Sustainability,development and rural aboriginal communities

Aborigines, because of their population numbers and increasing control over land and resources, are crucial to the sustainable development of rural Australia. However, appropriate Aboriginal development requires the replacement of the ‘top‐down’ approaches generally adopted by government agencies by ‘bottom‐up’ approaches reflecting the needs and aspirations of rural Aboriginal people. Past experience demonstrates that Aborigines have faced many frustrations in reconciling these concepts. But some approaches now being adopted in the use and management of Australia's rangelands provide interesting alternatives which may be more generally applicable in enhancing rangeland sustainability. Examples include land‐use practices conducted by Aborigines living in remote homeland centres on their own freehold land, and the diversity of land uses introduced on pastoral stations now under Aboriginal ownership. Broader recognition of the value of these approaches will depend on widespread acknowledgment of the overall worth of Aboriginal land management knowledge in rural restructuring     

Collaborating in the field, working for change: Reflecting on partnerships between academics, development organizations and rural communities in Africa

Academics and development organizations approach fieldwork with somewhat different motivations, constraints and challenges. In many instances, fieldwork might be improved if greater collaboration occurred between these two parties. Rural communities are also important yet frequently taken for granted partners in the research process that deserve greater respect. This paper explores and describes the real and imagined impediments to greater collaboration between academics, development organizations and rural communities. The findings are based on 18 years of working with rural communities in Africa, both as a development practitioner and academic researcher. This reflection makes three contributions to the broader literature on fieldwork. First, it explicitly links two ongoing discussions, one on relationships with institutional partners, the other on interactions with rural communities. Second, it articulates the concerns of development organizations in their partnerships with academic researchers, a perspective rarely heard in a literature dominated by academic voices. Third, while feminist scholarship on fieldwork methods often wrestles with issues of positionality and engagement at the scale of the individual researcher, this reflection is aimed at the broader scale of the professional (academic and practitioner) communities involved in development praxis and scholarship.     

A new look at population change and regional development in Aotearoa New Zealand

In New Zealand, population change is interlinked with regional development. Places growing in population attract regional investment, while regional investment—or lack thereof—can change migration patterns. However, to determine the appropriate response to population change for a community, it is important to understand that population change involves much more than “just” migration. Specifically, it involves interactions between the three components of population change: natural change (births minus deaths), net migration (international and internal) and population ageing (changing cohort size). For example, migration can be negative, but growth can be positive due to underlying natural increase or growth in cohort size. Responses need to differ, depending on these drivers. The goal of this article is to provide new insights into these interactions using data for 275 cities, towns and rural centres (hereafter “urban places”) in New Zealand for the period 1976 to 2013. The results show that natural change has been consistently positive for most urban places up to the present, although projections indicate that in the future this component will become negative across much of the country. At the same time, net migration shows considerable spatial variation, not only in terms of volume, but also direction (negative or positive), which differs markedly by age. A net gain of people of retirement age can offset a net loss of young adults to deliver overall growth, and vice‐versa, but the two have very different implications for longer term growth. An analysis of the drivers of net migration using GIS and machine learning techniques provides an indication of the importance of economic conditions (land‐use and access to markets), lifestyle, access to essential services (hospitals and education) and their interaction with age in regional change. The results show that population age is the best predictor of migration. Younger people are moving to cities for tertiary education and work and older people near or in retirement are moving to smaller lifestyle towns but also want to be close to amenities such as hospitals and international airports. The research also shows that natural lifestyle characteristics (landscape and climate), in combination with age are just as important as economic conditions for understanding migration. Regional development, such as infrastructure that helps business (ports and services) is important for the working age population but not necessarily the retirement age group. When regional development, age/life‐cycle stage and lifestyle come together, such as in Queenstown and Tauranga, net migration gain is high.     

The Soviet Far East: a report on urban and rural settlement and population change, 1966-1989

"This article provides a general overview of trends in urban-rural population change and evolution of the settlement system in the Soviet Far East since 1966, incorporating data published in the recent national statistical yearbooks and the preliminary 1989 census report....Total population in the Soviet Far East increased from 5,435,000 in 1966 to 7,941,000 by January 12, 1989, with the share of the urban population now comprising over three-quarters of the total. Migration patterns into and out of the region are discussed and cities planned for expansion are identified."     

Gentrifying rural community development: A case study of Bama Panyang River Basin in Guangxi,China

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Rural gentrification is deeply characterized by institutional context and spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Based on a diachronic field investigation, this paper...     

