Showing papers on "Rural area published in 2013"
TL;DR: This paper found that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation, and that one out of every four or five individuals raised in rural areas moves to urban areas as a young adult, where they earn much higher incomes than nonmigrant rural permanent residents.
Abstract: Using population and product consumption data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, I construct comparable measures of inequality and migration for 65 countries, including some of the poorest countries in the world. I find that the urban-rural gap accounts for 40% of mean country inequality and much of its cross-country variation. One out of every four or five individuals raised in rural areas moves to urban areas as a young adult, where they earn much higher incomes than nonmigrant rural permanent residents. Equally, one out of every four or five individuals raised in urban areas moves to rural areas as a young adult, where they earn much lower incomes than their nonmigrant urban cousins. These flows and relative incomes are suggestive of a world where the population sorts itself geographically on the basis of its human capital and skill. I show that a simple model of this sort explains the urban-rural gap in living standards.
322 citations
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this paper, experts from around the world explore how global trends, state policies and grassroots movements affect contemporary rural areas in both developed and developing countries and present evidence of the vital importance of rural people and places, particularly in terms of environmental conservation.
Abstract: Although most countries in the world are rapidly urbanizing, the majority of the global population – particularly the poor – continue to live in rural areas. This Handbook rejects the popular notion that urbanization should be universally encouraged and presents clear evidence of the vital importance of rural people and places, particularly in terms of environmental conservation. Expert contributors from around the world explore how global trends, state policies and grassroots movements affect contemporary rural areas in both developed and developing countries.
268 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the danger of a growing digital divide between rural and other areas, and explore the problems of providing broadband in rural Britain, consider various techno- logical approaches and conclude with key development areas for policy and government.
Abstract: This article discusses the danger of a growing digital divide between rural and other areas. It presents broadband as increasingly necessary for the delivery of information, health, education, business, social security, public and leisure services. Access to broadband has become vital for rural communities to participate in a progressively digital economy and to overcome problems of physical and social isolation. Yet rural areas are among those most excluded from fast broadband developments. Although this is partly due to technological/economic barriers in reaching more remote locations, even where technology is available, adoption can still be low in rural areas. This article explores the problems of providing broadband in rural Britain, considers various techno- logical approaches and concludes with key development areas for policy and government.
209 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined rural social acceptance of renewable energy deployment taking Shandong as a case study via a field questionnaire survey and found that rural residents are generally supportive renewable energy development given its positive impacts on environment.
209 citations
TL;DR: Although rural residents are more likely to be diagnosed with more advanced cancers and to die of cancer, little is known about rural‐urban disparities in self‐reported health among survivors.
Abstract: Rural residents have higher cancer mortality than urban residents, with the largest disparities observed for lung, colorectal, prostate, and cervical cancers1. Disparities associated with rural residence have also been documented in cancer diagnosis and treatment2–5, but little is known about disparities that may persist into the post-treatment survivorship period. A majority of survivors are now expected to live at least five years after their cancer diagnosis6, increasing the importance of monitoring long-term health and well-being years after treatment is completed. Although estimates of the number of rural cancer survivors have not been published, 21% of the general population resides in rural areas7, defined by the United States (US) Census as residence outside of areas with an urban core of at least 50,000 persons and densely settled contiguous areas8.
Rural residents may face challenges in accessing medical care and necessary support services due to extended and sometimes difficult travel and a limited number of health care facilities9, 10. Further, rural residents in general tend to be older, poorer, less educated, less likely to have insurance, and more likely to encounter transportation challenges11–13, exacerbating health disparities. The few studies that have examined quality of life, symptoms, or mental health among rural survivors9, 14, 15 are limited by patient samples recruited from a single state or region. Thus we know little about the population characteristics and health status of rural cancer survivors in the US. The lack of information about rural cancer survivors hampers public health planning, allocation of medical resources, and the development of interventions to target this potentially vulnerable population of survivors.
To address these limitations, the goal of this study was to estimate the number of adult cancer survivors who reside in rural areas of the United States and to describe their self-reported health status relative to urban survivors. Compared to non-rural survivors, we expected that rural survivors would report more medical comorbidities and greater psychological distress and would be more likely to report being in fair/poor health and being unable to work because of a health condition.
186 citations
TL;DR: Here, literature regarding the potential importance of rural residence on cancer patients' outcomes in the United States is reviewed with an eye towards identifying research conventions that may be useful for future research in this important area.
