Turkmenistan starts fixing big methane leaks

The country begins repairs on old pipes after being told it has the most leaks.

Published 31 August 2026 106 words
ENVIRONMENT A1
Turkmenistan starts fixing big methane leaks

Turkmenistan has started to fix big leaks of methane gas. These leaks come from old oil and gas places. This is good news. Methane is a gas that causes global heating. It is much stronger than other gases like CO2.

Stopping these leaks can help the planet quickly. This is because methane does not stay in the air for a long time. The Guardian newspaper wrote that Turkmenistan has the most methane leaks in the world. This news helped the country to start fixing them.

Turkmenistan has now fixed eight leaks. They repaired old pipes and gas wells. The UN said this is a good start, but more work is needed. The UN uses satellites to find these leaks. Turkmenistan has responded to some of the UN’s alerts about the leaks.

Vocabulary

methane — A gas that causes global heating.
global heating — The Earth is getting warmer.
leaks — When gas or liquid escapes from a pipe or container.
facilities — Buildings and equipment used for a particular purpose.
satellites — Machines sent into space to collect information.

Discussion Questions

  1. What is Turkmenistan doing to help the environment?
  2. Why is methane a problem for the planet?
  3. What does the UN do to find methane leaks?

Based on an article from The Guardian.

Read the original article