Connectivity and Cooperation in the Bay of Bengal Region

REPORT SUMMARY:

While the Bay of Bengal is located at the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific, between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, it continues to act more as a divider than a link between land and maritime neighbours such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand or Indonesia. With the rise of competing connectivity initiatives, especially between China and the Indo-Pacific powers, there are growing concerns about conflict over natural resources, securitization of sea lines of communication, or environmental sustainability. This risks depleting or fragmenting the Bay of Bengal regional commons and reduces the prospects of stability and welfare. New connectivity initiatives will therefore not have the desired developmental benefits unless there are commensurate cooperative and coordination mechanisms between different states and extra-regional stakeholders. This report addresses nine areas of growing interdependence in the Bay of Bengal region and proposes solutions to reduce the connectivity-cooperation gap. The chapters review the opportunities and risks of rising connectivity and recommend policies to address them cooperatively. The contributing experts located in and around the region suggest collaborative ways to leverage geography (supply chains, trade corridors and sub-regional connectivity), build new infrastructure (railways, transhipment hubs and mutual standards) and manage the commons (maritime security, complex emergencies and sustainable fishing).