Natural resources—fresh water, clear air, forests, grasslands—provide the basis for long-term social and economic development. The World Bank is helping Turkey maintain the richness of its environmental resources. It is helping afforest 96,000 hectares for soil conservation and rehabilitate some 30,000 hectares of rangeland. Also, with World Bank financing, over 1.2 million wild pistachio trees have been grafted
over an area of 6,000 hectares.