Publications List

Comprehensive listing of books, reports, and research on regional cooperation and integration (RCI) in South Asia and relevant global RCI publications, including publications on transport, trade facilitation, energy, and economic corridors in the SASEC region.

Selected Publication

Trade Performance of Asian Landlocked Developing Economies: State of Play and the Way Forward

Many landlocked countries remain among the world's poorest nations, despite huge political, economic and technological gains over the last two centuries. Their lack of access to coast and sea ports burden them with higher trade costs, constraining their socio-economic development prospects. This paper examines the trade performance of Asian land-locked developing countries (LLDCs), including their export performance and export diversification, and attempts to identify factors affecting their performance, such as cost of trade and trade facilitation measures, which inhibit their integration into global and regional economies. Among LLDCs in South Asia, Bhutan incurs some of the highest trade costs and Nepal faces high cost in transport services. The paper finds persistent challenges to the growth of Asian LLDCs--trade barriers and trade restrictions, lack of infrastructure and poor trade facilitation performance-- and recommends reforms that could mitigate these continuing economic challenges.

Author: Witada Anukoonwattaka and Aman Saggu

Year: 2016

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Tags: Landlocked Developing Countries, Exports, Trade, UNESCAP

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Energy Transition Readiness Assessment for Developing Asia and the Pacific

This publication analyzes the unique conditions of developing Asia and the Pacific and presents what the countries need to transition to renewable energy. In South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation countries, power systems are being integrated to improve grid stability and let areas with high renewable resources to transmit electricity to areas with high demand.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2025

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Tags: ADB, Energy, SASEC, CAREC

Asian Economic Integration Report 2025

This report breaks down how regional integration has affected trade, global value chains, foreign direct investment, and tourism and driven growth in Asia and the Pacific in the last two decades. It looks at how subregions have grown more integrated through such initiatives as the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation program. As of June 2024, SASEC projects have totaled $20.8 billion in worth, including $12.8 billion funded by the Asian Development Bank; while 155 technical assistance projects (worth $224.78 million) have supported project preparation, strategic planning, and capacity building.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2025

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Tags: ADB, SASEC, Global Value Chains, CAREC

Basic Statistics 2025

The 2025 edition of Basic Statistics presents data that help track progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. This edition lays out data for 46 countries in Asia and the Pacific, including those for the seven South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation countries.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2025

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Tags: South Asia, Sustainable Development Goals, ADB

ADB Annual Report 2024

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Report 2024 details operational and financial results. ADB supported regional cooperation initiatives in South Asia. For instance, ADB committed $662 million to support Nepal’s growing domestic electricity demand and green electricity export aspirations through the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Electricity Transmission and Distribution Strengthening Project. ADB also supported SASEC through health and trade facilitation projects in Bangladesh and India and technical assistance for health and transport in Bhutan and Nepal.

Author: Asian Development Bank

Year: 2025

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Tags: ADB, Health, Energy, SASEC, South Asia, Trade Facilitation, Transport

South Asia Development Update, April 2025: Taxing Times

Amid uncertainty in the global landscape, growth in South Asia is estimated to slow to 5.8% in fiscal year (FY) 2025 before picking up to 6.1% in FY2026. In Bangladesh, GDP growth will moderate to 3.3% in FY2024-2025 before rebounding to 4.9% in FY2025-2026. Growth in Bhutan will accelerate to 6.6% in FY2024-2025 and 7.6% in FY2025-2026. In India, growth is projected at 6.5% in FY2024-2025 and 6.3% in FY2025-2026; while in Maldives, growth will reach 5.7% in FY2025 and 5.3 in FY2026. Nepal’s economy will grow to 4.5% in FY2024-2025 and 5.2% in FY2025-2026. In Sri Lanka, growth will moderate to 3.5% in FY2025 and 3.1% in FY2026.

Author: World Bank

Year: 2025

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Tags: GDP, WB, South Asia

Returned 5 publications