Integrating social vulnerability into nuclear emergency evacuation planning: A review

Although nuclear energy holds immense potential to advance the transition toward a decarbonized energy mix, public perception of its risks remains disproportionately high compared to its actual hazard profile. A critical challenge resides in determining clear criteria for evacuating affected populations and effectively mitigating the public health impacts of nuclear accidents, particularly when accounting for social vulnerability factors that exacerbate disparities in risk exposure. This challenge is further compounded by limited availability of robust evidence to reinforce confidence in consequence analyses and verify emergency response strategies, compromising resilience in high-impact scenarios. To address these gaps, emergency management must adopt expanded roles to enhance public understanding of the actual risks associated with severe nuclear accidents. Equally important is the promotion of informed, safe behaviors during radiation emergencies, which is essential for minimizing health and safety impacts, particularly in densely populated areas. This paper clarifies the critical need for evidence-based reliable evacuation strategies that accounting for social vulnerability for nuclear emergencies. It identifies existing gaps and challenges in current research and practice, explores the complex interdependencies among infrastructure reliability, data availability and computational capability, and outlines potential pathways to enhance public safety and resilience.