Exploring How Income Inequality, Education, and Policy Shape Energy Access Disparities in Southeast Asia

Syeda Anam Hassan; Inayatul Haq; Alamzeb Aamir; Ihtisham ul Haq; Khalid Zaman

doi:10.36923/ie-frontiers.v28i2.403

Open Access Article Economics

Syeda Anam Hassan ⁽¹⁾ , Inayatul Haq ⁽²⁾ , Alamzeb Aamir ⁽³⁾ , Ihtisham ul Haq ⁽⁴⁾ , Khalid Zaman ⁽⁵⁾

1. Department of Higher Education KPK, Government Girls Degree College (GGDC), Nawansher, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2. Elementary & Secondary Education Department, KPK, Government Higher Secondary School No. 1, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

3. Department of Management Sciences, FATA University, TSD Dara, Kohat KPK, Pakistan

4. Department of Econometrics, Tashkent State University of Economics, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

5. Department of Economics, The University of Haripur, Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

https://doi.org/10.36923/ie-frontiers.v28i2.403

Issue
Vol. 28 No. 2 (2025): Continuous

Submitted
August 28, 2025

Accepted
December 1, 2025

Published
December 18, 2025

Keywords:

Energy Policy, Sustainable Development, Community Participation, Energy Access Disparity, Energy Justice, Southeast Asian Nations

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Abstract

The pursuance of Sustainable Development Goal 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, takes center stage in this research in the vibrant geography of Southeast Asia. This investigation centers on the social and economic ramifications of renewable energy policy, examining the various factors that influence energy fairness and justice. The study aims to determine how financial disparity, community participation, education, policy support, and geographical constraints affected energy access discrepancies in a panel of nine selected Southeast Asian countries from 2000 to 2023. The study employed a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and robust least squares regression for estimation. Income inequality negatively and significantly affects energy access disparity (EAD) in the panel ARDL model. Community involvement and education improve energy accessibility. Education raises awareness of sustainable energy practices and technology, which increases energy-efficient solution adoption. Community involvement affects inclusive energy access and environmental sustainability policies, and public opinion. Additionally, geographical obstacles and public support are correlated positively, indicating that practical policy actions and investments can increase energy availability. Centralized infrastructure, technology, and egalitarian energy solutions may overcome geographical obstacles. Finally, policy support has an "inverted U-shaped" pattern, suggesting that it may promote socioeconomic growth and reduce energy access inequities. The study provides deep insights that can influence targeted policy choices and promote a sustainable and inclusive energy future for Southeast Asian countries.

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Authors

Syeda Anam Hassan

Inayatul Haq

Alamzeb Aamir

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5623-2519

Ihtisham ul Haq

Khalid Zaman

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2585-2790

khalidzamanatd@gmail.com (Primary Contact)

Author Biographies

Syeda Anam Hassan

Dr. Syeda Anam Hassan holds a PhD in Economics from Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan. She is currently serving in the Department of Higher Education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at Government Girls Degree College (GGDC), Nawansher, Abbottabad. Her research interests include income inequality, energy economics, development policy, and sustainable economic growth, with a particular focus on emerging and developing economies.

Inayatul Haq

Inayatul Haq is affiliated with the Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and is currently serving at Government Higher Secondary School No. 1, Abbottabad, Pakistan. His academic and research interests encompass education policy, socio-economic development, and public sector reforms, with an emphasis on human capital and inequality-related challenges in developing regions.

Alamzeb Aamir

Dr. Alamzeb Aamir is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Sciences at FATA University, TSD Dara, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. His research interests include policy analysis, governance, and sustainable management practices, particularly in the context of emerging economies

Ihtisham ul Haq

Dr. Ihtisham ul Haq is a Professor in the Department of Econometrics at Tashkent State University of Economics, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His research expertise lies in econometric modeling, applied economics, energy economics, and development studies, with extensive experience in quantitative analysis and policy-oriented research.

Khalid Zaman

Khalid Zaman is an Assistant Professor in Economics at the University of Haripur, Pakistan, holding a doctoral degree from Preston University, Islamabad, Pakistan (2013). With over 19 years of teaching experience, he is a seasoned specialist in research, boasting more than 470 papers published in esteemed scholarly journals, with a cumulative impact factor of more than 675. Dr. Zaman's work has amassed over 25,000 citations, resulting in an impressive h-index of 91 and an i-10 score of 329. His contributions have been recognized globally, with inclusion on Stanford University's list of top scientists worldwide for multiple consecutive years, i.e., 2020-2025.

Hassan, S. A., Haq, I., Aamir, A., Haq, I. ul, & Zaman, K. (2025). Exploring How Income Inequality, Education, and Policy Shape Energy Access Disparities in Southeast Asia. Innovation Economics Frontiers, 28(2), 14-30. https://doi.org/10.36923/ie-frontiers.v28i2.403

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