Depopulation Of Rural Areas Research Articles

Depopulation in rural areas of the North Kazakhstan region: social, economic problems and regulatory mechanisms

There are very few studies that have determined the causes of depopulation in rural areas of Kazakhstan and the North Kazakhstan region (NKR). Purpose of the study – to study the causes of the phenomenon of depopulation in rural areas of the NKR, determine its social and economic consequences and propose regulatory mechanisms. To determine the causes of the depopulation process in rural areas of the North Kazakhstan region and propose regulatory mechanisms, methods of empirical, hypothetical, scientific abstraction, dynamic analysis, synthesis, comparative analysis, and systems approach were used. The article provides an in-depth analysis of the rate of natural increase (loss) in the population of Kazakhstan. Having divided the population of the rural areas of the NKR into age groups, we determined which age category was decreasing and put forward a hypothesis about what they wanted. The Government of Kazakhstan has developed and continues to develop various programs for developing rural areas and population growth in the Northern region. However, the coefficient of natural increase (loss) of the population of the North Kazakhstan region has a negative value. The study results showed that the population aging rate in rural areas of this region is intensive. The government must identify groups and target areas that require support measures, taking into account the situation with specialization, labor potential, territorial characteristics, and age characteristics of the areas of the region.

Polycentric Urban System, Territorial Development and Resilience of the Rural Population (Extremadura, Spain)

Over the last several decades, cities have seen concentrated development and population increase. It is a global process, still unfinished, that has simultaneously generated strong territorial imbalances because of socioeconomic backwardness and depopulation of rural areas. The alternative proposed by all institutions is a polycentric urban system, so that cities contribute to decentralizing this development towards their respective areas of influence, thus stabilizing the populations in them. Extremadura is a paradigmatic example, since it has a polycentric system of small cities that have been able to retain half of the population in rural areas. The objective of this article, first, is to define the urban structure and, based on this, typify the range, the hierarchy of the system and its territorial distribution, for which a multivariate analysis is applied. Secondly, a series of isochrones and displacement ranges are defined to analyze urban accessibility, which is key to determining the degree of decentralization of development and population stability. However, a wide peripheral and remote strip remains in the region, for which a concrete proposal is finally made for discussion.

Depopulation of rural areas at the local scale. The case of the Lublin Voivodeship

Depopulation of rural areas at the local scale. The case of the Lublin Voivodeship

Виклики сучасного розвитку людського капіталу сільських територій України в умовах економічних трансформацій

The article is concerned with systematization of factors that hinder the development of human capital in rural areas of Ukraine and are components of the mechanism of its destruction. The factors of destruction of human capital in rural areas are: low-quality school education; poor medical care; unsatisfactory level of development of social infrastructure; monopsony of agricultural enterprises in the rural labor market; low level of development of non-agricultural species; urbanization and the growth of rural unemployment. These factors cause such challenges as low labor productivity, high potential for unemployment and marginalization, excess of mortality over birth rate, migration, low incomes and depopulation of rural areas, which, in turn, lead to the destruction of human capital in rural areas. The development of human capital in rural areas of Ukraine largely depends on social infrastructure. The revival of the village is impossible without the priority development of its social sphere, which requires comprehensive institutional and material measures. Improving the quality of educational and medical services, as well as the development of socio-cultural facilities are critically important for stable economic development and improving the well-being of the population in rural areas. The problems of implementing the strategic task of reproduction and development of human capital in rural areas are caused by the low level of innovation and technological modernization in the agrarian sector, which negatively affects labor productivity. The existing link between the development of human capital and the socioeconomic progress of rural areas emphasizes the need to create conditions for the reproduction of human capital through the development of entrepreneurship, improving the quality of labor potential and social infrastructure. Effective human capital development in rural areas requires overcoming these challenges through an integrated approach that includes innovative solutions, investment in social and productive infrastructure, and increased entrepreneurship.

