A leading Pakistani researcher has issued a stern warning against Japan's decision to release nuclear-contaminated water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, branding it a "global issue' that could have 'severe repercussions."

Khalid Waleed, the Lead Researcher of the Energy Unit at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Pakistan, cautioned about the far-reaching implications of such an act. "This isn't merely a Japanese problem. It's a global concern with potentially severe economic and environmental ramifications, not to mention the likely impact on the fishing industry," he stated.

Waleed urged the Japanese government to take into account the concerns raised by the Pacific Islands Forum and neighbouring countries. He stressed on the need for data transparency, site visits, and in-depth research on the contaminated water. "If Japan seeks to maintain transparency and openness, it needs to involve all neighbouring nations and members of the Pacific Islands Forum in this process. This isn't just a Japanese problem, it's a global issue," he reiterated.

In April 2021, Japan unilaterally declared its intention to discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Despite the strong opposition from the international community, particularly neighbouring countries and stakeholders, the Japanese government officially greenlit the plan in July 2022 and has repeatedly insisted that it will not delay the implementation.

STORY: Japan's nuke wastewater discharge plan "a global issue": Pakistani expert
DATELINE: July 7, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:40
LOCATION: Islamabad
CATEGORY: POLITICS/ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the sea
2. various of protests in Japan
3. SOUNDBITE (English): KHALID WALEED, Lead researcher of Energy Unit, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan
4. various of protests in South Korea
5. various of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

STORYLINE:

A Pakistani expert has lambasted Japan's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water from its crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, calling it "a global issue" with "drastic consequences."

SOUNDBITE (English): KHALID WALEED, Lead researcher of Energy Unit, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Pakistan
"I think its repercussions and its implications will be huge. This is not just the Japanese problem. This is I think, a global problem as well. And we think it will have economic consequences; it will have climate change consequences; it will have environmental concerns; it will have some very drastic consequences for the fisheries as well.
Specifically, the Japanese government should address all the concerns raised by the Pacific Islands Forum, and all the concerning and neighboring countries in terms of data availability, in terms of site visits, in terms of research on the contaminated water. I think if Japan wants to ensure openness, transparency, all the neighboring countries, all the Pacific Islands Forum countries, they should be involved in this process, because this is not just the Japanese issue, this is the global issue."

In April 2021, the Japanese government unilaterally announced that it will discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. It officially approved the discharge plan in July 2022 in disregard of strong opposition from the international community, especially neighboring countries and other stakeholders, and declared multiple times that it will not postpone the implementation of the plan.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Islamabad.
(XHTV)