Rural Development on Climate Change: Fallacy or Fantasy?

Abstract

Currently climate change due to development is given much attention by the development practitioners. At the same time development cannot be ignored in fast developing nations. Most of the researchers concentrate on the effect of climate change on rural development. But this paper examines in different angles how the rural development efforts have both positive and negative impact on climate change. Agriculture is not only affecting by climate change, but contributing to it by mitigating the adverse effect of Carbon Dioxide. But with increasing growth of population demands new lands for agriculture, settlement, pasturing herds of cattle, commercial logging, mining charcoals, bush fire, slash and burn agriculture, over grazing, soil degradation, burning of fossil etc. Development of roads and rail ways, transport and communication facilities, education and health service, etc…are playing their role on climate change positively or negatively.
Fossil fuels and nuclear technologies served as a core source of global energy but they are the sources of carbon gas emissions and non-degradable nuclear waste which are the causes of serious environmental problems. Information and Communication Technology plays a significant and more strategic role in creating awareness about the risk, mitigation and monitoring. Enhancing quality, accessible, affordable and efficient educational and health services contributes significant role for building of sustainable environment. Non-farm activities alleviate the burden of carrying capacity of the land. Hence community, government and other stake holders have to play a lot in this regard to achieve sustainable rural development.