Earthquakes, sustainable settlements and traditional construction techniques

Urbanization is increasing all around the world due to population growth and big cities receive a high volume of migrants due to economic and social reasons. However, rapid population growth should be prevented in big cities in order to provide comfortable living conditions to the population. When urban planning practices do not catch the speed of urbanization; the tendency towards vertical architecture increases, the amount of green space decreases and problems related to unplanned urbanization come to the fore. These important problems, which have considerably increased recently in Türkiye, may lead greater problems in many respects. The parallel and self-sufficient development of urban and rural areas, which is defined as urban sustainability, is considered as the best-case scenario in urban planning practices. This aim is adopted nowadays by most of the countries in the world as it prevents rapid population growth in cities and depopulation in rural areas. Decisions which are taken to ensure urban sustainability are important for all countries. However, these decisions become even more important in regions with disaster risk. As the majority of Türkiye’s land area is under seismic risk, the problems which may arise due to rapid urbanization during an earthquake should be prevented. The damage and losses which could occur during an earthquake and the security, health, education problems which will arise after the earthquake can be solved by preventing dense housing and uncontrolled migration in urban areas. The connection between urban and rural areas should be strengthened. Besides, the social and economic sustainability of the rural area should be ensured. Settlements should be designed away from fault lines with a holistic approach as “living spaces” which consist components such as; transportation, infrastructure, green spaces and educational spaces. Additionally; the use of appropriate construction techniques and materials should be accepted as a priority. In this context, it can be mentioned that traditional building techniques, which have been developed over centuries and whose deficiencies have been improved during this period, should be preferred especially in rural areas. In this study, the criteria that gain importance in the construction of earthquake resistant and sustainable settlements are evaluated on Türkiye case. The precautions which should be taken to ensure rural sustainability and to prevent the depopulation of rural areas are emphasized. Within this scope, the importance of protecting the architectural texture and regenerating traditional building culture was discussed in constructing earthquake resistant settlements.

Depopulation in Rural Areas of the Warmia and Mazury Voivodeship

The aim of the article was to analyse and evaluate the situation of rural municipalities and rural areas located in urban-rural municipalities in the Warmia-Mazury voivodeship in terms of the phenomenon of depopulation in 2012-2022. The study uses the method of classification of territorial units created by J. W. Webb (1963). The phenomenon of depopulation intensified in rural municipalities and in rural areas in urban-rural municipalities. The element mainly influencing depopulation during these years was population emigration. The deterioration of the population situation in the study areas was also associated with a decline in natural increase. Considering the changes that took place in the years under study and their intensity, it can be concluded that in the coming years the phenomenon of depopulation will begin to develop with even greater force and dynamism.

Trends in cardiovascular care in Japan from 2010 to 2019 in relation to population density

Abstract Background As Japan faces a declining birthrate and an ageing population, it is also necessary to transfer the population from urban areas to rural areas to prevent depopulation in rural areas. On the other hand, it is necessary to verify whether cardiovascular medical care systems are equalized regardless of population density. Purpose The aim of this study is to describe the evolution of healthcare in Japan by population density. Methods This descriptive study used data obtained from the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases database from 2010 to 2019. The nationwide 10-year trend in cardiovascular medical care systems was described in total and according to quartiles of hospitals based on population density. Results The number of patients admitted to cardiovascular facilities and the number of cardiologists showed a 1.26-fold and 1.18-fold increase from 2010 to 2019, respectively (P for trend <0.01 for both). The very high population density category had a lower number of hospitals and cardiology beds per population, whereas the very low population density category had a lower number of cardiologists per population. A greater increase in the number of patients was observed in the higher population density category (P for interaction<0.01). The difference in the number of hospitalized patients per cardiologist decreased among the population density categories. Conclusion Based on population density, the highest increase in the number of patients and cardiologists per hospital was observed in the higher population density category; however, the difference in the number of patients per cardiologist decreased among the categories. Figure legend Hospital-level trends in cardiovascular medical care systems according to population density. (A, B, and C) The number of patients to cardiologists according to population density. (D)

Implementing youth-oriented policies: A remedy for depopulation in rural regions?

