Rural-Urban Migration

Question 1

Push factors in rural areas

Answer 1

• displacement of indigenous people because of land grabbing
• poverty aggravated by land reforms and not enough jobs available
• land grabs by MNCs and cash cropping agribusiness outcompetes private farming, reduces need for labour due to machinery introduced by MNCs
• rural dwellers gaining knowledge due to ‘shrinking world’ technologies, successful migrants able to communicate useful information to potential migrants in rural areas
• transport improvements, e.g. S. America Trans-Amazon Highway

Question 2

Employment pull factors in urban areas

Answer 2

• global shift of employment to Asia and S. America created new work opportunities in cities, making rural-urban divide greater
• MNCs in developed countries and emerging economies move factories to lower wage locations (off-shoring)
• MNCs outsource work as part of global supply chain operations, MNCs look towards Bangladesh and Vietnam, while workers are still willing despite very low wages
• informal work sector includes scavenging landfill sites for recyclable materials and sell to supply-chain companies

Question 3

Export processing zones

Answer 3

• India, China, Indonesia have well established SEZs (special EZ) where expos processing takes place
• 1965 - India recognised effectiveness of export zone model in promoting growth, today nearly 200 SEZs
• coastal SEZs crucial to chinas early economic growth
• Jakarta low ax export processing zone popular off-shoring location for MNCs such as Gap and Levi’s influencing much rural-urban migration

Question 4

rural problems and management

Answer 4

• ageing population in rural areas, youthful out-migration to urban areas
• falling economic productivity, threat to future agricultural production and food security as countryside left with ageing workforce
  proposed ruralisation = investments in modern, self-sufficient villages, younger population less-likely to leave
• Kenya M-Pesa mobile phone service revolutionised life for rural businesses
  
  • 1/2 countries GDP sent through M-Pesa system annually
  • fishermen and farmers use to check market prices before selling produce to buyers, maximising rural incomes

Question 5

Urban problems and their management

Answer 5

• 1970, 3 megacities, by 2020, there will be 30, all growing due to rural-urban migration
• new growth takes place on city periphery where shanty housing is built by dwellers
• informal housing may consolidate expensive and desirable districts with Rocinha, Rio, boasting a McDonalds, hair salons and health clinics
• Aspirations beyond agriculture are developed by rural young population as wealth in cities grows
• e.g Mumbai megacity growth , home to 21 mn people fleeing rural states, urban employment covers a range of sectors and skill levels, MNCs such as Starbucks and Hilton are present, 5,000 employed in Dharavi’s plastic recycling industries, redeveloping slum area

Question 6

Top-down urban growth strategies

Answer 6

• megascale housing construction and planning in China and creation of megacity clusters

Question 7

Bottom-up urban continuity development strategies

Answer 7

• poor migrant communities in Lagos must take bottom-up steps to improve local environment and access to housing with little state support, resulting in squatter settlement growth
• makeshift homes built above water on stilts, land reclaimed from lagoon is built on. 250,000 population in Makako working in informal economy such as fishing