Abstract: "Neighborhoods and health" research has shown that area social factors are associated with the health outcomes that patients with cancer experience across the cancer control continuum. To date, most of this research has been focused on the attributes of urban areas that are associated with residents' poor cancer outcomes with less focused on attributes of rural areas that may be associated with the same. Perhaps because there is not yet a consensus in the United States regarding how to define "rural," there is not yet an accepted analytic convention for studying issues of how patients' cancer outcomes may vary according to "rural" as a contextual attribute. The research that exists reports disparate findings and generally treats rural residence as a patient attribute rather than a contextual factor, making it difficult to understand what factors (e.g., unmeasured individual poverty, area social deprivation, area health care scarcity) may be mediating the poor outcomes associated with rural (or non-rural) residence. Here, we review literature regarding the potential importance of rural residence on cancer patients' outcomes in the United States with an eye towards identifying research conventions (i.e., spatial and analytic) that may be useful for future research in this important area.
185 citations
TL;DR: Drawing on the largest data set assembled on rural water points in sub-Saharan Africa to date, logistic regression analyses are employed to identify operational, technical, institutional, financial, and environmental predictors of functionality for community-managed handpumps in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.
Abstract: Rural water supply sustainability has remained an enduring policy challenge in sub-Saharan Africa for decades. Drawing on the largest data set assembled on rural water points in sub-Saharan Africa to date, this paper employs logistic regression analyses to identify operational, technical, institutional, financial, and environmental predictors of functionality for over 25 000 community-managed handpumps in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. Risk factors significantly associated with nonfunctionality across all three countries were (a) system age, (b) distance from district/county capital, and (c) absence of user fee collection. In at least one of the three countries, other variables found to have significant multivariable adjusted associations with functionality status included well type, handpump type, funding organization, implementing organization, spare parts proximity, availability of a handpump mechanic, regular servicing, regular water committee meetings, women in key water committee positions, rainfall season, and perceived water quality. While the findings reinforce views that a multifaceted range of conditions is critical for the sustainability of community-managed handpumps, they also demonstrate that these factors remain absent from a high proportion of cases. Governments and development partners must significantly strengthen postconstruction support for operation and maintenance systems, and greater efforts are needed to test and evaluate alternative models for managing handpump water supplies.
182 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the broadband digital divide between rural and urban households in the US and found that the broadband usage gap is proportionally greater for low-income households.
180 citations
TL;DR: In this nationwide cohort study from 2006 to 2010, the standardized incidence rate and survival to discharge rate of EMS-assessed OHCAs increased annually in metropolitan and urban communities but did not increase in rural communities.
175 citations
Book•
14 May 2013
TL;DR: Kneebone and Berube as discussed by the authors argued that the antipoverty infrastructure built over the past several decades does not fit this rapidly changing geography and pointed out that the solution no longer fits the problem.
Abstract: It has been nearly a half century since President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty. Back in the 1960s tackling poverty "in place" meant focusing resources in the inner city and in rural areas. The suburbs were seen as home to middle- and upper-class families --affluent commuters and homeowners looking for good schools and safe communities in which to raise their kids. But today's America is a very different place. Poverty is no longer just an urban or rural problem, but increasingly a suburban one as well. In Confronting Suburban Poverty in America , Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube take on the new reality of metropolitan poverty and opportunity in America. After decades in which suburbs added poor residents at a faster pace than cities, the 2000s marked a tipping point. Suburbia is now home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the country and more than half of the metropolitan poor. However, the antipoverty infrastructure built over the past several decades does not fit this rapidly changing geography. As Kneebone and Berube cogently demonstrate, the solution no longer fits the problem. The spread of suburban poverty has many causes, including shifts in affordable housing and jobs, population dynamics, immigration, and a struggling economy. The phenomenon raises several daunting challenges, such as the need for more (and better) transportation options, services, and financial resources. But necessity also produces opportunity --in this case, the opportunity to rethink and modernize services, structures, and procedures so that they work in more scaled, cross-cutting, and resource-efficient ways to address widespread need. This book embraces that opportunity. Kneebone and Berube paint a new picture of poverty in America as well as the best ways to combat it. Confronting Suburban Poverty in America offers a series of workable recommendations for public, private, and nonprofit leaders seeking to modernize poverty alleviation and community development strategies and connect residents with economic opportunity. The authors highlight efforts in metro areas where local leaders are learning how to do more with less and adjusting their approaches to address the metropolitan scale of poverty --for example, integrating services and service delivery, collaborating across sectors and jurisdictions, and using data-driven and flexible funding strategies. "We believe the goal of public policy must be to provide all families with access to communities, whether in cities or suburbs, that offer a high quality of life and solid platform for upward mobility over time. Understanding the new reality of poverty in metropolitan America is a critical step toward realizing that goal." - from Chapter One.