The depopulation of rural areas has received increasing attention in recent years, both in scientific discourses and in policy-making. One main factor contributing to this rural shrinkage is the out-migration of the rural population. In particular, young and well-educated people have been leaving rural areas and moving to urban agglomerations. While the drivers as well as the consequences of out-migration have been well researched, less is known about measures to counteract youth outmigration as one of the main drivers of depopulation. Based on a comparative case study conducted in four rural regions affected by youth out-migration in Austria and Germany, this paper discusses policy measures that are specifically targeted at influencing young people’s migration aspirations. In addition, the effects of these measures on rural youth migration are analysed. After implementing measures that take the needs of young people into consideration, all four case study regions started to experience a decrease in their negative youth migration balance. This was mainly due to an increase in in-migration, while youth out-migration rates remained stable. However, these developments follow the general trend of rural youth migration in Austria and Germany in recent years. Thus, more research is needed to evaluate the actual impact of youth-oriented measures. This paper introduces the “youth-oriented regional development” approach, and highlights perspectives for future research on policies aimed at mitigating the challenges facing rural regions that are experiencing depopulation.

NEED FOR A NEW VISION ON DEMOGRAPHIC POLICY IN THE RURAL AREAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

According to a preliminary assessment of the National Statistical Institute for the number of the population of Bulgaria as of 09/07/2021. (www.nsi.bg), according to the last census of the population and housing stock from 09/07/2021. until 10.10.2021, 1,677,139 people live in the villages. This represents 25.7% of the population of Bulgaria, which as of the indicated date is 6,520,314 people. There are several negative demographic trends, among which is the depopulation of rural areas. The stabilization of the demographic situation in these areas, as an important and necessary condition for the sustainable development of rural areas, necessitates the preparation and implementation of a new vision on the demographic situation in rural areas. This vision must include new innovative approaches and policies of a demographic nature. These approaches must be prepared and implemented as a component of the national policy for the sustainable development of rural areas and overcoming their depopulation in the context of the national demographic policy

Special Issue on “Logistics Optimization for Social Good”

The International Transactions in Operational Research (ITOR) will publish a special issue dedicated to “Logistics Optimization for Social Good”. The world and the population are constantly changing, and these changes have been more pronounced during the last decades. High pollution, increasing aging population, frequent diseases and pandemics, depopulation of rural areas and overpopulation in cities, hunger and shortage in developing countries, are some of the main challenges affecting our current and future situation. Around these ideas there are many logistics solutions to consider on a day-to-day and strategic basis, which can bring many benefits to the societies if they are properly advanced. Accordingly, there is a growing interest to ensure that current and future AI and Optimization research provide these logistics solutions for better crisis response, equality and inclusion, economic empowerment, hunger and shortage response, healthcare, or environmental sustainability, i.e., for social good. This will result in advances in both theoretical and practical aspects as well as technical innovations in several logistics sectors such as emergency logistics, humanitarian logistics, healthcare logistics, etc. In this context, with the aim of reflecting and reporting on the latest research and developments in the interplay between logistics for social good and optimization, we propose this special issue entitled “Logistics Optimization for Social Good”. The main goal of this special issue is to bring and comprehensively collect cutting-edge research and recent advances in AI and Optimization to promote and foster logistics for social good. This issue will provide readers with high-quality contributions exploring and dealing with optimization problems in the field of logistics while discussing advanced methods considering social good. Examples involve the joint use of machine learning and mathematical programming, integrating information systems with optimization algorithms, theoretical or empirical studies in modern operations research, developing truly-brained systems to support logistics decisions, etc. As it can be seen, the special issue will contribute to the literature with relevant theoretical and practical works advancing the progress of operations research and artificial intelligence towards logistics for social good. This call for papers is open to the entire community of researchers and practitioners and we encourage any submissions that fit in the scope of this special issue. Authors of selected works from the 13th International Conference on Computational Logistics (ICCL 2022) will be invited to submit an extended version of their ICCL 2022 accepted papers to this special issue. Each paper will be peer-reviewed according to the editorial policy of ITOR (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118505725/home), published by the International Federation of Operational Research Societies – IFORS. Papers should be original, unpublished, and not currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the instructions to authors that can be found on the journal homepage. Authors should upload their contributions using the submission site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/itor, indicating in their cover letter that the paper is intended for this special issue and listing the novel contributions considering related literature. The deadline for submissions is March 12, 2023. Other inquiries should be sent directly to any of the Guest Editors in charge of this issue: Jesica de Armas ([email protected]), Helena Ramalhinho ([email protected]), and Stefan Voß ([email protected]).

