Housing IV _HOUS402

Lecture 12: Rural Development

Name: Lawrence Ogunsanya

Email : lawrencesanya@yahoo.com

Rural Region Definitions:

Geological --- population outside geopolitical limits of city miscounted as rural and tiny clusters within

municipalities are counted as urban:

The 1996 census dictionary Canada defines Rural Areas as sparsely populated lands lying outside urban areas (Statistics Canada, 1999a: 226)

Population living outside place of 1000 people or more

Rural and small towns refers to the population living outside the commuting zones of large urban centers.

Rural communities are those having population densities less than 150 people per square kilometer

Rural Development: Definitions

The term rural development connotes the overall development of rural areas with a view to improve the quality of life of rural people (Singh, 2009).

Rural development in general is used to denote the actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban

neighborhoods, countryside, and remote villages.

These communities can be exemplified with a low ratio of inhabitants to open space. Agricultural activities may be prominent

in this case whereas economic activities would relate to the

primary sector, production of food stuffs and raw materials.

Rural Region Challenges

Insufficient Health care facilities and practitioners

Limited educational and skills development facilities

Low Infrastructural development

Limited Job creation and opportunities

Urban migration

Inadequate supply of public amenities: Water, electricity, sewage e.t.c.

Poverty and diseases

Rural development is a multi-dimensional concept

As a process, it implies the engagement of individuals, communities and nations in pursuit of their cherished goals

over time.

As a phenomenon, it is the end result of interaction between various physical, technological, economic and socio-cultural

and institutional factors.

As a strategy, it is designed to improve the economic and social well-being of a specific group of people, i.e. the rural

poor.

As a discipline, it is multi-disciplinary in nature, representing an interaction of agricultural, social, behavioral, engineering and

management sciences

Rural Development: Concept

The South African underdevelopment of the rural areas can mostly be attributed to the apartheid mode that aimed to build a

first class capitalist economy for a few, leaving the majority and

creating a legacy of underdevelopment and poverty in the rural

areas.

Geographic differentiation apartheid system effectively defined three kinds of spaces in South Africa, each with its own political,

social and economic systems:

the major urban areas;

the commercial farming regions

and the associated small towns; and the so-called Homelands.

Rural Development: The South African Scenario

Efforts made since the dawn of democracy in 1994 have been geared towards changing the negative consequences of

economic, social and political exclusion and marginalization of

the rural dwellers.

Many policy and institutional measures have been put in place in order to improve the lives of the rural communities and

regenerate rural economies which have made some impact but

have had limited successes.

Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), 1994-1996

The Rural Development Strategy of the Government of National Unity of 1995

The Rural Development Framework of 1997

The Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy (ISRDS)

The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme CRDP

Rural Development: The South African Scenario

The vision of the CRDP is to create vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities. through a three-pronged strategy based on:

a coordinated and integrated broad-based agrarian transformation; rural development infrastructure, and An improved land reform programme.

CRDP: Concept

Rural Development: Objectives

Improving food security in rural communities by establishing food

gardens and improving technologies for food production

Create jobs in rural areas through infrastructural projects, etc

The improvement of the quality of life

Provisions of amenities and health care facilities

Quality basic education which provides skilled and capable workforce to support an inclusive growth path

Vibrant equitable and sustainable rural communities and food security for all

Promotes innovative action development research in partnership with communities, government, relevant research institutions and

other development agencies

Provision of rural housing

Rural Housing: Objectives

Rural housing plays an important part of the rural integrated development plan

Water provision

Homestead Gardening

Fruit tree establishment

Micro enterprise development and skills development

HIV / AIDS and special needs relief including home based care (improved shelter and care)

The employment situation in different economic sectors, relevance of farmers with other gainful activities.

Availability of job opportunities. Assessment of the development potential.

Capabilities (level of education, skills) of the rural population in relation to actual and potential labour demand.

Entrepreneurship and risk taking. Assessment of training, animation and information needs.

Local capacity (private and public) for developing a sustainable strategy using local strengths and opportunities.

Inadequate assessments of local governance needs

Ineffective implementation of government policies

Corruption and mismanagement or lack of funds.

Rural Development: Challenges

Rural Development

Achieving the required change transformation in rural areas requires an integrated and phased approach that can

systematically transform the economic and social systems that

keep rural communities in a poverty trap and move them to an

improved quality of life.

In the short term, it is easier to improve basic services, expand public employment schemes and substantially reform the land

tenure system as a way to improve incomes and enhance social

cohesion.

In the long term, the critical components of education and training combined with the development of new economic production

systems must empower rural people and enable them to generate

their own incomes.

Questions