Mapping Socioeconomic Impacts of Cross-Border Electricity Trade (CBET)
Udai S Mehta and Arpit Tiwari*
Mr Udai S Mehta is Deputy Executive Director, CUTS International, India. Mr Arpit Tiwari is Assistant Policy Analyst, CUTS International, India. CUTS is a leading economic policy research & advocacy non-profit organisation in India with offices in Washington, D.C., Nairobi, Lusaka, Hanoi, Accra, and GenevaThe study aims to assess the overall socioeconomic benefits or costs accrued to the local community brought about by energy cooperation. The specific objective is to examine the impact of a hydropower project, which is an initiative of energy cooperation between India and Nepal and India and Bhutan, on the local livelihood and general concerns before and after the project starts to generate electricity. Thus, this study will help to explore whether such projects benefit the locals by improving their economic prospects as well as contributing in uplifting their living standard by facilitating their access to better health and education prospects. The research will include extensive review of available literature on the subject. Further, secondary literature would be validated by interactions with key stakeholders/ change agents. Publically available data by various governmental and non-governmental agencies will also be explored. Effective assessment of the socioeconomic benefits accruing due to CBET and creating a strong positive narrative on CBET in the region can trigger greater advocacy on the subject at the political level.
* Mr Udai S Mehta is Deputy Executive Director, CUTS International, India. Mr Arpit Tiwari is Assistant Policy Analyst, CUTS International, India. CUTS is a leading economic policy research & advocacy non-profit organisation in India with offices in Washington, D.C., Nairobi, Lusaka, Hanoi, Accra, and Geneva