Compliance of migration sentiments of the South Ossetia population of rural areas with the UN sustainable development goals: analysis of social factors

Abstract

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) UN General Assembly as “a blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all” are a common policy framework for developed, developing and poor countries. Despite active policies to implement the SDGs, achieving sustainable rural development still remains a pressing issue: for example, in many regions of the world there is an outflow of labor resources, which is a serious limitation for agricultural development. Purpose of the study: assessing the degree of influence of social factors on the migration of the rural population of South Ossetia in the period 1980-2023. The work used methods of statistical analysis and sociological research. Information base: official statistical data of Georgia and the Republic of South Ossetia, as well as data from three sociological surveys of 1980, 2010 and 2020. Main results: agriculture continues to be the most unattractive and low-paid area of employment in South Ossetia; the dominant factors of population migration from rural areas over the 40-year period of development of the region were unemployment, low incomes, underdeveloped social infrastructure. Conclusions: entering the trajectory of sustainable development of the region involves the comprehensive strategic development of the real sector of the republic’s economy, primarily agriculture, which has the highest potential for employment and financial and investment return. The strategy for sustainable development of rural areas should be based on using market opportunities and realizing the strengths of rural areas, as well as managing the risks of further migration and removing restrictions in the social sphere.