Rural change in Developing & Emerging Countries (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

• In developing countries rural change has occurred as a result of:
  • Population growth
  • Changing farm economy and land holdings
  • Natural hazards
  • Rural-urban migration

Population Growth

• The rural population in Kenya has increased from 7.5 million in 1960 to 39 million in 2021
• The proportion of people living in rural areas has decreased from 93% in 1960 to 72% in 2020

Changing farm economy and land holdings

• Agriculture in Kenya is divided into two:
  • Commercial farms are often owned by companies outside Kenya or individuals who are not Kenyan
  • Subsistence farms where people are farming to feed themselves and their family
• 50% of Kenya's GDP is from commercial agriculture
• Less than 2% of land in Kenya is owned by women

• Kenya experiences a number of natural hazards including: 
  • Drought
  • Desertification
  • Floods
• Drought is an increasing issue with Kenya suffering the worst drought in decades in 2021/22
• Floods in 2019 affected 160,000 people across Kenya
• Desertification occurs as a result of:
  • Decreasing precipitation
  • Overgrazing
  • Removal of vegetation for fuelwood and shelter

• The natural hazards have led to livestock deaths and crop failure:
  • 20% of the population are suffering acute food insecurity

• More than 250,000 people a year move from rural Kenya to towns and cities like Nairobi
• Most migrants are young people often men

Causes of Rural-Urban Migration

• Rural-urban migration has a number of causes:
  • Loss of land - commercial farms taking over best farmland
  • Low productivity of land due to soil erosion and desertification
  • Poor access to healthcare and education services
  • Increasing frequency of drought
  • Lack of clean water

Impacts of Rural-Urban Migration

• Ageing populations in rural areas
• Lack of skills
• Reduced productivity as the elderly and children are not able to farm as effectively
• Birth rates decline 
• Rural area development falls further behind urban areas