Unlike many other regions, South Asia is densely populated with one of the highest poverty levels in the world. The region also has a history of being a former colony and therefore social, cultural and economic ties with the other countries of the west is important. Given the past colonial links and poverty coupled with a shortage of financial resources of countries in the region, economic relationship with other nations outside the region, rather than within the region, has been more important over the years despite attempts made by the leadership to forge closer ties within the region. Such economic relationships have shaped the geopolitics and strategic calculations of countries within the region, which is a hard reality which any analysis of this region will have to take into consideration. 

While regional cooperation is important which all the countries of the region realise, the compulsions of their own domestic economies have very often made them enter into cooperation agreements with big powers such as the US, China and Russia. Although these bilateral cooperation agreements may appear to come in the way of regional economic cooperation, yet there is a certain geoeconomic imperative of the need for such regional cooperation and the regional leadership will need to resolve these contradictions in the best interest of South Asia.

The book "COVID-19: Global Pandemic and Aspects of Human Security in South Asia, Implications and Way Forward " attempts to capture the various facets of the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolds in different parts of South Asia. It brings out the various aspects of human securities involved with COVID-19. In the process, it neatly attempts to depict the sectoral implications of the pandemic.

The approach of the book is interesting, as it brings out various dimensions of human security, which includes health, food, economy, environment and then goes on to discuss possibilities of regional economic cooperation, the crisis of global health governance and suggests the way forward. The authors have in their own way analysed the information and have suggested solutions to strengthen human survival in the region.

The primary focus of the book seems to be human security and all aspects of the book has been built around this pivotal theme. In doing so it derives its basis on the Human Development Report, 1994 of the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), which laid its central focus on the day-to-day human insecurities arising out of uncertainties in jobs, incomes, health, environment, law and order rejecting the earlier emphasis on interstate conflicts for such insecurities. 

Discussing the various aspects of human security, the book begins with health security in South Asia and goes on to bring out the important point that such security is essential for sustainable long-term development calling for more investment in the health sector. It next discusses food security and brings out vividly the ravaging effects resulting from supply chain failures and even starvation quoting a newspaper report based on a government survey. After throwing light on the two important aspects of human security, the discussion turns to economic security arising out of poverty, inequality, and what has been described by the authors as injustice in the daily lives of people. 

The linkage between the pandemic and economic insecurity have been brought out with its impact on trade, investment, aid and technology. It thereafter turns to environmental security focusing on air pollution and climate change, the two important manifestations of the current debate on the environment. While the book argues that the lockdown has been a boon in disguise in improving the quality of air, nonetheless, it argues that awareness is derived from the pandemic for a more sustainable world and calls for a balance between corporate profits and the environment for improving the environment security.

After a discussion on the important sources of human security, the book focuses its attention on the need for more regional cooperation in South Asia given what it calls the global trend towards parochialism and xenophobia. It also brings out the dilemma of nations to pursue what it calls self-centred policies but given the multi-dimensional nature of the pandemic, it goes on to argue that only regional cooperation could see nations on a firmer footing to ensure what it calls a more secured South Asian human security. The discussion thereafter moves to the global level where the authors call it a crisis of global health governance. The chapter argues that non-cooperation, the crisis of global leadership, the marginalization of the World Health Organisation (WHO), including science and policy processes have all contributed to this global governance crisis.

The book calls for a more important role of people and the WHO as a priority area in global politics. In conclusion, the authors suggest a way forward by calling upon reframing of policies by the world leaders, particularly what they call as the middle and emerging powers, which include China, India, Brazil, Japan and the European Union. It stresses that they need to play a more decisive role to improve the vulnerable world health system. They also call for the South Asian nations to come together and for India to play a constructive role in what they call South Asian regionalism for the welfare of the people.

The authors have also raised the important question of cooperation between South Asian nations and China, as the region is closely linked with China. They have stated that although India-China and China-US relations are not the best at the present juncture,  what is observed is mere rhetoric. Mention has also been made about humanitarian aid during the pandemic by both India and China in the form of medical equipment, despite criticism, and have stated that instead of nurturing rivalries, South Asian countries could deepen their cooperation with China based on a win-win situation.

The utility of any book depends upon the readership to which it primarily attempts to address. This book from its approach to the problem and the layout of the chapters is primarily intended to address, it seems, the academics and readers interested in having an analytical perspective on the updated situation of the pandemic. It also has its sight on the policy practitioners, who would use it more for a perspective on what academics perceive of the COVID-19 situation. The book has, by and large, succeeded in addressing its target readership. 

But policy practitioners and analysts show more interest in the emerging strategic and geopolitics of the region and would perhaps on this count be satisfied to a limited extent. The authors do not take any firm position on a particular line of thinking, except bringing out the important dimensions of the human suffering, which the authors call human security issues. 

 It serves as a useful reference point for students, civil society organisations and scholars wanting to know more about the unfolding of the pandemic problem. The book has been written with published material under conditions of restricted mobility due to protracted lockdowns in the region and other precautionary health measures adopted by nations, reducing access to field information, which would otherwise have enriched the contents of the book. Keeping these limitations in mind, the book makes a realistic assessment of the pandemic.  

The authors' deductions and conclusions are based primarily on newspaper, academic publications and reports of international institutions on the pandemic. The book does a useful review of the academic literature in each chapter enriching its analysis.  

(The book COVID-19: Global Pandemic and Aspects of Human Security in South Asia, Implications and way forward by Dr Delwar Hossain and Md. Shariful Islam is published by Pentagon Press LLP, New Delhi, 2020)

(The writer is a retired Indian Economic Service officer of the Government of India. He can be contacted at ppmitra56@gmail.com)