2.3. The concept of rural areas
According to Jeffrey et Al (1989:17), the rural areas/sectors
can be described according to its characteristics. Therefore, in rural areas,
in addition to the legion of subsistence and small farmers, there is a growing
percentage of individuals whose primary source of income is trading, cottage
industries, and a wide range of services, generally categorized as off-farm
activities. The actual profile of rural communities in developing countries
tends to be much more complex, with the rural populace typified by the
following attributes.
- Mixed economic activities, with significant seasonal and
geographical variation.
- Fungibility of rural household budgets, in response to changing
needs and opportunities; - Wealth held in primarily assets.
According to Wolfgan et Al (1992:138-139) defined integrated
development of rural areas as a strategy designed to improve the economic and
social life of a specific group of people-the rural poor. It involves extending
the benefits of development to the poorest among those who seek a livelihood in
rural areas.
A strategy of development of rural areas must recognize three
points:
- Firstly, the rate of transfer of people out of low productivity
agriculture into more rewarding pursuits has been slow.
- "Secondly, their position is likely to set worse if population
expands at unprecedented rates".
- Thirdly, rural areas have labor, land and at least some
capital which, if mobilized could reduce poverty and improve the quality of
life, is clearly designed to increase production and raise the productivity. It
is concerned with the monetization and modernization of society, and with its
transition from traditional isolation to integration with the national
economy.
Umalele (1976:20) on his study, development of rural areas is
defined as improving living standards of the mass of the low-population
residing in rural areas and making the process of their development
self-sustaining.
This simple definition has three important features with
substantial implications for how development of rural development programs are
designed and implemented:
Improving the living standards of the subsistence population
involves mobilization and allocation of resources so as to reach a desirable
balance over time between the welfare and productive services available to the
subsistence rural sector.
Making the process self-sustaining requires development of the
appropriate skills and the implementing capacity and the presence of
institutions at the local, regional and national levels to ensure the effective
use of existing resources and human resources for continued development of the
substance sector. Self-sustenance; this means involving, as district from
simply teaching, the subsistence populations through development programs. The
achievements of their aims require consideration of the interaction of a
variety.
According to Kocher (1973:5) argues that, development of rural
areas is a "generalized increase in rural labor productivity resulting in
growing incomes, raise in rural employment opportunities sufficient to absorb
the large numbers of new entrants into rural labor force at a continually
rising levels of living".
2.3.1.3. Objectives of having sustainable development in
rural areas
Over the past few years, sustainable development pacifists
have expressed increased with a variety of objectives, which are highly
dependent on the specific needs and realities of the people and the country in
general.
According to Erade and William (1998:9), the fundamental
purpose of sustainable development is to improve on the terms on which
marginalized people can be part of the process of change and to help them
transform the ways in which power is unjustly exercised distributed in society.
They add that sustainable development is a process that gives people the
opportunity to affect change in society and give it the orientation which most
appropriately responds to their problems and aspirations, the insistence of
insuring an equal share of power as a major objective of sustainable
development at the expense of other important issues like resource
distribution, serves to show the inadequacy of the definition.
In addition to its lack of clarity on the type of power
referred to here, the definition is not comprehensive enough as to include
sharing of resources. Sustainable development policies have above all the goal
of durably ameliorating the quality of life of all. The increase of revenue and
consumption per person fall in that category of goals. Other objectives of
sustainable development include: the struggle against poverty, better access to
public health services and amelioration of education levels the achievements of
which requires approaching the sustainable development problem through a global
perspective.
The World Bank and UN have established the major worldwide
objectives of sustainable development which must be achieved before 2015. These
objectives include the following:
- To reduce by a half the extreme poverty in the world;
- To open all doors to all the people for primary education and
eliminate the gender disparities in that domain;
To reduce by 2/3 the infant mortality and child deaths and by 3/4
the maternal mortality rate and to generate health services;
- To put in place and effect national development strategies for
durable development and avoid overexploitation of resources in the environment.
World Bank, (2000:21)
There is no consensus on what are and what actually should be
the general development goals. This is largely because of the wide divergences
related to the political economic and social realities existing between
societies. The attempts to draw consensual lists of objectives as discussed
above are merely palliative and the extent to which they suit sustainable
development goals for a specific society is just a matter of degree. It is
worth stressing that for feasibility, the sustainable development of any
society or nation should be achieved across the above mentioned objectives.
According to Toyne (2003:128) a sustainable society is identified
by the following factors:
1. Protect and enhance the environment
The use of energy, water and other natural resources efficiently
Minimize waste through re-use, recovery and recycling programs. Limit pollution
to the levels which do not damage natural systems. Value and protect the
diversity of nature.
2. Meet social needs
· Create or enhance places, spaces and building that
well.
· Protect human health amenity through safe, clean pleasant
environments.
· Emphasize health services prevention as well as care
· Ensure access to good food,water.housing and fuel at
reasonable cost,
· Meet local needs with local services wherever
possible,
3. Promote economic success
Create a vibrant local economy that gives access to satisfying
and rewarding work without damaging the local, national or global environment.
The above factors are considered for the entire world, it means, the
sustainability of Kitabi Sector should be based on these factors. Therefore,
the involvement of local leaders and local population is required for achieving
sustainable development.
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