Development is ideally expected to address the root causes of conflict such as inequality, poverty, injustice, and to promote basic foundations of peace such as good governance, inclusive economic growth, gender mainstreaming, and ultimately happiness in society. However, growing conflict and insecurity in the region evidence that the development in South Asia is largely failed to address these challenges and causes of conflict and to promote peace.
Some of the main reasons of the failure of the development to address root causes of conflict and promoting peace are conflict blind development policy and planning, lack of understanding of the policy makers and implementers on relationship between development and conflict-peace, donor driven approach of development, elite capturing resources and power and bad governance. Hence, existing approach of development needs fundamental change to address root causes of conflict and promoting peace and justice in the region.