My essay on rural depopulation

Would you please check my essay?

These days it seems that an increasing number of people are leaving their rural areas to live in the city. Discuss some of the effects of rural depopulation and suggest some ways in which this trend could be reversed.

My answer:

Throughout history, people have always been in search of better living conditions, migrating from place to place or establishing permanent residences. Today’s continuing exodus towards large urban environments is no exception. This depopulation has negatively impacted both the quality of our life and the environment. A great deal of work lies ahead to address this undesirable trend.

Along with rural areas and small municipalities being abandoned appears the problem of the councils grappling with maintaining the sustainability of such areas. As their population depletes, smaller amounts of budgets will be dedicated to them from the central government and this will further accelerate their extirpation in meaningful ways. With no significant force to maintain the health of rural communities, no one will remain to protect their cultural heritage, such as vernaculars, customs, folklores, and so on, which have taken hundreds of years, if not thousands, to develop into their current form. The abandoned ranches and farms will also disturb the ecosystem of the countryside and will speed up desertification, as such green spaces will fade away.

But that is just one side of the coin; rural depopulation means urban overpopulation, which will drastically lower city-dwellers' living standards. Rising rents, lower wages and unemployment, and pollution are but a few adverse consensuses. The majority of sprawling poverty-stricken urban slums have accommodated people who left the comfort of their rural environment in search of better living conditions in large cities. That is while urban citizens will incur more economic burdens in providing food supplies. To meet the demand, governments will have to import the food which used to be locally sourced by villagers at much lower prices.

Though there is no quick feasible solution to this problem, governments must, at least to alleviate the plight, encourage economic diversification through different financial incentives and support so that farming would be just ‘one’ of the occupations young people might choose to enter. The lure of city life will not be so irresistible if young people can land more varied jobs based on their skills and interests. Educational, recreational, and health facilities and services must inevitably be improved and increased in number so much so that few people, if at all, would be forced to leave their homes to large and crowded cities to meet their day-to-day needs. Technology and high-speed internet should also be enhanced and widely available in such areas so that more remote job opportunities will be provided in that sector.

In reality, the tide of rural flight can only be contained and reversed through long-term measures. However, it is by no means insurmountable, and I am convinced that more people will choose the country as city life becomes less comfortable and more expensive.