INVESTIGADORES
GRAU Hector Ricardo
artículos
Título:
Are rural-urban migration and sustainable development compatible in mountain systems?
Autor/es:
GRAU, HR; AIDE, TM
Revista:
MOUNTAIN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Editorial:
United Nations University
Referencias:
Lugar: Berna; Año: 2007 vol. 27 p. 119 - 123
ISSN:
0276-4741
Resumen:
Ruralurban migration is having a considerable
socioeconomic and environmental
effect in mountain regions. In response,
most rural development programs discourage
outmigration on the grounds that it has
negative social consequences and compromises
ecological sustainability. However,
ruralurban migration generally improves
the living standards of migrants and leads
to the disintensification of land use in fragile
ecosystems with low productivity, thus
stimulating ecosystem recovery and improving
watershed and biodiversity protection
as shown by experience in the Caribbean
and South America. These advantages
have emerged even in the absence of
any planning and could be maximized if
international funding agencies, NGOs,
and local governments re-evaluate rural
development strategies. At a minimum,
ruralurban migration is a reality that
should not be ignored. More importantly,
ruralurban migration provides an opportunity
to improve the living conditions of
marginal populations while protecting
the environment.