil fertility is expected to be launched next year. International scientists will train locals on the use of nuclear-derived techniques to measure nitrogen quantities in soil with the aim of optimizing the use of nitrogen fertilizer.

“We are in an agricultural country. If we increase crop productivity, we increase the means of living for millions of people,” said Kosh Komba, who will be in charge of the project at the University of Bangui, while he walked through the empty laboratory that he has reserved for the project.

In 2013, the country’s National Agency for Radiation Protection — created with IAEA support to ensure safety in handling radioactive sources in the mining industry — suffered a blow.

“Rebels burnt our building, with all our equipment,” said Director General Gilbert Guido, standing on the ruins of what used to be his office. “Not even a needle is left.”

Now, Guido manages a team of 13 specialists trained by the IAEA who continue to benefit from IAEA fellowships and scientific visits. From his new temporary desk at the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Hydrology, Guido looks forward to restarting the work done before the eruption of the conflict.

“We do not have the equipment, but we have the people. With trained people, we hope to start again from the ashes.”