The mapping of rural Serbia according to the index of natural amenities

Abstract

Amenities are recognized as a new source of comparative advantage of rural areas, which is strategically used for the popularization of the reverse migration flow from urban to rural areas, as well as for enforcing a new development approach defined as the ?rural industrialization?. Climate conditions, topography, forest land and water resources have been identified as the main drivers of the migration flow from urban to rural areas. Additionally, they are highly related to economic growth in rural areas with high natural amenities. The current paper has two aims. The first is to highlight the importance of the concept of rural amenities for economic development, with special emphasis on the natural amenities. The second aim is to describe the concept of natural amenities on the example of rural areas in Serbia by introducing a set of measures of natural amenities, as well as a summary natural amenity index which allows the classification of the rural areas in Serbia with respect to their natural amenities. Natural amenities have a significant influence on the total amenity value of rural areas in Serbia. There are significant differences in climate conditions and landscape amenities among rural areas. The mapping of rural Serbia according to the developed index of natural amenities is only the first necessary step in creating an efficient rural policy for the purpose of ensuring sustainable rural development in the future. Rural areas with high natural amenities in Serbia include Raska, Zlatibor, Moravica, Pcinja, Bor and Toplica.