Extent and evaluation of critical infrastructure, the status of resilience and its future dimensions in South Asia

Abstract

South Asian Region (SAR) is not only home to about 25% of the global population but also the site of many disasters, making it one of the most disaster-prone regions on the planet. The vulnerability of most of the population in the SAR can be due to the poor critical infrastructure in the region. The network of essential infrastructures like power supply, transportation systems, financial services, and administration that are crucial for the functioning of a society is called the Critical Infrastructure (CI). Appropriate interconnectedness and coordinated interdependencies of CI are essential for the smooth functioning of society, and any disruption in one or more of them could cause improper functioning of society. The prime objective of this study was to evaluate the CI's requirement, condition and status in five countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Experts from these five countries conducted a semi-structured review of the past and existing risks and the existing CI to find the future requirements and advancements in the CIs. It was found that the backbone of the CI is advancement in technology and innovations that require collaborative and innovative research and sharing of information and data within and with other nations.

Keywords

• South Asia
• Critical infrastructure
• Hard and soft assets
• Resilience
• Futuristic design demand
• Infrastructure policy