Growth and decline in rural Spain: an exploratory analysis

ABSTRACT The depopulation of rural areas in both developed and developing countries has become a complex problem with important implications for issues of equality and sustainability. We present a spatial exploratory analysis of the multidimensional factors related to the depopulation of Spain's rural areas. Using highly granular population data to estimate experienced population density allows us to highlight significant differences compared to the conventional administrative boundary in terms of the usual definition of densities. Based on this, we develop a new typology of declining rural areas that takes into account access to urban areas. While most rural areas have been suffering depopulation over the last decades, our results also show that rural areas themselves are not a homogeneous group and that rural areas show strong heterogeneity along different dimensions associated with growth and decline.

Relationship between attitudes (implicit and explicit), feelings and beliefs. A study on urban and rural areas in Spain (Relación entre actitudes (implícitas y explícitas), sentimientos y creencias. Un estudio sobre las zonas urbanas y rurales en España)

ABSTRACT Migration to the city requires in-depth study of the underlying reasons. These reasons include attitudes towards urban and rural areas. To study the relationship between attitudes (implicit and explicit), feelings and beliefs regarding urban and rural areas, we conducted research to measure implicit attitudes through the Implicit Association Test, and explored explicit attitudes, feelings and beliefs through ad hoc questions. The results showed that having a university education (vs. not having one) is associated with less negative feelings towards urban areas. Those who had a favourable implicit and explicit attitude towards urban areas expressed the greatest concern about the depopulation of rural areas. We discuss the results in terms of ‘attitudinal balance’, which would imply a change in attitudes among the population that seeks to increase beliefs about the benefits of rural areas without undermining positive beliefs associated with urban areas.

Depopulacioni klaster - naselja sa 20 i manje stanovnika u Srbiji

The article deals with the complex dynamics of depopulation in rural areas in Serbia. Although the topic has been very topical in recent decades and research has long identified the causes and consequences of depopulation in numerous regions in Europe, there seems to be no systematic approach to the implementation of policies for the management of abandoned areas. We started from already known factors contributing to depopulation, including economic, social and environmental dimensions. Based on previous research, historical trends and a statistical database, we attempted to represent depopulation as a spatial process that has its own size, structure and consequences, using a new, quantitative methodology for grouping abandoned areas into clusters as basic units of dispersal of depopulated areas. The aim of the work was to quantitatively determine the size and structure of the depopulated area in Serbia after the 2022 census. The study opened up new fields of research for the future use of depopulated space, but also offered certain solutions for policy makers, researchers and municipalities struggling with the challenges of depopulation. The results of the work show the existence of 47 abandoned clusters in 10 administrative regions of Serbia, which is 17 more than in the 2011 census. Further homogenization and consolidation of clusters was found in the statistical regions: Toplička, Zaječarska, Jablanička, Pirotska and Raška region, i.e. an increase in the total depopulated area as well as its spatial expansion towards the north of the country.

