Why South Asia may come out of Covid-19 crisis better than many expect
A younger demographic and less social reliance on the state could see local nations seeking advantage amid the changes.
Many people assume that South Asia is a sitting target for coronavirus, with potentially millions of deaths leading to an impoverished and destabilised region just around the corner. That might well happen, and the countries in the region are locking down. But there are also reasons to think that Covid-19 could have less of an impact on South Asia than many fear.
The National Security College, with the support of the Department of Defence, is leading a two-year research project on operationalising Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy in the Indian Ocean. In this article in a series of publications, Dr David Brewster explores why South Asia may be spared the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This publication originally appeared in The Interpreter.