Sustainability challenges for the south Asia growth quadrangle: A regional electricity generation sustainability assessment

Abstract

Abstract Electricity generation sustainability assessment is conducted for the South Asia Growth Quadrangle [SAGQ] region. Sustainability indices are calculated for power generation infrastructure of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal within the SAGQ, and regional sustainability indices are estimated and compared. Results show that the sustainability status of this region is ‘moderately sustainable’ and its overall sustainability is dominated by India. However, in the absence of an acceptable generalized assessment model, the means of assessing the sustainability index of power generation systems vary from one model to another. This paper further demonstrates this variation in results using two models of sustainability assessment: the ‘global model’ and ‘multi-criteria decision analysis’ model. A generalized model could help by indicating primary bases about the sustainability of an assessed generation system. However, this would not be an optimal assessment towards policymaking decisions. Use of more than one sustainability assessment model is thus recommended for a particular region under assessment. Importantly, this type of regional sustainability assessment could help energy policymakers to make more informed decisions about future electricity generation systems and maintain overall sustainable development.