Clean energy merely 6.1 pc of supply in Hindu Kush Himalayan region despite vast potential: Report

Despite vast reserves of renewable energy, countries in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region — including India — derive just 6.1 per cent of their total primary energy supply from clean sources, according to a new report.

The study, released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) during the Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Week in Bangkok, revealed that hydropower remains significantly underexploited across the region.

Of the 882 gigawatts (GW) of hydropower potential identified in Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan, around 635 GW lie within HKH river systems. Yet, only 49 per cent of this has been harnessed.

The region also holds considerable non-hydro renewable energy potential, particularly in solar and wind, estimated at 3 terawatts. In contrast, the combined renewable energy targets of HKH countries, based on their climate pledges, total just 1.7 terawatts. ICIMOD estimates the actual potential across the region exceeds 3.5 terawatts.

While Bhutan and Nepal already produce all their electricity from renewables, fossil fuels remain the dominant source of energy in several others. Fossil fuels make up 98 per cent of Bangladesh’s energy supply, followed by 77 per cent in India, 76 per cent in Pakistan, 67 per cent in China, and 51 per cent in Myanmar.

The report also raised concerns about the heavy reliance on biofuels and waste in four countries. These sources account for two-thirds of Nepal’s primary energy, half of Myanmar’s, and one-quarter in both Bhutan and Pakistan. This dependence on wood, crop waste and dung for cooking and heating leads to serious consequences for health and air quality.

Climate change is further compounding the region’s energy challenges. The report warned of increasing threats to hydropower due to water variability, extreme weather, and infrastructure damage. It noted that glacial lake outburst floods and related hazards represent “major risks” to both existing and planned hydropower projects, with nearly two-thirds deemed vulnerable to glacier floods alone.

To address these challenges, the report called for the integration of disaster risk reduction strategies into renewable energy planning. It argued that multipurpose dams alone cannot sufficiently manage the growing risks of large-scale flooding or inefficient water use.

Instead, it proposed considering "dam equivalents" — including efficient irrigation systems, urban water storage, and the expansion of solar and wind power — as complementary solutions.

The study also identified several systemic barriers holding back clean energy growth, including high costs, insufficient public finance, limited private sector involvement, outdated regulations, land availability issues, and technological gaps.

“We have extraordinary renewables potential within our region, as well as, in India and China, two of the world's pioneers in clean energy,” said coordinating lead author Avishek Malla.

“Building on this amazing competitive advantage that Asia now holds in renewables represents a tremendous opportunity to turbocharge green economic growth, while lifting people out of poverty, and meeting our ambitious emissions-reductions targets,” he added.

Malla further emphasised that unlocking the full potential of renewables in the HKH region will require countries to move beyond trade-based cooperation. “It is crucial that countries think beyond trade to truly seize the opportunity renewables hold for the HKH region,” he said, stressing the need for substantial investment in infrastructure and a sharp increase in south-south skills and technology exchange.