Exploring SAARC's ocean energy potential: Current status and future policies

Ensuring green, affordable, and available electricity is a challenge in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. Meeting the criteria of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) and the pledges made at the Conference of Parties (COPs) is proving difficult for countries worldwide. Despite this, the untapped potential of the ocean as a readily available and reliable energy source remains largely unexplored. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has been significantly impacted by energy crises. Surprisingly, countries in this area, despite having ocean renewable energy (ORE) potential, have been slow to embrace this option. This re-view focuses on summarizing the efforts and estimating the ORE potential in South Asia. It examines the future energy policies and plans of these countries in line with SDG 7 and COP commitments while also analyzing the barriers and drivers for ORE utilization. The review estimates that five SAARC nations have a wave energy reserve of over 41 GW, a tidal energy reserve of 8 GW, and an ocean thermal energy reserve of 31 GW. However, no studies have been conducted to estimate the salinity gradient energy. Academic and non-academic involvement in the sector is scarce in the region, and available data show inconsistencies. This work provides an overview of the current state of ocean energy research in and around the Indian Ocean, benefiting future re-searchers exploring the ORE potential of SAARC.