Doubling rural incomes in Turkey

91787 Doubling Rural Incomes in Turkey September 17, 2002 More than 70 percent of Turkey’s land area faces soil degradation from erosion, resulting in low productivity and low rural incomes.  In 1993, the World Bank approved the Eastern Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation project, which has since improved the lives of farmers in more than 300 mountain villages, by enabling them to grow new cash crops and by teaching them new farming techniques that have boosted agricultural production dramatically. The project was designed to increase the productivity of forest land, promote the sustainable use of marginal farmland, and increase the involvement of local communities in planning and managing their own natural resources.  Smaller projects have been carried out in 11 provinces, covering 617,000 hectares and benefiting 227,000 people.  Since its launch, rural incomes have at least doubled, and satellite images reveal a marked difference in vegetation, which will help reduce floods and sedimentation. Related Links:  Turkey  Eastern Anatolia Watershed Rehabilitation project Updated: September 2002