174 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the food security situation of rural households in the Limpopo Province and found that 53 % of the sampled rural households declared themselves to be severely food insecure.
Abstract: Although South Africa is food secure as a nation, many households remain food insecure. The government has recognized several key food security challenges in the Integrated Food Security Strategy (IFSS). However, South Africa still lacks specific and accepted methods to measure food security and currently has no regulated way of monitoring the food security status of its population. This article reports on an investigation into the food security situation of rural households in the Limpopo Province. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered across five districts in the province. The study sample eventually involved 599 households in the rural areas of Limpopo. This allowed a thorough description of household characteristics and livelihoods and an assessment of the food security and poverty levels in the area. The findings showed that 53 % of the sampled rural households declared themselves to be severely food insecure. Multivariate analyses were used to identify the main household characteristics that determined the household’s food security status. These determinants were mainly human capital (education, household size and dependency ratio), household income and district in which the households were situated. The findings indicated that policy priorities should be focused on the promotion of rural education and creating an enabling environment for the rural labour market.
TL;DR: Using cross-country panel data for developing countries spanning 1980-2004, the authors found that migration out of agriculture into the missing middle (the rural non-farm economy and secondary towns) yields more inclusive growth patterns and faster poverty reduction than agglomeration in mega cities.
TL;DR: The authors used data from a survey conducted in 309 school districts located within Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region to study the ways local stakeholders perceive both risk and opportunity associated with gas extraction from Marcellous Shale.
Abstract: Recent advances in gas and oil drilling technology have led to dramatic boomtown development in many rural areas that have endured extended periods of economic decline. In Pennsylvania's Marcellus gas fields, the recent development of unconventional shale gas resources has not been without controversy. It has been variously framed as a major opportunity for economic revitalization at the local and regional levels and energy independence at the national level, but also as a significant environmental risk, with uncertain and uneven economic benefits. We use data from a survey conducted in 309 school districts located within Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region to study the ways local stakeholders perceive both risk and opportunity associated with gas extraction from Marcellus Shale. Our analyses indicate that there is a strong positive association between perceptions of risk and opportunity associated with gas extraction. Further, the intensity of perception of both risk and opportunity is directly associated with the amount of local drilling, suggesting the complexity of local contexts within which local stakeholders evaluate rapid boomtown-associated community change. In total, these findings complicate the framing of unconventional gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale region, and indeed boomtown growth overall, as fundamentally polarizing issues.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on nine ecosystem services (e.g., aesthetic, spiritual, recreation, water flow regulation, carbon sequestration, climate change adaptation, pollination, biodiversity potential, and noise attenuation) along a rural-urban gradient.
TL;DR: The findings support the notion that increasing the opportunities for social participation improves older people’s heath, especially for women, and suggest that in the rural Japanese context, offering men meaningful roles within organizations may be important.
Abstract: Background: Previous studies have reported that older people’s social participation has positive effects on their health. However, some studies showed that the impacts of social participation on health differ by gender. We sought to examine whether the effects of social participation on mental health differ for men and women in a Japanese population. We also examined the moderating influence of social position within the organization as well as urban/ rural locality. Methods: We used two waves of the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study’s longitudinal survey, which targeted residents with aged 65 years or over (n=2,728) in a central part of Japan. The first wave survey was conducted in 2003, and the second wave in 2006. Depressive symptoms of the study participants were assessed using the short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). A multilevel logistic regression model was used with individual-level as level 1 and the school district-level as level 2. Results: We found that higher social participation and performing key roles in the organization had protective effects on depressive symptoms for women. However, there were no main effects of these variables for the mental health of men. We found an interaction between social participation, organizational position, and rural residence among men only. That is, men who occupied leadership positions in organizations reported better mental health, but only in rural areas. Conclusions: Our findings support the notion that increasing the opportunities for social participation improves older people’s heath, especially for women. However, in the rural Japanese context, offering men meaningful roles within organizations may be important.
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential for applying renewable sources e solar, wind and hydropower e for rural electrification is investigated, especially in the poorest States, where the electricity coverage in poor states is about 79% in comparison with 9962% in Peninsular Malaysia.
