Why Focus on Rural?

Rural communities form the backbone of BC’s economic, environmental, and social viability. The importance of sustainable rural development must emphasize these three interconnected arenas, which can be visualized as the three pillars of successful sustainable systems.⁵ Each must be considered as being of fundamental importance in order to successfully maintain sustainable systems in a rural context.⁵

The Economy

Emphasis is generally given to economic development, given that it is relatively easy to measure and a well understood parameter.⁵ It is important to recognize that sustainable economic prosperity indirectly relies on environmental and social harmony, and a balanced promotion between all three pillars will best provide the opportunity for successful sustainable systems.⁵ Most of rural BC communities contribute economically to provincial and national outputs. According to the Government of Canada, communities in rural, remote, coastal, and northern regions of BC contribute approximately 30% of the country’s GDP,⁶ demonstrating the importance of rural areas to the general health of the economy. Furthermore, sectors that contribute to food production, such as agriculture and livestock, are extremely vulnerable to environmental hazards and stresses.⁷

The Environment

Rural areas are largely defined by their relationship with the natural landscape that surrounds them. Members of rural communities live in greater proximity to the natural wold compared to urban areas and form a distinct relationship with the surrounding environment. The environment is the cornerstone of sustainable rural development and acts as the main support to the economic and social viability of rural areas.⁵  Understanding the role the environment plays in every aspect of life directly informs a prioritization of protecting the natural world and its influence on the rural communities that are part of it.⁸

Society

Contributions by the community towards sustainability are socially mediated. Community initiatives can help ensure success in the implementation of sustainable systems.⁹ This can be done by explicitly recognizing social values in program development and placing an emphasis on the roles of youth and their participation in sustainable systems.⁵ As younger generations will eventually inherit the responsibility of evolving systems, engaging youth in anticipating and coping with challenges will promote sustainable development.

Reminder! No “One Size Fits All” Solution

Successful evolution towards sustainable systems must take into consideration the diverse nature of rural communities and their specific social, economic, and environmental needs. Previous research has identified that the implementation of a “one size fits all” approach to sustainable development will not provide adequate solutions in the context of rural communities.¹⁰ After careful consideration of both local and regional measures, development can focus on the potentials for resource use and the implementation of sustainable systems that are specific to each community.¹⁰ Grass roots partnerships between rural communities, planners, and educators will serve as a useful starting point. Attention should be focused specifically on the diversity in the three pillars described above and a respect for the flexibility needed to support community processes.

Strengths of Sustainable Systems in Rural Areas

Individual community characteristics affect structure, content, and deliverability of systems, however, research has identified some commonalities that yield potentially both academic and practical benefits. Rural communities are typically smaller in size and, given this characteristic, require relatively modest initiatives that can produce significant effects.¹¹ These efforts can be measured, spread, and scaled to other communities. Thus, smaller population sizes can be of greater advantage in community development initiatives particularly as the severity of climate change and ecosystem disruption issues continue to grow.

Another commonality of rural communities  lies in their enhanced vulnerability to external and internal disruptions.¹² Research suggests that rural communities can act as as an “early warning system.”¹³ The ability to identify successes and failures in these systems at a smaller scale and earlier stage provides opportunity for systems changes leading towards prevention and mitigation strategies.

Finally, the complexity of rural communities in spatial, social, political, and ecological factors provides opportunity for increased meaningful engagement of citizens in planning of development initiatives and strategies of resilience.¹² Rural communities are known to hold strong values in collectivism, which enhance the success of community engagement. Previous research has identified that an emergent theme among successful processes includes “public engagement” and “collaboration.”¹²

Rural and Urban Relationships

Rural communities are often seen as contrasting urban areas, with planning and policy focused on this dichotomy, however, rural-urban linkages are often considered to be an important element in the achievement of successful sustainable systems.¹⁴ Greater attention has been put towards observing these relationships and attending to questions of how cities, city regions, and rural areas can operate together successfully.¹⁴ Many rural communities often rely on urban areas to aid in providing them with resources that are not immediately available. This relationship is dependent on a multitude of characteristics, including the natural geography of each rural community, population density, and many other factors that are specific to the individual needs of each community.

The future of sustainability in rural areas must allow for rural communities to operate independently and without a reliance on urban resources. In some cases, the location of a rural community makes a reliance on urban areas a dangerous relationship. In the case of Haida Gwaii, for example, a very remote island community in the northern coast of BC, a simple disruption of the ferry service to the mainland would entirely cut off this community’s access to external resources.

Some rural and remote communities have been pushing towards operating independently and removing their reliance on urban systems. The example of Haida Gwaii illustrates the importance of these initiatives in areas that face barriers in accessing external resources. The future of successful initiatives lies in creating independent communities that are self-sustaining.