Sustainable environmental resource utilisation: a case study of farmers’ ethnobotanical knowledge and rural change in Bungoma district, Kenya

This paper examines farmers’ ethnobotanical knowledge, innovation and rural change, and indicates one way in which indigenous technical knowledge complementing scientific knowledge may be documented for use by development planners and agencies. This paper firstly identifies plant species recognised as resources by farmers, and considers the value of these resources. Secondly, the paper documents and assesses the ethnobotanical knowledge associated with the utilisation of plant species, before turning to examine how plant resources are defined by use and culture. It also demonstrates that some components of ethnobotanical knowledge have potential for the sustainable development of plant species. The study shows that farmers have started to domesticate some of the ‘traditional’ plants, and new crops have been introduced associated with corresponding innovations in local agricultural systems. Since the farmers have a relatively strong tradition in natural resources conservation, this study suggests that it will be possible to introduce community-based gene banks linked to formal or government facilities. The paper demonstrates that it is important to combine and interweave ‘modern’ and indigenous knowledges to produce a more realistic and sensitive understanding and management of natural environmental resources for sustainable development.     

Traditional horticultural knowledge change in a rural population of the Patagonian steppe

We investigated traditional horticultural knowledge related to plant species cultivated in homegardens in an arid rural population of North-western Patagonia, Argentina. By means of semi-structured interviews and field visits to the cultivated areas we analyzed floristic composition and structure of: vegetable-gardens, greenhouses and gardens. We evaluated species richness, cover and biogeographical origin in each cultivated area and analyzed the influence of socio-cultural factors, such as age and gender, on informants’ cultivation practice. A total of 124 species was found: 75 species in vegetable-gardens, 63 in greenhouses and 68 in gardens. In all cultivated areas, most plant species (91%) were exotic and mainly used for edible purposes. Plant richness in homegardens increased with informants’ age and both men and women play a relevant role in the maintenance of cultivated areas. Traditional knowledge in this community has been suffering an erosion process, which is in part influenced by the intervention of extension agents. However, their presence creates the possibility of integrating new and ancestral practices, favoring development of knowledge of a hybrid, syncretic nature. Alongside these changes, Pilcaniyeu inhabitants still maintain traditional homegardens cultivation, through which we can appreciate the intricate relationship between people and their physical, historical, cultural and spiritual contexts.     

人口老龄化对乡村发展影响研究进展与展望

人口老龄化是人类发展进程中一个重要的人口现象,研究人口老龄化对乡村发展的影响并探讨相应对策具有重要意义。本文首先分析了乡村人口老龄化特征及原因,随后从生产、生活、生态三个视角梳理了人口老龄化对乡村生产要素投入、农业生产、社会保障、乡村治理、消费结构、土地利用变化和生态空间等方面影响的研究进展。在此基础上提出今后应结合产业兴旺、生态宜居、乡风文明、治理有效、生活富裕的乡村振兴战略总体要求,从生态环境—经济发展—社会发展三个维度开展乡村人口老龄化的影响与适应相关研究,重点研究方向有：①基于人口流动视角的乡村人口老龄化对生态系统服务价值的影响;②乡村人口老龄化空间差异及其对农业现代化的影响;③应对人口老龄化的乡村振兴路径。     

Change and adaptation in four rural communities in New England,NSW

The negative image created by a preoccupation with population losses in some rural areas and the decline in some economic and service functions in many small country towns has masked the considerable improvements which have occurred there. Insufficient attention has been given to the raised level of living in many rural locations which has increased the attraction of a rural lifestyle. Local shire councils have played an important role in enhancing the quality of local life through investment in new town facilities, and residents record a high level of community satisfaction. Although past social and economic roles are changing in rural locations, new functions are emerging in four settlements in New England, NSW, and this is facilitating their adaptation to a changing rural environment.     

共生与融合：乡村遗产地“人—地—业”协同发展研究——以听松文化社区为例

经过5000年文化积淀的中国乡村,除早已生成各自独特稳定的人居环境、社会结构、风俗习惯和运行机制外,更蕴藏了人—地和谐的生态智慧、特殊的地方性知识和丰富的地方遗产资源。作为复杂多元的地域综合系统,乡村遗产的现代化过程不仅包括土地、建筑等空间要素的嬗变,更反映了伴随“人”的生计方式与日常生活的地方实践所产生的乡土社会全系统变迁。实现乡村遗产传统与现代的共生、古典与时尚的互融、传承与创新的契合,需要打破城乡二元体制壁垒、搭建城乡内循环的桥梁,促进以“人、地、业”为核心的资源要素的流动、交互和均衡配置是乡村遗产地实现乡村振兴的核心要义。共生理论是研究乡村各系统内部关系的重要理论,利用该理论可解析乡村遗产地“人—地—业”3个子系统协同发展路径。论文以河北易县听松文化社区为例,基于共生视角阐释了返乡精英带动下人口、土地和产业3个子系统协同动态演化的过程,并提出乡村遗产地共生发展的价值逻辑：① 构建乡村社区共生体;② 促进地域循环共生圈;③ 培育横向产业共生链。以期实现乡村遗产地的人、地、业要素融合与科学重构,为保护和传承乡愁遗产地的文化资源、推动乡村振兴和建设美好乡村提供可能的理论启示与经验借鉴。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区乡村社区恢复力时空演变及影响因素研究——以陕西省米脂县高渠乡为例