TL;DR: Although men reported to facilitate their wives’ utilisation of antenatal and delivery care services, this does not translate to practice as adherence to antenatal-care schedules and facility based delivery is generally poor.
Abstract: Poor utilisation of facility-based antenatal and delivery care services in Kenya hampers reduction of maternal mortality. Studies suggest that the participation of men in antenatal and delivery care is associated with better health care seeking behaviour, yet many reproductive health programs do not facilitate their involvement. This qualitative study conducted in rural Western Kenya, explored men’s perceptions of antenatal and delivery care services and identified factors that facilitated or constrained their involvement. Eight focus group discussions were conducted with 68 married men between 20-65 years of age in May 2011. Participants were of the Luo ethnic group residing in Asembo, western Kenya. The area has a high HIV-prevalence and polygamy is common. A topic guide was used to guide the discussions and a thematic framework approach for data analysis. Overall, men were positive in their views of antenatal and delivery care, as decision makers they often encouraged, some even ‘forced’, their wives to attend for antenatal or delivery care. Many reasons why it was beneficial to accompany their wives were provided, yet few did this in practice unless there was a clinical complication. The three main barriers relating to cultural norms identified were: 1) pregnancy support was considered a female role; and the male role that of provider; 2) negative health care worker attitudes towards men’s participation, and 3) couple unfriendly antenatal and delivery unit infrastructure. Although men reported to facilitate their wives’ utilisation of antenatal and delivery care services, this does not translate to practice as adherence to antenatal-care schedules and facility based delivery is generally poor. Equally, reasons proffered why they should accompany their wives are not carried through into practice, with barriers outweighing facilitators. Recommendations to improve men involvement and potentially increase services utilisation include awareness campaigns targeting men, exploring promotion of joint HIV testing and counselling, staff training, and design of couple friendly antenatal and delivery units.
TL;DR: This paper explored the scope and sources of poverty and race inequalities in rural America, how patterns in these inequalities are transduced within families, and what these inequalities mean for the future of health disparities within and across rural U.S. terrains.
Abstract: Rural America is commonly viewed as a repository of virtuous and patriotic values, deeply rooted in a proud immigrant history of farmers and industrious working-class White ethnics from northern Europe. These views are not always consistent with the population and socioeconomic realities of rural terrains. Exceptions to these stereotypes are self-evident among large poor racial/ethnic minorities residing in rural ghettos in the “dirty” South and among poor Whites living in remote, mountainous areas of Appalachia. For these disadvantaged populations, sociocultural and economic isolation, a lack of quality education, too few jobs, and poor health have taken a human toll, generation after generation. Moreover, the past several decades have brought dramatic shifts in the spatial distribution and magnitude of poverty in these areas. And, America’s persistent racial inequalities have continued to fester as rural communities become home to urban-origin racial minority migrants and immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. As a result, the face of rural America has changed, quite literally. In this article, we address the primary question these changes pose: How will shifting inequalities anchored in poverty and race shape health disparities in a “new” rural America? Guided by fundamental cause theory, we explore the scope and sources of poverty and race inequalities in rural America, how patterns in these inequalities are transduced within families, and what these inequalities mean for the future of health disparities within and across rural U.S. terrains. Our goal is to review and interrogate the extant literature on this topic with the intent of offering recommendations for future research.
TL;DR: The benefits of this reproductive and child health program in rural Bangladesh have many dimensions extending well beyond fertility reduction, which do not appear to dissipate rapidly after two decades.
Abstract: We analyze the impact of an experimental maternal and child health and family planning program that was established in Matlab, Bangladesh, in 1977. Village data from 1974, 1982, and 1996 suggest that program villages experienced a decline in fertility of about 17 %. Household data from 1996 confirm that this decline in “surviving fertility” persisted for nearly two decades. Women in program villages also experienced other benefits: increased birth spacing, lower child mortality, improved health status, and greater use of preventive health inputs. Some benefits also diffused beyond the boundaries of the program villages into neighboring comparison villages. These effects are robust to the inclusion of individual, household, and community characteristics. We conclude that the benefits of this reproductive and child health program in rural Bangladesh have many dimensions extending well beyond fertility reduction, which do not appear to dissipate rapidly after two decades.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed the effects of the expansion of broadband internet access from 1999 to 2007 on labor market outcomes throughout the United States and found that gaining access to broadband services in a county is associated with about 1.8 percentage points increased employment rate, with larger effects in rural and isolated areas.
