Energy Interdependency in South Asia

Abstract

South Asian region comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives accommodates over 1.5 billion, which accounts for nearly one fourth of the total global population. There is a wide variation in the energy resources endowments among the South Asian countries in relation to hydropower, gas and coal resources and the region is also well endowed in other renewable energy sources such as (wind, solar, hydropower and biomass etc.) meeting a large portion of households’ energy demand across the region. The region faces challenges in efficiently meeting growing energy demand with increasing population pressure, can benefit from inter and intra-regional energy co-operation. This region provides a major opportunity for individual countries to address barriers to sustainable inclusive economic growth, especially in the energy sector as expanded energy co-operation can play an important role in long term economic development in this region. This paper based on the existing literature/documents from different sources including the authors’ contribution in this field, analyzes the existing state of energy status and energy interdependency within the South Asian countries and highlights opportunities, issues and challenges of cross border co-operation and trade.