Rural-Urban Dynamics

Rural-urban disparities, especially in developing countries, have for long been a major concern for policymakers. The disparities can be seen in all spheres of human life - economic and social. The income inequalities, lack of employment opportunities, lack of infrastructure and civic amenities, inadequate access to education, healthcare and other basic services are some of the major areas, where rural areas lag behind urban. Globalisation and the spread of the consumerism culture has further deepened these disparities, visible in the affluence and glitz of urban areas, which stand in stark contrast to the poverty, deprivation and squalor that characterises the rural landscape in developing countries. The burgeoning slums in urban areas populated largely by migrants from rural areas are an outcome of these disparities. Seen in the context of countries like China and India, which together account for close to two fifths of the world's populations, and where 70 per cent of the people still live in rural areas, the rural-urban divide assumes great significance. The rural-urban 'divides' is however, not the only perspective on the rural-urban equation; increasingly, experts and analysts point to the linkage that exists between rural and urban areas that mutually strengthens the rural and urban sectors. Seen from the 'linkage' perspective, the rural and the urban areas form a continuum, rather than exist as discrete geographical territories with boundaries. This book explores the rural-urban dynamics from both the 'divide' and the 'linkage' perspectives, and looks at ways in which the rural-urban gap can be bridged.