Unit 3 - Rural Settlement Issues Flashcards
Rural-urban migration
People leave the rural areas to live in urban areas.
Taking places on global scales, especial long developing countries.
Rural depopulation
Rural areas become depopulated, resulting in a decline of functions and services.
Towns become ghost towns.
Causes of rural depopulation
- poverty
- distance from urban areas
- poor health care
- few employment opportunities
- few educational opportunities
- lack of basic services (clean water and electricity)
Push factors
push people away from rural areas
- natural disasters, famine or floods.
- crop failures from floods or famine.
- limited food production, because of overgrazing, misuse of land, resulting in soil erosion.
- lack of jobs due to mechanization (modern machines), farmers need sewers workers.
- lake of safe clean water.
- low standard of living, poor quality of life.
- basic services close down (medical, schools and banking services).
Pull factors
Pull people toward urban areas -8
- employment
- education, better schools and opportunities.
- more reliable food sources.
- better services, health care and entertainment.
- expectation of constant supply of clean and safe water.
- expectation of better housing and quality of life.
- industries and services offer better employment opportunities.
- factory works are paid more than farm workers and not affected by natural disasters.
Consequences of rural depopulation
Farmers and residents spend less in smaller services centre as they prefer to shop in larger centers.
As result, small centers struggle to survive economically.
Young men leave first and women and elderly remain. Rural population becomes older.
As result, process of rural decline and decay sets in.
Ghost town
A town that was once flourishing and populated.
Due to economic circumstances, it becomes completely abandoned.
Urbanisation
Increased proportion of population living in urban areas.
Strategies to address the effects of rural depopulation
Rural settlement problems in SA
Reconstruction and development programme (RDP) - 1994
GEAR (growth, employment and redistribution)
Comprehensive rural development programme (CRDP)
Rural settlement problems in SA
Rural depopulation is a global phenomenon.
Problems in SA stem from discriminatory legislation and neglect of the majority black popular during apartheid.
Forced removals led to overpopulation in rural areas and deprived people of basic needs.
High population growth put pressure on
- limited family incomes
- social services
- natural resources
Reconstruction an development programme (RDP) - 1994
Focus was on:
Meeting basic needs
Developing human resources
Building the economy
Creating a democratic society/state
GEAR (growth, employment and redistribution)
Replaced RDP in 1996
Economic reform was directed towards:
- growing economy to create enough jobs
- redistribution of income opportunities in favor of the poor
- ensure available health care, education a other services.
- creating environments where homes and places of work are safe.
Comprehensive rural development programme (CRDP)
Presently being implemented in SA
Aims to:
- eliminate poverty and food insecurity
- create sustainable rural settlements
- maximize and manage natural resources.
What does the social justice issues in rural areas include?
Access to resources and land reform
Social justice
Principal that all individuals are entitled to their basic human needs.
- food
- water
- clothing
- shelter
- healthcare and education
Social justice issues (8)
- Native land act of 1913, black South Africans were assigned 13.6% of land. The areas were called reserves and later became known as homelands
- 1950s government passed laws stating that black South Africans have to live in homelands unless they had a pass allowing them to leave.
- Homeland areas had poor soil conditions caused by overuse of land and resulted in degradation.
- Lack of easy access to resources.
- Subsistence farming practices. Poor soil fertility and unstable climate leads to poverty.
- Gender inequality and lack of basic education leads to unemployment.
- Access to primary healthcare is limited. TB + HIV widespread.
- Rural infrastructure is poor. Limited access to sanitation and water.
What does the government believe that can help to alleviate poverty?
Granting land ownership to communities and people in rural areas.
Land reform programmes:
Strategies to help alleviate poverty
Land redistribution
Land restitution
Land reform
Land redistribution
Land owned by government is allocated to disadvantaged and poor people (in rural areas) for settlement and farming
Land restitution
Land that was forcibly removed from people under various discriminatory laws is returned to them.
People lodge claims through the Land Claims Court who decide on an outcome.
Land reform
People are given the security of land tenure/occupancy, including communal land ownership and informal ownership (by farm workers and labour tenants).
As some labour tenants have lived on the same land for generations and have no other home.
