Addressing the Resilience Issues of NPP to Climate Change Through the CNS and VDNS: An Evaluation of Applicability from the Perspective of Indonesia as an Embarking Country

The resilience of nuclear power plants (NPPs) to climate change has become an increasingly important issue for operators, regulators, and the international nuclear safety community. Climate change is intensifying external hazards such as heatwaves, droughts, flooding, storm surges, sea-level rise, wildfires, and ecosystem changes, all of which may challenge the safety and operation of NPPs. At the international level, the Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) and the Vienna Declaration on Nuclear Safety (VDNS) constitute the principal frameworks governing nuclear safety. Although neither instrument explicitly addresses climate change, both provide mechanisms that are relevant to enhancing NPP resilience. This paper examines how the CNS and VDNS implicitly address climate change–related resilience issues and how contracting parties—particularly embarking countries such as Indonesia—can utilize these international regimes to strengthen their national regulatory frameworks. Using qualitative and descriptive analysis based on international conventions, IAEA safety standards, and national regulatory practices, the study explores climate-related hazards, their impacts on NPP systems, and the applicability of existing safety principles. The analysis shows that the CNS framework supports the identification and management of external hazards and promotes continuous safety improvement, which is essential for addressing evolving climate risks. Similarly, the VDNS reinforces the need for robust design, periodic safety reassessment, and timely safety enhancements, all of which are relevant to climate adaptation. The paper concludes that resilience to climate change is an essential element of nuclear safety. It recommends that contracting parties actively use CNS review mechanisms, align national regulations with international standards, and integrate climate considerations into siting, design, operation, and emergency preparedness, thereby strengthening both safety performance and regulatory capacity. Keywords: Climate change, NPP resilience, CNS, VDNS, regulatory infrastructure.