In the contemporary era, it is undeniable that the disparity between countryside regions and metropolises is extremely visible. This essay will elucidate repercussions including unequal access to services and rural depopulation caused by this phenomenon and propose possible solutions to ameliorate this situation.
Admittedly, the obvious gap between urban and rural regions has adverse ramifications on society. First and foremost, rural areas often face the absence of good-quality services regarding healthcare, transportation, infrastructure and education, which makes it more challenging for rural residents to meet basic needs effortlessly. For example, in Vietnam a large number of students of underfunded and understaffed educational institutions at remote areas typically lack access to modern technologies and equipment including computers and televisions, leaving them at a disadvantage compared to rural counterparts regardless of their potential talent. Coupled with this, the significant advancement of metropolises usually results in the migration of rural citizens to pursue their job opportunities and higher education, which ís hardly achieved in the countryside. This, in turn, can lead to the intensive job competition in big cities and shrinking workforce in remote regions, which can be clearly observed in developed nations like China and Japan. The confluence of these factors has exacerbated the imbalance in the development of society.
In order to combat these alarming issues, proactive measures must be taken. To clarify, it is important for the authorities to strike a balance in the allocation of labor in rural and urban areas. For example, the governments can introduce programmes such as distributing graduates in various sectors like education and healthcare to rural areas so as to gain practical experience for a few years, which not only enhances new doctors and educators’ skills, but also contributes to rural residents’ superior life quality. Additionally, instead of just channeling too much budget in developed areas, a wise and appropriate investment for both cities and rural regions with the improvement of working environment for the former and the enhancement of infrastructure including roads, schools and hospitals and featured fields for the latter renders these regions more liveable for people. This potentially leads to an equal sustainable growth for both regions to avoid the imbalance in workforce and population. For instance, in America, while big cities like New York are still developing well, rural counterparts are at the equitable level with promoting agriculture thanks to significant investment for the governments.
In conclusion, although the widen gap between the urban and rural areas exerts challenging problems such as unequal access to services and rural depopulation, I maintain that solutions lie in equitable governmental distribution of workforce and investment. Whereas, it takes a long time to bridge the gap, these practices likely contribute to a well-rounded societal development.