The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, spanning eight countries, sits on a renewable energy goldmine, with a potential exceeding 3.5 terawatts (TW), according to a comprehensive assessment released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Yet, despite this vast potential, clean energy constitutes a mere 6.1% of the region’s total primary energy supply, highlighting a significant untapped opportunity.
The report, titled ‘Together we have more power: status, challenges, and the potential for regional renewable energy cooperation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya’, delves into the current energy landscape, renewable energy share, and the prospects for regional cooperation. It reveals that the region’s identified hydropower potential stands at 882 gigawatts (GW), with a substantial 635GW originating from transboundary rivers. However, only 49% of this potential is currently being harnessed.
While Bhutan and Nepal have successfully met all their electricity needs with renewables, other countries in the region continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels. This disparity underscores the need for regional cooperation and energy trade, which could facilitate the transfer of renewable energy technologies and knowledge.
“The region has extraordinary renewables potential, as well as in India and China, two of the world’s pioneers in clean energy,” said Avishek Malla, the coordinating lead author of the report. He emphasized the need for investment in infrastructure and a significant increase in south-south skills and technology exchange, leveraging existing platforms such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s Energy Centre and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation energy ministers conference.
The report also sheds light on the alarmingly high reliance on biofuels and waste in four HKH countries, reflecting the continued use of traditional materials for cooking and heating. This practice has severe repercussions on air quality and human health, necessitating new policy and regulatory frameworks to address these issues.
Barriers to renewable energy progress in the HKH region include high capital costs, limited public finance, and challenges in attracting private investment. Overcoming these hurdles could unlock the region’s vast renewable energy potential, fostering green growth, job creation, and supporting countries in achieving their national and global commitments.
The report concludes by emphasizing the benefits of regional energy cooperation, which could include renewable energy trade, disaster risk reduction, and enhanced agricultural productivity. By thinking beyond trade and focusing on infrastructure investment and technology exchange, the HKH region can truly seize the opportunities that renewables present.
This news could shape the development of the sector by accelerating regional cooperation, attracting investment, and fostering technology transfer. It also underscores the urgent need for policy reforms to address environmental and health concerns, potentially sparking debate and driving change in the region’s energy landscape.