Abstract: This study analyzes the effects of the expansion of broadband internet access from 1999 to 2007 on labor market outcomes throughout the United States. Recent policy programs have allocated over $17 billion towards subsidizing the spread of this technology, especially to rural areas. Understanding the interplay between technology, firms, and the labor market is important for evaluating whether additional scarce government resources should be allocated to improve this type of infrastructure. Models that include county and time fixed-effects indicate that gaining access to broadband services in a county is associated with about 1.8 percentage points increased employment rate, with larger effects in rural and isolated areas. An increased scale of existing firms and an increased size of labor force can explain the majority of employment increases. These results are consistent with a theoretical model in which broadband technology is complementary to skilled workers. I find larger effects among college-educated workers, and in industries and occupations that more heavily utilize college-educated workers.
TL;DR: This article found that women may be disinclined to participate in market work in rural areas of India because of family status concerns in a culture that stigmatizes market work by married women.
Abstract: We argue that women may be disinclined to participate in market work in the rural areas of India because of family status concerns in a culture that stigmatizes market work by married women. We set out a theoretical framework that offers predictions regarding the effects of caste-based status concerns on the time allocation of women. We then use the all-India National Sample Survey data for the year 2004–5 and the Time Use Survey for six states of India for the year 1998–99 to empirically test these hypotheses. After controlling for a host of correlates, we find that the ratio of women’s market work to men’s declines as we move up the caste hierarchy. This ratio falls as family wealth rises, and the decline is steeper for the higher castes. Finally, the effect on women’s market work of higher education is weaker for the higher castes. These findings lend support to our theory and to the view that, through its emphasis on family status, caste plays a pivotal role in undermining the autonomy of wome...
14 Aug 2013
Abstract: This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled The promise of preschool in Africa : a randomized impact evaluation of early childhood development in rural Mozambique, conducted during the time period early 2008 to 2010 in Mozambique. The study observed that primary school enrollments increased significantly by 24 percent in treatment communities. Beneficiary children spend a significantly greater amount of time on schooling and homework activities (7.2 hours) and a significantly less amount of time on family farm activities. There are consistent significant improvements in cognitive and problem-solving abilities, fine-motor skills and socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes. The program also has a positive externality on other household members by increasing schooling and increasing the propensity to work of adults in the household. Finally, the program leads caregivers to adopt more appropriate punishment and increase the practice of daily routine. Funding for the study derived from Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund.
TL;DR: In rural Cambodia, the rampant allocation of state land to political elites and foreign investors in the form of economic land concession (ELC) has been associated with encroachment on farmland, community forests and indigenous territories and has contributed to a rapid increase of rural landlessness as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In rural Cambodia the rampant allocation of state land to political elites and foreign investors in the form of “Economic Land Concessions (ELCs)”—estimated to cover an area equivalent to more than 50 % of the country’s arable land—has been associated with encroachment on farmland, community forests and indigenous territories and has contributed to a rapid increase of rural landlessness. By contrast, less than 7,000 ha of land have been allotted to land-poor and landless farmers under the pilot project for “Social Land Concessions (SLCs)” supported by various donor agencies. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in two research sites in Kratie Province, this article sheds light on the mechanisms and discourses surrounding the allocation of ELCs and SLCs. Our findings suggest that large-scale and non-transparent land leases in the form of ELCs are discursively justified as land policy measures supporting national development, creating employment opportunities in rural areas, and restoring “degraded” and “non-use” land, while SLCs are presented by the government and its international donors as a complementary policy to reduce landlessness, alleviate rural poverty, and ensure a more equitable land distribution. We argue that the SLC pilot project is a deliberate strategy deployed by the Cambodian ruling elite to instrumentalize international aid agencies in formalizing displacement and distributional injustices, in smoothing the adverse social impacts of their very own land policies and in minimizing resistance by dispossessed rural people.
TL;DR: The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the advances and uses of telecommunications technology, and related issues, in the delivery of mental health and substance abuse treatment services within rural areas.
Abstract: Rural communities face tremendous challenges in accessing mental health and substance abuse treatment services. Some of the most promising advancements in the delivery of rural health care services have been in the area of telecommunication technology. These applications have the potential to reduce the disparities in the delivery of substance abuse and mental health services between urban and rural communities. The purpose of this inquiry was to explore the advances and uses of telecommunications technology, and related issues, in the delivery of mental health and substance abuse treatment services within rural areas. A review of the academic literature and other relevant works was conducted and the content was organized into four major themes: (a) advantages of telehealth and applications to rural practice, (b) barriers to implementation in rural practice, (c) utilization in rural areas, and (d) areas for further research.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present empirical results of a wide range of multidimensional poverty measures for: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay, for the period 1992-2006.
