CTBT AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT AVAILS TO KENYA

The Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) advocates for the elimination of nuclear weapons, and materials and the use of nuclear energy in peaceful applications. In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments including, land, underground, under water and also in the air.

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) was established to achieve the objectives and purpose of CTBT by means of promotion of treaty signature and ratification for entry into force. It also exists to ensure the implementation of its provisions including those for international verification of compliance and provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among state parties. Its headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.

Kenya is the national focal point for liaison with CTBTO and signed the treaty on 14th November 1996 and ratified it on 30^th November 2000. By signing the treaty, Kenya pledges not to carry out nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosion and to prohibit and prevent any such nuclear explosion under its jurisdiction or control.

Seismic stations monitor shockwaves in the earth especially those caused by earthquakes while infrasound can detect ultra low frequency sound waves that are emitted by large explosions. Kenya hosts two international monitoring stations (IMS), a primary seismic monitoring station at Kilimambogo and an infrasound station at the Geology Department of the University of Nairobi. These two stations are linked to others worldwide and have installed equipment which detect illegal nuclear testing, transmit the same to the other stations and to the International Data Centre (IDC) in Vienna, Austria. A National Data Centre is situated in University of Nairobi which analyzes all data received from the 2 stations for national development then transmits it to the IDC.

Data received at the IDC is processed to derive objective products and services which offer a range of useful civil and scientific applications which could contribute to sustainable development and human welfare benefit the member states.

Data collected by stations can be used for other purposes apart from detecting nuclear explosions.  The IDC provides data for disaster mitigation especially in early detection of tsunamis and earthquakes which can save lives by evacuation of people around the affected regions.

Technologies used for detection of nuclear explosions can also be used for climate change monitoring; supporting research on marine life for instance whale populations and migration patterns that might be affected by climate change.

Why is it important to ban testing of nuclear weapons and materials? Nuclear testing emits deadly gases into the atmosphere which have adverse effects on both human and plant life. Exposure to radiation has been proven to damage body cells and even cause mutation leading to cancer. Humans are exposed to effects of radiation when they feed on contaminated vegetation, meat or milk products from animals exposed to such radiation. Radiation exposure depends on dosage of exposure to radiation and its effects may range from injuries to skin, eyes, and hair loss damage to internal organs or even instant death.  

Some of earthquakes detected by the seismic station in Kilimambogo include the 2002 earth tremors caused by volcanic activity in L. Tanganyika, Tanzania, the earthquakes  of  July  2007 which  originated   from   Lake  Natron  in   Tanzania  and   affected  buildings   in  Nairobi   because  of   movement    and   cracks as well as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in Japan in 2011.

The benefits that Kenya has accrued through its cooperation with CTBTO include the setting up of the two monitoring stations and National Data Centre, capacity building through training courses and workshops for personnel who man and interpret data from these stations and technical assistance in the installation and operation of international monitoring systems through the organized missions from the CTBTO headquarters. Other benefits CTBT offers states parties include enhanced international peace and security by supporting treaty.

The IMS Unit at the Department of Geology, University of Nairobi provides technical advice to the national authorities from wave form data obtained from the national stations that are part of the IMS and from the IDC products and act as a communication node for data from these stations and the IDC. The IMS Unit is also concerned with critical issues related to natural hazards of similar magnitudes such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunamis etc.

Enforcement of the CTBT therefore provides international security and protection of human’s health and environment from radionuclides released from radioactivity. Therefore the challenges of provision of adequate facilities and manpower for seismic and environmental monitoring locally must be dealt with.  There is need for IMS equipment upgrading and capacity building to ensure accurate reporting of the location and magnitude of earthquakes to improve the estimation of earthquakes hazards for disaster mitigation management and response efforts.

In the same breadth, there is need to strengthen seismology and geophysics research and training in our training institutions as well as the capacity to carry out earthquake studies and mitigation measures in potentially damaging earthquakes and tsunami related events.