International Journal of South Asian Studies

Climate change is real, serious, and inescapable, and its looming effects, certain and uncertain, may prove to be destabilizing on a massive scale. Stemming the tide of climate change and adapting to its far-reaching security implications must therefore rank among the most vital strategic priorities today. South Asia is warming up faster than the global average, likely resulting in more frequent and powerful extreme weather events, fuelling salinisation particularly in low-lying coastal areas. The importance of environmental security and sustainable development in South Asia continues to heighten in response to rapid growth in energy consumption, increasing dependence on energy imports and growing concerns about the potential economic and social impacts of climate change. Cleaner and more advanced energy efficient and lower emission technologies are an essential component of any approach that aims to ease the pressure of growing energy demand and to reduce growth in greenhouse gas emissions, while allowing South Asian economies to pursue a range of other policy objectives, including improving energy security and economic growth and development. Regional cooperation can play a key role in adaptation and development in the region.