乡村人口与土地利用方式变革压力下,构建恢复力已成为保障区域社会—生态系统可持续发展的有效举措。以陕西省米脂县高渠乡为研究区,从社会、经济、制度、生态4个维度,运用熵权TOPSIS法对黄土丘陵沟壑区20个乡村的社区恢复力进行测度,探讨了2015—2019年社区恢复力的时空演变;利用障碍度模型分析了社区恢复力关键影响因子作用机制,并通过比较当前关键影响因子所处维度,将社区划分为不同类型,实现社区的分类治理。结果表明：①（① “四会”指村民议事会、红白理事会、道德评议会、禁毒禁赌会。） 研究期间社区恢复力由0.171提升到0.318,其中经济恢复力上升较为明显,制度、生态恢复力呈小幅提高,而社会恢复力则表现为下降;社区恢复力空间分异更加显著,呈现为“中部高、边缘低”的分布格局。② 研究期末社区恢复力关键影响因素中,经济维度有养殖业发展水平、种植业发展水平、农业产业化带动农户数、农民人均收入;制度维度为基层领导平均受教育年限、公平性管制、村民参与决策机会;社会维度为乡村公共空间比例、流动人口比例;生态维度为“三田”面积占比。③ 通过当前社区恢复力关键影响因子各维度障碍度大小排序,依次识别经济、制度、社会、生态恢复力低值区,最终将高渠乡20个乡村社区划分为3类,结合不同类型乡村社区的特点提出相应对策建议,以期为精准化、差异化管理提供决策参考。     

Growth of rural population: a case study of Patiala district,Punjab

"Based on the census data, the present paper focuses on patterns of rural population growth in the Patiala district [India] during 1951-81. The striking spatial variations in growth rate were associated largely with migration differentials in the study area. Similarly, there were wide differentials in the population growth rates between scheduled castes and non-scheduled castes and among different religious communities. The proportion of different castes and communities to the total population changed due to their uneven growth rates."     

Political change and local objectives: observations from rural Wales

Summary In this article, we argue that the spatial reorganization of local government structures may pose a significant threat to fragile local cultures. A recognition at the national level that policy structures are culturally specific (and not converging) is not always conceded at the very local level. Drawing on observations from Wales, we show how political change brings the danger of cultural neglect.     

Growth of rural population in Punjab, 1971-81

Except for the decade 1941-1951, in which Punjab's population declined because of a huge exchange of population between India and Pakistan and a large loss of life, the decade 1971-1981 was the 1st decade since 1911 to experience a deceleration in the growth rate of the rural population of Punjab, India. The deceleration was due to out-migration to urban areas. The scheduled caste population increased 28.37% between 1971 and 1981, while the nonscheduled caste population increased by only 13.32%, which was considerably below the rate of natural increase. Nonscheduled castes had experienced substantial out-migration because of 1) improved transport and communication facilities which enabled them to move to urban centers; 2) mechanization of main farming operations and easy availability of migrant laborers which lessened the need for family labor; 3) the rise of a relatively mobile younger generation with a high literacy rate; 4) rapidly decreasing land holdings which strengthened the push factor in the countryside; and 5) rising aspirations, especially among the younger generation. In 1981, Sikhs constituted 71.3% of the rural population in Punjab, followed by Hindus (26.51%), Christians (1.25%), and Muslims (.89%). From 1971-1981, Muslims experienced the greatest increase (49.29%). Sikhs grew by 20.74% and Hindus by 9.02%. The Sikhs high growth rate was due to 1) a new technique for counting religious affiliation in which all members of a household are considered the same religion as the head of household and 2) conversion of Hindus to Sikhism. Hindus had a low growth rate because 1) the new method of counting religious affiliation and 2) rural-urban migration. The area with the lowest population increase resulted from industrialists and other nonagriculturists buying farmland, causing the agriculturists to move away to less desirable land. Conclusions are 1) the sharp rural-urban division along religious lines should be lessened, 2) Sikhs' lag in urbanization and upward mobility should be decreased, and 3) nonagriculturalists should be prevented from buying farm land from peasants along main roads and around urban centers.