Management of Rural Living (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Sustainable Rural Living

Spec point — 4GE1-S6.068

• Sustainable management of rural areas in developing and emerging countries is essential to:

  • reduce rural-urban migration
  • rural depopulation

• Sustainable management will help to:

  • increase food supplies
  • improve the environment (soil and air quality)
  • increase employment
  • improve water supplies

Sustainable Rural Living in Kenya

Spec point — 4GE1-S6.068

• Rural areas in Kenya are not currently economically, socially or environmentally sustainable

• Commercial horticulture has increased the GDP and created many jobs but has negative impacts:

  • Local farmers have been persuaded to sell land
  • The production of food for Kenyans has decreased, leading to food shortages
  • Irrigation uses valuable water resources
  • Monocultures are damaging to the environment

• Changes in agriculture has shifted subsistence farming to cash crop farming, especially tea and coffee, which has transformed rural Kenyan communities

  • Some Central Highlands farmers have more income to invest in housing, education, and healthcare, improving living standards
  • However, exporting cash crops reduces land available for local crop production, increasing food insecurity in poorer rural communities who can no longer feed themselves
  • As commercial farms have expanded, smallholder farmers have been displaced, reducing agricultural employment and accelerating rural-to-urban migration to Nairobi

• Tourism could increase rural sustainability by creating jobs and improving infrastructure, but it can have negative impacts:

  • Many resorts are owned by foreign companies, meaning that profits do not benefit Kenya
  • Jobs in tourism for Kenyans are often low paid
  • Mass tourism can be damaging to the environment and wildlife. Strategies for a Sustainable Rural Environment

Sustainable strategies

• Soil quality

  • The use of organic fertilisers, terracing, cover crops and agroforestry can help improve soil quality

• Air quality

  • Reducing the use of fuel wood by increasing renewable energy sources for electricity and using solar cookers will reduce pollutants

• Water supplies

  • The building of wells/boreholes in villages to ensure access to clean water
  • Using water butts to store water for irrigation
  • Drip irrigation to avoid waste

• Crop yields

  • The use of manure for fertiliser, drip irrigation and drought-resistant crops will all increase yields and reduce food shortages

• Health

  • Increased access to vaccinations, antenatal care and healthcare will improve the general quality of health

• Employment

  • Encouraging small businesses to set up with grants and loans
  • Increasing ecotourism, which involves the local community

• Housing

  • Support communities in the construction of higher-quality housing with access to toilets with sanitation