South Asia, home to over two billion people and a quarter of the global population, has experienced remarkable economic expansion over the past decade. However, this growth has been accompanied by a significant surge in energy demand. Pakistan has set ambitious targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while India has promised the same by 2070. As these nations strive to balance meeting their energy and development needs with the imperative of reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change, nuclear energy has emerged as a crucial component of the region’s rapidly growing energy bucket.
South Asia’s nuclear energy capabilities hold immense potential, with India operating 22 nuclear reactors and Pakistan operating six, and an additional seven under construction in India. However, against the backdrop of historical tensions between these nuclear-armed neighbors, as well as new geopolitical dynamics and energy crises unfolding in Europe and the Middle East, South Asia finds itself at a pivotal juncture where nuclear energy presents both dire challenges and crucial opportunities.
South Asian Voices has compiled an archive of past publications and recent analysis on nuclear energy in South Asia. Authors in this collection explore the economic, environmental, geopolitical, and security dimensions of civilian nuclear energy production, particularly in India and Pakistan, and offer policy recommendations to overcome its challenges. Please continue to check back on this page as we update the collection.
***
Image 1: Nuclear Energy via Flickr
