Rural Urban Migration - Essay Example

Rural-Urban Migration Introduction Rapid urbanization has led to the growth of migration from rural to urban areas especially in less developed countries. Most development projects and industries are concentrated in large cities of the developed (DCs) and developing countries (LDCs) as well as social amenities at the expense of small cities. Push and pull factors have been attributed to increasing migration of population from rural to urban areas (Watson, 2004).Push factors in rural areas force the population to migrate although other factors such as family composition, age, gender play a part in deciding whether to migrate. Misra (1998) observes that those who migrate are often male who are young and better educated. Pull factors on the other hand, attract the population to big cities or destination area. Developed and developing countries are impacted differently by the migration pattern though some aspects are similar. The paper will discuss the push and pull factors as well as the impact of migration on areas of origin and destination DCs and LDCs. Push Factors These are unfavorable conditions in rural areas that push people to migrate to urban areas. According to Watson (2004), people move to urban areas so as to improve their lives. Many rural people depend on agriculture for survival. However, the agricultural sector is faced with many challenges such as drought, famine and floods leading to poor harvest. There are also inadequate agricultural jobs thereby pushing people to look for jobs elsewhere. Structural adjustment programs result in heavy debts for developing countries thus encouraging governments to displace people and offer the farms to large enterprises for production and resource extraction thereby pushing local people to move (Datta, 2003). Lack of basic social amenities and recreation facilities pushes people to big cities where such amenities are available. These include; poor education, lack of quality health care, transport and communication. Higher education is often found in big cities. People move there to have better education and enjoy better living standards (Twumasi, 1995). Lack of clean water supply, poor sanitation and drainage systems push people to get better services available in cities. Inadequate income pushes people to big cities. Varieties of occupations are found in urban areas; rural areas depend mainly in agriculture which doesn’t offer adequate income. Rural people also do not possess necessary skill to perform a job and formal employment is limited. Income is thus inadequate to feed the large families they have. Persuasion by contractors and agents also enhances the migration. They move with them to cities in promise of better benefits and to search for a livelihood (Misra, 19998). Pull Factors These represent the attractive attributes of big cities that pull people. The wage gap between rural and urban areas whereas wages are higher in urban areas pull migrants to the city. They have high expectations of getting a well paying job. Formal and informal jobs are also available hence they work in informal settings while awaiting formal job. Besides industries are concentrated in urban areas hence attracting the rural population (Srichar et al. 2010). Availabilities of public services and social amenities in big cities attract mass population. In big cities, there is access to education and high quality health care. There are also recreational facilities that make life in the city exciting (Birmingham, 2000). Those who travel to cities and come back to rural areas for holiday or to visit their families show signs of wealth or extravagance which makes the rural people to follow their example. They form a network whereby the extended family follows the migrant to the city to enjoy city life and its benefits. Effects of Rural-Urban Migration The movement of people from rural to urban areas of both developed (DCs) and developing countries (LDCs) has adverse effects. A study in Ghana shows that the urban areas are densely populated especially Accra and Kumasi. People move as a result of uneven development and distribution of social amenities and as a result of colonization. At areas of origin, loss of working population especially young men who are educated and possess skills. These young men look for better jobs in cities and send remittances to their families and are involved in initiating rural development projects such as street lighting, building health posts, and schools. They also encourage other young people to study, get basic education to enable them find jobs in cities in future (Twumasi, 1995). There is decreased pressure on jobs and resources in rural areas. The rural areas are considered by government in policy formulation so as to attract people back to their villages’ hence increased rural development. The destination areas in Ghana face a lot of challenges. There is unemployment and underemployment due to lack of required skills. This in turn leads to increased crime as migrants search for means of survival and drug use due to idleness. In developed countries like America, individuals are paid unemployment benefits thus lowering crime rates. Growth of slums in Ghana due to increasing housing demand and skewed investments. Migrants live in unhealthy conditions and lack proper drainage and sanitation. Some are built in dangerous areas such as wetlands and flood prone areas (Twumasi, 1995). Traffic jams and congestion is also apparent. The problem of garbage collection is apparent in LDCs and DCs. Slums or suburbs are residential areas in DCs. The government of America however, has planned urbanization and immigration policies hence the effects of unplanned urbanization found in LDCs like Ghana are minimized. Wage gaps in origin and destination areas are covered by use of welfare benefits and in large cities real disposable income is less than rural area due to low wage jobs in big cities. Conclusion Rural-urban migration is as a result of industrialization in urban centers leading to skewed development. People migrate to big towns in search of jobs and better living conditions due to inadequate income, unavailability of jobs, unsustainable agricultural practices and lack of social amenities. The cities offer high wages, recreational facilities, and better social amenities thus pulling people to the city. This causes strain on urban resources and brain drain of young educated in rural areas of both developed and developing nations. Resources Birmingham, S (2000) Changing Environments. Oxford: Heinemann. Datta, A (2003) Human Migration: A Social Phenomenon. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. Misra, S (1998) Dynamics of Rural-Urban Migration in India. New Delhi: Anmol Publications Pvt.Ltd. Srichar, K., Reddy, A., Srinath, P (2010) ‘Is It Push or Pull? Recent Evidence from Migration in India’. Paper Submitted on 10th Round Regional Research Competition of South Asia Network of Economic Research Institute. Twumasi, A (1995) ‘Rural-Urban Migration and Socioeconomic Development in Ghana: Some Discussions’. Journal of Social Development in Africa, Vol. 10(2) pp 13-22. Watson, S (2004) Living Sustainably. USA: Smart Apple. Read More