The March 1998 IAEA Bulletin edition examines recent developments in the work of the IAEA with its Member States in the fields of energy production assessment and fuel cycle management. New contexts and technologies create new challenges for Member States, and prompt new initiatives from the IAEA. Among such initiatives are the inter-agency project DECADES, aiming to enhance databases and methodologies for comparative assessment of different energy sources and conversion technologies; and the 1997 International Symposium on Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Reactor Strategies: Adjusting to New Realities. Articles in this edition report on selected aspects related to those initiatives, including energy production assessment, fuel and waste management and technology in civilian and research reactors, global trends in uranium production and demand, and nuclear fuel technology and performance.