Rural development

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rural development generally refers to the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas.[1] Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. However, changes in global production networks and increased urbanization have changed the character of rural areas. Increasingly tourism, niche manufacturers, and recreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant economic drivers.[2] The need for rural communities to approach development from a wider perspective has created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentive for agricultural or resource based businesses. Education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure all play an important role in developing rural regions.[3] Rural development is also characterized by its emphasis on locally produced economic development strategies.[4] In contrast to urban regions, which have many similarities, rural areas are highly distinctive from one another. For this reason there are a large variety of rural development approaches used globally.

Development actions

Rural development actions are mainly and mostly to development aim for the social and economic development of the rural areas.[5]

Rural development programs are usually top-down from the local or regional authorities, regional development agencies, NGOs, national governments or international development organizations. But then, local populations can also bring about endogenous initiatives for development. The term is not limited to the issues for developing countries. In fact many of the developed countries have very active rural development programs.The main aim of the rural government policy is to develop the undeveloped villages.

Rural development aims at finding the ways to improve the rural lives with participation of the rural people themselves so as to meet the required need of the rural area. The outsider may not understand the setting, culture, language and other things prevalent in the local area. As such, general people themselves have to participate in their sustainable rural development. In developing countries like Nepal, India, integrated development approaches are being followed up. In the context of many approaches and ideas have been developed and followed up, for instance, bottom-up approach, PRA- Participatory Rural Appraisal, RRA- Rapid Rural Appraisal etc.

Rural development agencies

Recognition

Jindal Prize

Sitaram Jindal Foundation, India has instituted an award Jindal Prize in which Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation is one of the category out of five categories. Prize will be awarded to those individuals or organizations rendering significant service to rural development and poverty alleviation without any profit motive. Prizes of Rs. one crore in each category will be awarded annually.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Moseley, Malcolm J. (2003). Rural development : principles and practice (1. publ. ed.). London [u.a.]: SAGE. p. 5. ISBN 0-7619-4766-3. 
  2. ↑ Ward, Neil; Brown, David L. (1 December 2009). "Placing the Rural in Regional Development". Regional Studies 43 (10): 1237–1244. doi:10.1080/00343400903234696. 
  3. ↑ Rural development research : a foundation for policy (1. publ. ed.). Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Greenwood Press. 1996. ISBN 0-313-29726-6. 
  4. ↑ Moseley, Malcolm J. (2003). Rural development : principles and practice (1. publ. ed.). London [u.a.]: SAGE. p. 7. ISBN 0-7619-4766-3. 
  5. ↑ Chigbu, U.E. (2012). Village Renewal as an Instrument of Rural Development: Evidence from Weyarn, Germany. Community Development, Vol. 43 (2), pp. 209-224. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15575330.2011.575231#preview

External links

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