Asia is attracting more attention than ever before, in large part because of its re-emergence after a two-century decline. Amid the world's ever-growing energy focus, Asia's serious energy challenges have driven sharpening oil-and-gas competition there, spurring maritime tensions, territorial disputes, and resource and environmental stresses. There has been, however, insufficient discussion of such challenges in Asia.
The Punakha Dzong administrative center in Punakha District of Bhutan (Photo by Sujeev Shakya)
In coming years, energy demand is likely to accelerate because the continent's per capita energy consumption levels remain low by Western standards. The largest increase in global energy demand is in Asia. This demand is likely to only accelerate.
