If all the big and small countries in South Asia, including India and China, come together and implement a space program, it can be of great benefit to the development here.
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Space technology can be used to overcome many social and economic problems in today's world. For a developing region like South Asia, this technology could make a difference. Despite this, the region does not seem to be fully utilized in South Asia. The lack of resources, the lack of visionary leadership, as well as the issues of international security and conflict are making the leap in space difficult for South Asian nations. While it is not easy to solve the problems of tools and leadership, it is possible to overcome international security and conflicts.
Confidence Building Measures are needed in South Asian countries to promote space studies. This is why workshops and seminars have been organized in different countries for the last few years. Presented articles have been involved in many such initiatives. Representatives from smaller countries are interested in various space projects and in efforts to build international cooperation to overcome the technical challenges involved. However, in the face of increasing competition between India and China, the efforts of these countries are failing.
There is little skepticism in this area in South Asia. The inequalities in South Asia and the enormous challenges on the socio-economic fronts have made the space sector gloomy. Today, India and China are the two largest nations in the region. But nations like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives are also in dire need of space technology for natural disaster response and connectivity. The nations of South Asia always face natural disasters. Therefore, space technology can be of great help in anticipating such natural disasters as well as making them easier to deal with.
It has become imperative to establish facilities like communication system, means of communication and 'Internet Broadband' in rural areas. India and China can play an important role in this. But that's what small countries in South Asia fear. The rivalry between India and China has led to the perception that if one of the two countries is chosen, they will be drawn into the conflict.
The second important part is the current inadequate rules and criteria for space development projects. Agreements such as the Outer Space Treaty (OST) are proving insufficient to keep pace with developmental areas such as space. As a result, disputes over how to use space safely and sustainably for future generations are growing.
Necessary care must be taken in drafting new rules while promoting official cooperation among nations working in the space sector. This is because wrong decisions in such a completely uncontrolled space sector can lead to major disasters in the future. Therefore, this cooperation must be strict about safety regulations.
Sri Lanka, one of the smallest nations in South Asia, has always been interested. This effort will continue in the future. But today, there is a need for cooperation and coordination in the field of space at the international level. In the Indo-Pacific region, two major regional space cooperation initiatives are underway, led by Japan and China. Many countries in South Asia are members of the Asia-Pacific Space Agency Forum (APRSAF), run by Japan. In addition, Pakistan and Bangladesh are members of China's Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) initiative in the region.
The biggest problem in the South Asian space program is that the two initiatives, APRSAF and APSCO, do not have any coordination with each other. If these two initiatives are implemented together, the tools available to new partners in space can be used more effectively. E.g. These two initiatives can work together effectively to create and launch modern artificial satellites that provide warning of natural disasters.
The need for space cooperation needs to be addressed, especially at the regional level. E.g. Regional organizations can come together to provide weather information satellites and rockets. Cooperation between South and Southeast Asian countries is needed for disaster prevention and management.
But there are a number of ways to strengthen the credit side in this regard. In order to increase coordination among the competent nations of South Asia in the field of space research, alternatives like implementation of initiatives like 'Space Spiritual Awareness' (SSA) and their expansion in the Southern Hemisphere should be implemented. India, China and Japan have limited resources to monitor space events. If the efforts of these three important countries are implemented together, it can be of great benefit. And at the same time, if the big contenders in Asia come together and try in space research, it can also encourage small nations
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