The first step for stakeholders looking to build resilience in their region is to gain a holistic sense of the risk environment and the way in which global and local risks intersect with one another. Following this approach, The South Asia Risks Landscape incorporates data from the 2018 Global Risks Perception Survey and 2019 Executive Opinion Survey to offer an overview of the risk environment in South Asia.
The paper begins by examining the risk ranked highest in the region – “water crises” – and explores the global and local dynamics of the issue, including the effect of climate change, the politicisation of water, and a lack of coordination among governments. The multifaceted nature of water risks comes as the region is growing rapidly and looking to exert more geopolitical influence.
The paper then explores the top risks for doing business in each of the five countries in the region: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. These risks primarily relate to environmental concerns and governance challenges. The paper identifies linkages between these risks and other socio-economic challenges in each country.