Regional Integration and Economic Development in South Asia

South Asian leaders have made it a priority to tackle key regional issues such as poverty, environment degradation, trade and investment barriers and food insecurity, among others. This book considers the leadership of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the interaction with civil society in the process of South Asian regional cooperation and integration, and discusses how the emerging urgency in the provision of regional public goods provides an excellent opportunity to add to the successes in South Asian regional integration.

The book explores civil society’s role in regional and economic integration in South Asian industries, trade and services, and the importance of regional public goods such as food security for future integration efforts. It concludes that there are a few successes on which future cooperation and integration in South Asia can be built and where engagement with civil society could be productive, and that these success stories are sector specific – for instance, in industry and trade sectors where cross-border activities have been established within the framework of a South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA). However, a greater number of success stories are required at the sector level to serve as building blocks for further regional cooperation and integration.

This highly original book will prove a fascinating read for academics, students and policy-makers across a diverse range of fields including: Asian studies, development, economics and regional and urban studies.