Abstract
Energy security is a critical component of economic development. Economic growth and burgeoning populations have put South Asia’s energy security in a perilous state. Provided a growing imbalance between energy demand and supply from indigenous sources, no South Asian country can meet its energy requirements domestically. In addition, regional countries are still dependent on non-renewable energy resources like oil, gas, and coal, fostering oil and gas imports and related issues. This study argues that despite security challenges and conflicts in the region, there are striking similarities in oil and gas demand, consumption and trade issues of South Asian countries. Therefore, greater cooperation within the regional energy oil and gas sector could be an effective way to ensure energy security and deal with the challenges of Regional Integration, through improved connectivity at regional and inter-regional levels. This paper tends to inquire about the common energy security challenges faced by the three largest South Asian states i-e India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. What measures would strengthen the energy security of the region and how the energy sector might boost regional integration? For this purpose, it would look at the South Asian energy security issues in two parts. First, the prevailing conditions of the energy sector in all three countries will be analyzed to draw similarities in policies and challenges. The second part will discuss, common challenges, and find the prospects of cooperation among regional states to foster regional integration and cross-regional cooperation through the institutionalized mechanism.