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By: Hailey Bernys Summary. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline is a trans-country natural gas pipeline. The TAPI pipeline is expected to transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas each year. It was originally created to create revenue from Turkmenistan’s gas reserves by exporting natural gas from Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. Afghanistan is expected to receive 400 million dollars a year as a transit fee for the pipeline. Some benefits from the creation of the pipeline is that it will facilitate trade and cooperation among the region. The pipeline is sometimes referred to as the “peace” pipeline because it will support peace and security between the four countries involved. Another benefit is the long term energy security that will be provided to more than 1.5 billion people in Afghanistan. Afghanistan and Pakistan will receive benefits of transit fees and for Turkmenistan the revenues are assumed to increase from the sale of gas. The TAPI pipeline will help diversify trade routes and help spread its natural gas production to others. There are of course downsides to the pipeline such as disagreements over prices and transit fees. Wars could break out from these disagreements and they have in the past such as Ukraine and Russia back in 2014. However, Afghanistan views this pipeline more so a form of connectivity rather than separation which is positive. This isn’t to say maybe at some point there won’t be disagreements but the pipeline was created to support peace between the countries. Turkmenistan currently sends much of its gas production to China and before the coronavirus it was running at full capacity but with coronavirus there was a slow down in demand which prevented Turkmenistan from increasing its gas production. With the pipeline they can seams and trade much of their natural gas supply. The pipeline is said to serve for at least 30 years but pipelines in general can typically serve 30-100 years. Why we should care? We should care about this topic because it is one of the best solutions to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This helps the environment by slowing climate change and reducing pollutants you would find in the air.  Image Credit: https://www.silkroadbriefing.com/news/2020/09/25/turkmenistan-wants-fast-completion-of-turkmen-afghan-pakistan-india-gas-pipeline/ Example Article. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/world/asia/afghanistan-pipeline-tapi.html I found this article interesting because it covered this topic very well and explained what I had talked about very thoroughly and in a manner that was easy to understand. Someone who doesn’t know anything about this topic at all could read this article and walk away with a really good understanding of the TAPI pipeline. I wasn’t able to find a current article from 2021 but I found the closest one I could and used that. The pipeline is supposed to be done in 2022 so I’m surprised there isn’t more current information on this topic. Science in Action.
Dr. Mirza Saqadat Huda is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at OSCE Academy in Bishkek. Dr. Huda studies the environmental and social impacts of infrastructure development. This is relevant to my topic because the TAPI pipeline is an example of an infrastructure development and it has to do with our environment as well as the social inner workings between the four countries it runs through. These countries have conflicts especially with Afghanistan and the Taliban trying to take over so this is definitely a topic he would be interested in. Primarily, he’s interested in the link between natural resource governance and conflict resolution. Which also ties into the topic because of the natural gas being a natural resource as well as the potential conflicts that can arise between the four countries involved.
12 Comments
11/6/2021 11:16:41
The stability that this pipeline will bring to Afghanistan will be immense. It will give energy to support life, and bring money to a poor country. Export of gas to China slowed during the pandemic but has steadily increased since we are getting back to normal. Hopefully a new era of prosperity and peace is upon us in the world. The TAPI pipeline is a example of a Nation doing infrastructure just like Joe Biden's new infrastructure plan for America and electric vehicle recharging stations.
Ben Feld
11/6/2021 14:30:52
My question with this kind of stuff is always is it worth it. Turkmenistan is already a country similar to many gulf states, plagued by corruption with an oil rich elite ruling class. I cant imagine this helps Many people in Turkmenistan other than them. Afghanistan who is on the verge of famine and mass deaths, this may help assuage some of that problem by creating jobs to help their economy. Oil is bad for the environment but you know whats worse for the climate? War, so if this stops more fighting from happening i am on board even if it leads to more CO2 emissions it will always be better than a Wars CO2 emissions
Hailey Finnen
11/7/2021 15:16:48
This blog post seemed to be about the economic and political benefits of this pipeline, which are great and all. However, under the Why We Should Care section, it is stated that the pipeline is "one of the best solutions to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, slowing climate change and reducing air pollution." So, I'm wondering exactly how this is good for the environment? Gas pipelines are notoriously bad for the environment, with leaks and spills, and the mining of the natural gas in the first place. The use of natural gas contributes to greenhouse gas and air pollution. I will be doing more research on this.
