Support for nuclear power in Central Asia: examining historical and spatial separation

The countries of Central Asia have a perilous nuclear legacy inherited from the Soviet Union. Using survey data from Aktau and Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, a generalised ordered logit model is used to analyse relationships between people’s attitudes, location, and demographic characteristics and their support towards construction of NPPs. Results suggest there is complex association between historical proximity and support for NPPs. Furthermore, the general public can be separated into two groups: (1) those who oppose nuclear power and (2) those that have become complacent towards future risks. Perceived risk to human safety, radiation, and environmental damage are found to be associated with higher levels of opposition to the building of an NPP, whereas importance of job creation is found to be associated with higher levels of support for an NPP. These results are important as they indicate a need to promote public engagement prior to constructing an NPP.