Abstract: This paper presents empirical results of a wide range of multidimensional poverty measures for: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Mexico and Uruguay, for the period 1992–2006 Six dimensions are analysed: income, child attendance at school, education of the household head, sanitation, water and shelter Over the study period, El Salvador, Brazil, Mexico and Chile experienced significant reductions of multidimensional poverty In contrast, in urban Uruguay there was a small reduction in multidimensional poverty, while in urban Argentina the estimates did not change significantly El Salvador, Brazil and Mexico together with rural areas of Chile display significantly higher and more simultaneous deprivations than urban areas of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay In all countries, access to proper sanitation and education of the household head are the highest contributors to overall multidimensional poverty
Journal Article•
TL;DR: His article focuses on the key steps of the policy guideline developed from evidence-based medicine methodology and from angle of guideline development,phasizing the importance of evidence and the GRADE system in the evidence- based health decision-making.
Abstract: The shortage of health workforce in rural and remote areas has been commonly concerned by every country around the word.It is one of world health issues,challenging the aspirations of achieving equity.In this regard,WHO developed the Global Policy Recommendations to improve the accessibility of the health workforce in rural and remote areas through improved retention.his article focuses on the key steps of the policy guideline developed from evidence-based medicine methodology and from angle of guideline development,mainly about background,issues,evidence retrieval and selection,quality grading of evidence,and the forming of recommendation plan,in order to further explore how to correctly understand,obtain,evaluate and apply currently available research evidence,and how to use the GRADE system to make scientiic and feasible recommendations in the decision-making process,emphasizing the importance of evidence and the GRADE system in the evidence-based health decision-making.
TL;DR: In this paper, the feasibility of rural electrification by using different types of renewable energies such as solar, biomass, hydro, wind and wave have been studied. But, despite reliability of grid connection, results indicate that renewable energy sources are the best choice especially in areas far from grid connections.
Abstract: Energy poverty and lack of electricity in the rural area exacerbate the poverty of the developing countries. The sustainable renewable technologies can be considered as efficient tools to reduce energy poverty whenever they are conducted based on an appropriate policy. Electricity can improve the human's lifestyle by increasing the level of health, education, welfare and technology. Currently, Sub-Sahara Africa with only 14.2% of rural electrification has the first rank in the world with lowest access to electricity, in that region around 585 million citizens has almost no access to electricity. The present study focuses on the general global policies to electrify the rural areas. In this regard, variety of plans and programs conducted by governmental and private institutes are investigated. In the year 2011, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has developed three global strategies based on the world energy market that defines the overall world energy approach. In the present work, different technologies for rural electrification are taken into account in two major categories of grid connected and off-grid systems. Furthermore, based on sustainable development with emphasis on environmental consideration, the feasibility of electrification by using different types of renewable energies such as solar, biomass, hydro, wind and wave have been studied. Despite reliability of grid connection, results indicate that renewable energy sources are the best choice especially in areas far from grid connections. Challenges between financial institutes and executive agencies result in resource management and technology development in order to overcome existing barriers and issues.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors used Daxing District, Beijing, China as a case study to discuss the evolution of rural settlements in China over the past three decades and to consider the policy implications for rural settlement concentration.
TL;DR: This article presented a review of climate hazards research with a specifically drylands focus, distinguishing between hazards that are a direct manifestation of atmospheric processes and those that are indirectly driven by atmospheric conditions.
TL;DR: In this paper, rural geographers' critique of agriculture and small-scale farming in sustainable rural futures and the changing expectations and contradictions that currently abound are explored, with the focus on rural livelihoods and rural sustainability.
Abstract: Rural areas are increasingly thought of in terms of opportunity, as engines of growth in a world of economic uncertainty, they are being challenged in terms of their role in providing safe and secure food supplies, and they are being lauded and criticized in terms of climate change and mitigation. The multiple scales of these discussions, and the intensity and increased volume of rural debate that has emerged, see rural geographers occupy an interesting space in terms of conceptualizations, engagement and understanding of rural livelihoods and rural sustainability. Through the lens of agriculture and related spheres, the principal issues pertaining to agriculture as a sectoral activity and an instrument of rural and regional development, this report explores rural geographers’ critique of agriculture and small-scale farming in sustainable rural futures and the changing expectations and contradictions that currently abound.