alexandria r simpkins
11/7/2021 21:25:14
I would like to believe this is a real solution, however with how much gas the U.S alone has stock piled and is intent on further expanding that stock pile., and the fact that the U.S dollar is still king; its impossible to believe that on a political it could actually have nay impact or influence over the betterment of the environment. Covid has only shown a realistic light on the very real situations or problems of these countries. I feel this is only possible under utopian standards or views of our world. I wouldn't be surprised if this ended up being a bust or if actually done not benefitting either of these social or economic problems nor the livelihood of the people inhabiting them.
Nicholas Hill
11/8/2021 15:54:05
With this pipe lines completion there will be many benefits to the neighboring countries as well as the global economy. Hopefully during and post completion the different parties involved can work together on the project for the benefit of all and the possible markets it will open.
Eric Domenico
11/8/2021 20:47:44
Oil... the ultimate peacemaker. It would be nice to see a stabilizer for this region and another way to do business amongst them. If it is a net-win for all involved then it seems like an ideal situation for all involved. It does sound like there is a lot to gain from this infrastructure investment but indeed wise to be cautious of possible ways this could cause problems. I can suspect a disagreement of terms between countries or possibly not meeting the terms that were agreed upon. It isn't impossible to imagine it can be done without conflicts, but there is known instability in this region and certainly struggles for power riddled with corruption.
Thomas Cisney
11/8/2021 21:28:05
Wars have been started and fought over for a lot less than this. Although there may be a possibility that this may indeed help the economy, I think there are definitely better ways to have energy than natural gas lines. Surely large solar arrays or wind mills in large unpopulated areas would be exceedingly safer and cleaner.
Tommy Maloney
11/8/2021 22:08:26
Any pipeline that will cut tensions and stimulate positive trading between countries with hostile pasts would be a great benefit. and finding a safe and effective way to transport the gas is also very important in regards to the environment and keeping it clean.
Jenin Kaddoura
11/9/2021 02:15:39
When I read your summary, the first thought that came to my mind was the Hejaz Railway that ran from Damascus to Medina, and was built by the Ottomans. Unfortunately, it is currently abandoned. The TAPI pipeline you mentioned would indeed increase the economic opportunities in the region, however this may be a controversial topic since politics is also involved. The region that the pipeline passes through is known for its previous experience with foreign influence (like the US and Russian intervention) that destabilized the region. Sadly, corruption continues to take place; however, this pipeline may actually be a potential solution to many issues, and can most probably strengthen the relationship between the four countries involved. The fragile relationship between India and Pakistan may also come to an end and finally improve with the external pressure of maintaining peace for the sake of the benefits. I hope it does not result in a deadly war or end up being like the Hejaz railway, but would rather be considered as a unified approach to the relationship between the four countries in the future. 11/10/2021 14:41:32
It is nice to read an article that is does not leave me feeling alarmed about climate change and is very recent. I am curious to see how the countries will react to the pipeline. I'm not very educated on gas pipelines, but based off of my understanding I thought they were not the greatest solution for the environment due to possible leaks. In the next few decades I wonder how all countries will react as natural gas becomes more rare.
MICHELLE Y KIM
11/15/2021 19:25:50
This is interesting to hear about that a pipeline like this could potentially lower greenhouse gases when pipelines are are bad for the environment if there's a leak. How do we know if there's a less of a risk of more gasses being exposed? I wonder if this would really be finished by 2022 instead of a guestimate where they do not pull through.
Jackson Gifford
11/15/2021 23:43:28
This article made me look at the creation of pipelines in a different light. Generally, I am very against them as they promote continued fossil fuel usage. Additionally, they can be disastrous to the environment if they break. In this case, I was surprised to learn about the social benefits that this pipeline had on the unification of countries. While this is an effect that is only seen from this specific pipeline, it showed me there are more impacts that pipelines can have beside environmental ones. Leave a Reply. |
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