Renewable energy and the regional prospect on sustainable development of Central Asia

Abstract

In the conditions of increasing consumption of energy-related natural resources, the role of developing
alternative energy sources rises as a factor in ensuring energy security is growing. Reducing the
environmental burden on the environment is a contribution to the establishment of sustainable development.
The energy resources that are traditionally used on a large scale by mankind – oil, natural gas, coal,
are limited, can be exhausted before the year 2100. Lack of resources and uneven distribution among
countries raises concerns about the future rational consumption and ways to replace energy dependence
on fossil fuels. In this regard, much attention is paid to renewable energy sources, such as sun, wind,
water, subsoil heat, biomass, etc. The use of renewable energy sources will help in solving the accumulated
environmental problems, and along with them solve economic, social, political issues. The Central
Asian region has a significant amount of natural resources, including oil and gas as the main sources of
energy, which are the main export items of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and water energy belongs to
the subjects of the export dispute of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. To maintain the stability and
development of Central Asia, alternative ways of energy supply must be developed. In the region, the
issue of the potential and conditions for the development of RES in the countries of Central Asia, the
impact of the development of renewable energy sources on the future of the development of the region
is relevant. The aim of this article is to determine the contribution of the renewable energy sources in the
maintenance of sustainable regional development of the Central Asia with main stress on the UN Goal-7.
Key words: renewable energy sources, sustainable development (SD), hydro energy, wind energy,
solar energy, biomass energy.