Strategies for Development and New Sources of Employment in Rural Areas

B. IVANOV, R. POPOV

Abstract: The implementation of optimal policy for rural development demands firstly to define their scope and frontiers i.e. which territories might be considered as rural areas. According to the national definition used in the RDP 2007-2013, as rural areas are determined municipalities (LAU 1), wherein the municipal center is less than 30 000 inhabitants. It is Obvious that Bulgaria face a needs for broader definition of rural areas, which along with other purposes to subserve for improving chances of funding of local development. The main assumption in the study is that in parallel with other widespread criteria for delineation of rural areas, there is feasibility for definition at LAU 2 level thereby, all settlements with population less than 5 000 people might be reckoned as rural. It is noted that in majority of rural areas possess own advantages and opportunities for development connected with the natural, cultural and other resources, which so far remained vain and latent. However, these resources must be invigorated and stirred up, which might be fulfilled by external intervention and support. Abreast with that, very often the urban areas tap up the resources of adjacent rural territories, which results in devaluation and loss of diversity and identity, thought as ones of the biggest treasures of rural areas. This might be halted and the existing dependency to head rural areas in other favorable trajectory, where the final outcome from the relation urbanrural will be not zero sum, vice versa the synergy effect will emerge.

Keywords: labour force; new sources of employment; rural areas; strategies for development; sustainable development

Date published: 2024-09-05