Bibliometric analysis on cultural tourism and depopulation in rural areas

Bibliometric analysis on cultural tourism and depopulation in rural areas

Detecting Spatiotemporal Differences in Cropland Abandonment and Reforestation Across the Three-North Region of China Based on Landsat Time Series

The Three-North region of China is an important ecological protection area. While the depopulation of rural areas and policy intervention have allowed cropland abandonment and reforestation (CAR), the spatial distribution and temporal differences underlying this landscape pattern have not been analyzed. CAR results in the gradual disappearance of the soil signal representing tilled or harvested crops, followed by a gradual increase in the interannual vegetation signal. This long-term gradual greening can be exploited to map the spatiotemporal distribution of CAR. In this study, Landsat-based detection of trends in disturbance and recovery (LandTrendr) was applied to the 1990–2020 Landsat-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. The data were combined with a differential analysis of the phenological characteristics of the surveyed area to detect land surface greening trends. The relationship with actual information on CAR was then determined. The results showed widespread long-term greening in the Three-North region, covering up to 80% of the region) during the annual growth (May–June) and harvest (September–October) periods. Together, these two periods indicated 7.5% overall greening. The highest greening intensity was in areas where cropland undergone conversion to forest, which strongly suggested CAR as the succession type. The average accuracy of CAR mapping was ~80% (mapping accuracy of a greening intensity > 0.4 was as high as 87%). This study demonstrates the utility of our method in studies of driving factors of CAR and ecological benefits of secondary forest restoration.

인구감소지역의 재정지출구조가 청년인구 순유입에 미친 영향력에 관한 연구

The depopulation problem in South Korea is considered from the viewpoint of local government. Recently, ｢Special Act on Support for Depopulated Areas｣ has been enacted in South Korea. 89 small cities that are in danger of extinction due to population decrease have been designated as depopulation area for intensive support from the federal government. The purpose of this research was to find the answer on how depopulation area designated can be manage their funds to induce young people. In this regard, this study examines the relationship between variation in local-level spending and population influx in the age ranging between 20 and 39 with depopulation cities located within Daegu, Busan, Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyengsangbook-do. The statistically significant evidence indicates that cities that spent more Economic Development-related funds Social Welfare-related funds led to more population influx aged 20 to 39. Otherwise this research has shown that more expenditure in General Administration section did indeed decrease levels of influx of young adult population aged 20-30. This evidence suggests that how well the financial expenditure related to Economic Development funds and Social Welfare funds are implemented, the new young population aged 20-39 successfully will be entered within the cities experienced population decline. This finding can be very informative for local governments with depopulation of rural areas.

Evolution of the public problem of depopulation in Spain: longitudinal analysis of the media agenda

According to the sociology of public problems, the construction, visibility, and stabilization of a public problem require the mobilization of collectives of citizens interested in the issue, which act as an active entity in demanding actions and policies. One such issue is the depopulation of rural areas in Spain, which has shifted from a geographically localized problem to a matter of state policy. This article investigates the influence of framing in this process, analyzing a corpus of 5,980 headlines from newspapers in the Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, and Castile and Leon regions of Spain as well as from two national media outlets, corresponding to the period 2012–2021. Through the application of statistical analyses of lexical frequency in stages, the most significant terms in the evolution of the media’s coverage of the issue have been identified, which has made it possible to observe the appearance and displacement of concepts and their relationship to the most important milestones of social and political mobilization. In addition, its power to stir up sentiment in socio-political discourse has been explored. The consolidation of depopulation as a stable element in the Spanish media agenda, going beyond the regional sphere and having a presence dissociated from specific events through time, in contrast to what occurred some years ago, stands out. Finding a media-friendly frame -empty Spain [España vacía] and emptied Spain [España vaciada]- may have been a key element in this.

250-Year reconstruction of pollarding events reveals sharp management changes in Iberian ash woodlands

