HKH region ‘sitting on vast renewable energy potential’, report finds
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The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region has significant untapped potential for renewable energy, yet clean energy accounts for only 6.1% of its total supply, a new report has revealed.
The study — “Together We Have More Power: Status, Challenges, and the Potential for Regional Renewable Energy Cooperation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya” — was released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and launched at an event hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Islamabad.
According to the report, fossil fuels continue to dominate the region’s energy mix, with Bangladesh generating 98% of its electricity from fossil fuels, followed by India (77%), Pakistan (76%), China (67%) and Myanmar (51%).
The authors said the HKH countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan — could become global leaders in clean energy if they strengthen cooperation on technology, infrastructure and cross-border energy trade. Greater collaboration, they said, could help lower costs, create jobs and boost regional stability.
