Barua, Shrabana
Geopolitics of Infrastructure Building in South Asia : Causes and Consequences / Shrabana Barua - New Delhi : Indian Council of World Affairs, 2024. - 92p.
From times colonial, investing in infrastructure has been seen as a means through which influence can be exerted on other states. While many colonial powers built physical and connectivity infrastructure in their colonies, largely for self-interest, the story is not the same today. Infrastructure has emerged as an important variable in international relations, increasingly forming parts of foreign policy agendas of states. It is noted that the gap between demand and supply in infrastructure is large in most parts of the world. But there has been a growing trend to address this gap. In South Asia, a region that needs to make climate adjusted investment of about 8.8% of its GDP by 2030, if the infrastructure demands are to be met, has witnessed proliferation of infrastructure projects in the last decade. This has increased linkages amongst the region and beyond, most of which is being initiated either at bilateral, regional or multilateral levels. This has also led to interventions by external players within the region, eventually increasing competition over infrastructure building, many of which are seen as strategic assets. This paper focuses on transport connectivity and energy infrastructure in South Asia and attempts to deal with three questions in this context. First, what are the crucial infrastructure projects within South Asia and the partners/actors engaged in it? Second, what are the causes that has led to a spurt in infrastructure building in South Asia? Third, what are the geopolitical consequences of increased infrastructure building in the region? In doing so, it concludes that South Asia, where both pull and push factors are causing a spurt in infrastructure building, has emerged as a dynamic field for geopolitical interfaces, anchored on the variable of infrastructure. Here, India has begun to play a crucial role, a position earlier dominated by China. At the same time, while state actors have so far played a lead in this domain, need for private players has increased and is slowly finding way within sectors related to infrastructure.
English.
9789383445844
Infrastructure (Economics)--Political aspects--South Asia
Geopolitics--South Asia
Economic development projects--South Asia
Energy development--Political aspects--South Asia
Transportation and state--South Asia
Foreign economic assistance--Political aspects--South Asia
320.954 / BAR-G
Geopolitics of Infrastructure Building in South Asia : Causes and Consequences / Shrabana Barua - New Delhi : Indian Council of World Affairs, 2024. - 92p.
From times colonial, investing in infrastructure has been seen as a means through which influence can be exerted on other states. While many colonial powers built physical and connectivity infrastructure in their colonies, largely for self-interest, the story is not the same today. Infrastructure has emerged as an important variable in international relations, increasingly forming parts of foreign policy agendas of states. It is noted that the gap between demand and supply in infrastructure is large in most parts of the world. But there has been a growing trend to address this gap. In South Asia, a region that needs to make climate adjusted investment of about 8.8% of its GDP by 2030, if the infrastructure demands are to be met, has witnessed proliferation of infrastructure projects in the last decade. This has increased linkages amongst the region and beyond, most of which is being initiated either at bilateral, regional or multilateral levels. This has also led to interventions by external players within the region, eventually increasing competition over infrastructure building, many of which are seen as strategic assets. This paper focuses on transport connectivity and energy infrastructure in South Asia and attempts to deal with three questions in this context. First, what are the crucial infrastructure projects within South Asia and the partners/actors engaged in it? Second, what are the causes that has led to a spurt in infrastructure building in South Asia? Third, what are the geopolitical consequences of increased infrastructure building in the region? In doing so, it concludes that South Asia, where both pull and push factors are causing a spurt in infrastructure building, has emerged as a dynamic field for geopolitical interfaces, anchored on the variable of infrastructure. Here, India has begun to play a crucial role, a position earlier dominated by China. At the same time, while state actors have so far played a lead in this domain, need for private players has increased and is slowly finding way within sectors related to infrastructure.
English.
9789383445844
Infrastructure (Economics)--Political aspects--South Asia
Geopolitics--South Asia
Economic development projects--South Asia
Energy development--Political aspects--South Asia
Transportation and state--South Asia
Foreign economic assistance--Political aspects--South Asia
320.954 / BAR-G