Key messageTree-ring growth of pollarded narrow-leaved ash trees in Central Spain reveals traditional management cessation in 1970 and property-specific management patterns.Tree pollarding was a dominant management strategy of European forests for centuries creating open agroforestry landscapes with important cultural and environmental values. This traditional practice has been widely abandoned in last decades with a subsequent impact in terms of biodiversity and cultural loss. Central Spain hosts the largest and best-preserved area of pollarded narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl.) woodlands in Europe. The main aim of this research is to obtain rigorous historical records of pollarding frequency to get adequate information for traditional ash management. We used dendrochronological techniques to evaluate temporal changes of pollarding frequency and rotation length. We analysed the stand level synchrony and the effect of land property on pollarding activity from 322 trees growing in eight pollard stands in Central Spain. Pollarding events were unequivocally identified at tree level by a characteristic change in growth pattern. We identified 2426 tree-level pruning events with the first event dated in 1777. Historical pruning recurrence ranged between 5 and 10 years with higher pollarding frequency on private lands. Pruning events within each site were synchronous, suggesting the existence of a rotational schema within each stand. Pruning frequency decreased drastically in the 1970s matching with the depopulation of rural areas and the general abandonment of traditional practices. Pollarding practices have recovered in recent decades although with lower intensity and lacking the synchronic historical patterns. Providing technical and economic support to make this traditional activity profitably would have strong environmental revenue due the multiple ecosystem services provided by pollarded ashes.

Spatio-sectoral heterogeneity and population–employment dynamics: some implications for territorial development

ABSTRACT Grounded in the general equilibrium framework of regional adjustment models, this paper studies how the spatial distribution of sectoral employment can affect the intra-regional spatial location of a population, and so affect territorial development. Although spatial interactions, spatial heterogeneity and sectoral heterogeneity have been introduced in these models, no empirical studies reveal how spatio-sectoral heterogeneity affects the intra-regional distribution of population and jobs. This paper explores this effect through a complex set of interdependencies among the regional population, employment in the regional economic sectors and their respective regional neighbours within the different regional typologies (urban, semi-urban and rural areas), as suggested by the concept of proximity developed by Torre in 2019. We use a system of simultaneous equations to focus on the phenomenon of rural depopulation for the 542 municipalities of the Valencian region of Spain. The results provide evidence for the relevance of spatio-sectoral dynamics, suggesting that reversing depopulation in rural areas depends strongly on the services sector.

Gender roles or gendered goals? Women's return to rural family business

PurposeThis paper aims to add to the theorization of the gender dynamic in rural areas by investigating the motives of women who join their family firm (or their spouse's family firm) and thereby defy the demographic trend of rural flight. The context of this study is the depopulation of rural areas with the closing of basic services and relocation of the younger population, and educated women in particular, to urban areas. Consequently, rural family businesses risk failing to find successors and suffering forced closure or relocation. The empirical site of the study is rural family firms in Sweden, a context characterized by a high level of gender equality in legislation and culture but gender-conservative business structures in rural regions.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical case in this paper builds on a qualitative study of nine (9) life course narratives of women entrepreneurs in a rural region of Southern Sweden who have returned to rural areas to join their family business. The authors follow the view established by gender scholars that women are active agents in navigating their lives, and their life story narratives offer insight into the considerations that inform their choice to stay or return to rural locations. In Sweden, the setting for the study, gender equality is widely supported by legislation, policy and institutional frameworks and popular understanding of gender relations. In contrast to the gender-progressive policies of Sweden at large, women's entrepreneurship in rural regions of Sweden tends to follow traditional gender hierarchies and face similar constraints as in rural areas of other countries. The juxtaposition of these competing sets of ideals makes Sweden an important and interesting place to study and draw insights from the experiences of women entrepreneurs.FindingsThe findings reveal that women who choose to join rural family firms view them primarily in a positive light and see this choice as aligned with their need for professional flexibility and assertiveness, rewarding relationships, and a calm, secure, well-balanced life. Theoretically, the study implies that women choosing to engage in rural family firms seek non-material benefits, such as work–life balance and social support, and may be driven in part by a sense of psychological ownership that extends to the rural community.Originality/valueThe findings provide novel insights on women as active agents in navigating their lives and the intrinsic (e.g. alignment of personal values) and extrinsic (e.g. community support) motives that inform their decisions. The study also raises questions regarding how women perceive themselves as “fitting in” to rural settings and to what extent the sense of security within these settings that the women describe may be contingent upon factors such as their families' embeddedness within the community as well as their conformity to the local social norms.