Urban-rural linkage approach for urbanization and agricultural transformation

Abstract

In Bangladesh projected urban population will be 80 million (nearly 40 per cent of total) by 2020. Again economy of Bangladesh is undergoing a vigorous transformation. In one hand, the agro-rurallandscape is shifting towards an industrial cityscape. On the other agriculture, the main economic sector, is also developing and structuraliy transforming into a non-cereal based one with a rapid growth of horticulture, fisheries, poultry and dairies etc. Although sectoral share of agriculture in GDP has declined significantly, more than half of the total population still depends on agriculture, in one way or other, for their living and livelihood. It is worth mentioning that there is a three times increase in production of farming produces compared to two times increase in population on a 15 per cent less farmland since the independence. Now questions arise (from fear and apprehension that urbanization is a land hungry process); does/will rapid urbanization hinder agricultural growth and development? If so, how to ensure food supply to the people, particularly in a developing and agro-based country Bangladesh? How the ever increasing population in urban areas is (will be) fed? Another fundamental question also comes, is their any significant role of urbanization in overall development rural and agriculture sector and vice versa? If yes, how agricultural transformation and reorientation clearly taking place in Bangladesh is responding to the urban (market) demand? What is the form of linkage between urbanization and agriculture or between urban and rural areas? In such a conflict and confusion, it is found that most development theories and practices are implicitly based on the dichotomy between 'urban' and 'rural' areas. This is reflected in thc division of policies along with spatial and sectoral lines, with urban planners usually concentrating on urban nodes and giving scant attention to agricultural and rural-led development, while rural development planners tend to ignore urban centres and define rural areas as consisting only of villages and their agricultural land. However, neither urbanization nor agriculture can .be ignored in today's world. Whereas urbanization is the inevitable destiny of the human population, agriculture is thc seed of urbanization and civilization. Moreover growing cities generate more concentrated and nontraditional demand for agro-items, giving footing and impetus to structural transformation in agricultural. Therefore in the recent urban and regional! rural planning literature, urban- .ll rural continuum rather than urban-rural dichotomy is the topic of more interest and concern. This study has sought to look into the urbanization and agricultural transformation in Bangladesh from this perspective and has urged for changes in the government policy guidelines including those in urban planning so that agriculture can tap the benefit of urbanization and urban growth and vice versa. In the very beginning of the study it has tried to discuss the shift in paradigm of regional planning from urban-rural dichotomy to urban-rural linkage. While doing so, it has mentioned much talked urban biased 'growth pole' and 'growth centre' approaches and rural based 'green revolution' and 'rural development' concepts. Lastly it has elucidated the background of the urban-rural linkage approach with examples of its success and relation with urbanization and agricultural transformation. Then the study has reviewed the performance of agriculture VIs-a-VIS urbanization in Bangladesh. It has found that there might be some implied association in between them. But . indications are thcre that the relation is not strong enough to sustain both agriculture and urbanization or any of them. To study the hypothesis of vulnerability of existing urban-rural linkage in Bangladesh, the study concentrates its analysis on the survey findings from Singair, Manikganj. It has found that commercialization of agriculture and response to urban demand in choosing particular items for cultivation have started followed by urban investment or advance buying of yields before the harvest. But still the interaction has not been formalized and regularized. However, there are signs of slow but gradual development of linkages in between rural growers and urban investors. Based on these indications, this study has developed and predicted some possible patterns of existing urban-rural linkage. It has also envisaged that if these flows are supported and strengthened, they will ultimately results in better urbanization and effective agricultural transformation. Besides, the study has also recommended some measures, to be taken at local and national levels, for agricultural transformation and urbanization through urbanrural linkages. It has stressed a policy shift from current pattern or urban planning and agricultural development planning toward~ considerations for more comprehensive, farsighted, multi-sectoral and multi-spatial aspects.