Collective Energy Security, Economic Prosperity and Mitigation of Climate Change in South Asia

Abstract

Affordable access to energy and power is vital for economic and human development, industrialization, and poverty alleviation. Over 20% of South Asia's population does not have access to power, resulting in immense economic growth and prosperity deprivation. The limited endowment of locally available energy resources; varied financial and technological capabilities among South Asian nations greatly restrict their efficient and sustainable power generation and utilization capacity. Containment of energy resources, mismatch of power generation, and user locations due to cross-border non-collaboration have created inefficient uses of limited locally available energy and power. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to review current power generation capacities, available energy resources (conventional and renewable), potential cross-border collaboration in power trade and exchange, and collective investment in sustainable power generation in South Asian nations.