The renewable energy in the regional development of Central Asia

Abstract

By the end of the previous century the struggle for natural energy resources had significantly increased, the income gap between rich and poor had become wider, sharply rose the scales of global poverty with worsening tendency of population growth. Consequently, the world has faced the problem of necessity to form a new sample of human development, the model of sustainable development, which would find solutions to growing socio-political, economic and ecological crisis. At the same time, talking about development it is impossible to ignore the means of its achievement. One of the means is energy as the main generator of development. Central Asia is a region that from the geopolitical vision occupies a strategic position located between large economies (Russia and China), Iran with its important location on the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan as a hot point in international relations. In addition, the region has been always considered as a connecting bridge between Asia and Europe. Moreover, the region possesses a significant amount of natural resources, including oil and gas as main energy sources that are also exported. All these facts make Central Asia in high concern of those states whose interests cross in the borders of the region. That is why stability and development of Central Asian countries are important not only for the region itself, but for international sustainable development as well. In order to maintain the energy security of the region, it is necessary to develop alternative ways in energy supply.