UNDESA World Society Report 2021
Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires an urgent rethinking of rural development. Current strategies and patterns of rural development do not meet either the socio-economic or environmental objectives of this agenda. Four out of five people facing extreme poverty around the world live in rural areas. Many rural areas are experiencing severe depletion and degradation of natural resources, contributing to climate change and the resurgence of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with already high levels of poverty and inequality, threatens to slow progress for the world’s rural people. But opportunities exist to build a greener, more inclusive and resilient future through response and recovery efforts. For example, the pandemic experience has shown that many jobs previously thought of as urban can be done in rural areas if high-quality internet connectivity is combined with flexible working arrangements.
The World Social Report 2021 is the flagship publication of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) on key social development issues. 3.4 billion people living in rural areas are not left behind This comes as global efforts focus on promoting socio-economic growth and tackling climate change amid the recovery from COVID-19.
The report calls for an end to the rural-urban divide and calls for promoting rural development that allows rural people to reach urban living standards without having to migrate to urban areas. We are proposing a new approach. These include leveraging the rise of new digital technologies, promoting the non-agricultural economy, and increasing investment in public services and rural infrastructure, all while protecting the health of our planet.
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Report summary
key message
Explanation
table of contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
World Social Report 2021 Video: Leave no village behind