Communication operation or real desire to change things? Turkmenistan announced Monday that it had planted nearly half a million trees in one day to transform this desert republic of Central Asia into a “flower garden”, despite the lack of water gradually recognized by the authorities of this reclusive country.
“On this autumn day, the whole country mobilized for this tree planting campaign and 472,071 conifers, fruit and deciduous trees were planted,” indicates the state newspaper “Neutral Turkmenistan”, the voice of this authoritarian regime.
The country claims to have planted 145 million trees, but the information is unverifiable
The initiative took place on Saturday, specifies the newspaper. These actions to green the country, which usually take place in spring and autumn, “demonstrate the high level of environmental culture in society” and “bring to life the cherished dream of the Turkmen people: to transform their native land into a flower garden », assures the media. The text is accompanied by a photo of President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, in white and green sportswear flocked “Turkmenistan” next to a tree, taking a shovelful of earth from a wheelbarrow.
The authorities are accustomed to leading the population in giant parades or mass actions, in line with the cult of personality established by Gurbanguly Berdymoukhamedov, the father of the current leader, fond of records. The country had already claimed to have planted 145 million trees in recent years.
The rare information that Turkmenistan leaks, however, is generally unverifiable, the country being at the bottom of the ranking of Reporters Without Borders for freedom of the press. But those in power now recognize the urgency of acting in the face of climate change in Central Asia, a region where the consequences are particularly felt.