Challenge of Economic Growth and the Concern for Energy Security: A Comparative Analysis of South and South-East Asia

Rapidly increasing dependence of the economic growth process on energy and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves at a fast pace have raised concerns for securing energy supply across the world. The developing nations remain the worst affected on at least two counts: first, they are at the lower levels of economic development and thereby have the pressing need for growth; second, they have the limited affordability to finance their energy imports in the face of rapid surge in the prices of fossil fuels. In such a context, this study provides a comparative analysis of South and South-east Asia – the major economies of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are selected from the former region and Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are selected from the latter for focused analytical inquiry into energy supply situation and energy policy framework.