Help develop rural areas with resilience to global change
THE
structure
of every country may be divided into just two types: urban and rural. However,
due to numerous factors, there is no uniformity in living standards. While
urban areas experience significant social and economic progress, rural
populations tend to be left behind and lag in development. Recognizing this
disparity, efforts toward nationwide development must prioritize reducing the
gap between urban and rural development as much as possible.
The Division for Social Policy and
Development of the United Nations stated that 80 per cent of the world’s
poorest people live in rural areas, earning less than $2.15 per day. Meanwhile,
more than one billion people worldwide face acute multidimensional poverty—over
half are children, according to the statistics of UNDP.
DESA’s survey in 2021 stated that half
of the rural populations lack health coverage. Likewise, a statement of the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations mentioned that family
farms produce 80 per cent of the world’s food. The 2024 survey of the
International Telecommunication Union-ITU highlighted that rural areas sit on
the climate front line, enduring droughts, floods and extreme heat, adding that
83 per cent of urban residents used the internet versus but 50 per cent of the
rural population have access to the internet.
The 2025 theme for World Rural
Development Day is “Resilience to Global Change”. This theme emphasizes the
need for robust strategies and collaborative efforts to enhance the
adaptability and sustainability of rural regions and bioeconomy businesses.
It also highlights the importance of building resilience in the face of various
global challenges.
It is the rural people who cultivate and
raise livestock to provide food and water for the urban population. Since urban
residents are heavily engaged in factories, workshops, and commercial
businesses, they do not have extra land available for agricultural activities.
Urban dwellers are primarily focused on running economic enterprises.
According to the principle of division of labour, those involved in the success
of industrial and manufacturing sectors rely on rural areas for their daily
food and water supplies.
As such, in order to achieve success in
each respective sector, every government must prioritize the improvement of
the socio-economic lives of rural people and the development of rural areas as
a fundamental foundation. As a result of such efforts, both rural and urban
communities will be able to enjoy balanced and equitable socioeconomic
development to have a reliable capacity to be resilient against global change.
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