THE structure of every country may be divided into just two types: urban and rural. However, due to numerous factors, there is no uniformity in living standards. While urban areas experience significant social and economic progress, rural populations tend to be left behind and lag in development. Recognizing this disparity, efforts toward nationwide development must prioritize reducing the gap between urban and rural development as much as possible.
The Division for Social Policy and Development of the United Nations stated that 80 per cent of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas, earning less than $2.15 per day. Meanwhile, more than one billion people worldwide face acute multidimensional poverty—over half are children, according to the statistics of UNDP.
DESA’s survey in 2021 stated that half of the rural populations lack health coverage. Likewise, a statement of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations mentioned that family farms produce 80 per cent of the world’s food. The 2024 survey of the International Telecommunication Union-ITU highlighted that rural areas sit on the climate front line, enduring droughts, floods and extreme heat, adding that 83 per cent of urban residents used the internet versus but 50 per cent of the rural population have access to the internet.
The 2025 theme for World Rural Development Day is “Resilience to Global Change”. This theme emphasizes the need for robust strategies and collaborative efforts to enhance the adaptability and sustainability of rural regions and bioeconomy businesses. It also highlights the importance of building resilience in the face of various global challenges.
It is the rural people who cultivate and raise livestock to provide food and water for the urban population. Since urban residents are heavily engaged in factories, workshops, and commercial businesses, they do not have extra land available for agricultural activities. Urban dwellers are primarily focused on running economic enterprises. According to the principle of division of labour, those involved in the success of industrial and manufacturing sectors rely on rural areas for their daily food and water supplies.
As such, in order to achieve success in each respective sector, every government must prioritize the improvement of the socio-economic lives of rural people and the development of rural areas as a fundamental foundation. As a result of such efforts, both rural and urban communities will be able to enjoy balanced and equitable socioeconomic development to have a reliable capacity to be resilient against global change.
