Mundende, James

Rural areas; Bunkers of Natural Resources for Development but with no Development: An Inductive Historical Investigation into the Rural Economies

This paper examines the reasons behind the lack of development in the rural economies despite them being bunkers of natural resources. The researcher employed a historicist or historical-logical methodology which focused on the utilization of past socio-economic issues through a thorough assessment of secondary data sources such as archival materials and published scholarly literature. Also, direct oral histories (interviews), contemporary media reports and observations were used too to complement secondary data so as to come up with objective and credible conclusions. The article seeks to provide fresh insights into the historical trajectories and contemporary complexities of one of the most significant challenge of the 21st century; sustained rural economic stagnation. The findings are of great use for policy formulation by the government and rural district council administrators as well as the general populace in rural communities. The body of literature is also a beneficiary since some nuanced insights and logical conclusions pertaining to natural resource-development relationship are proffered. The paper however demonstrates that rural economies have no development because they lack the ability to integrate tangible (roads, minerals, soils, forests, animals, populations, water bodies among others) and intangible infrastructures (education, cultural relations, technoscientific knowledge, among others). According to the proposed hypothesis (Tangible-Intangible Infrastructural Integration Model) given in this paper, development is about integration of the relevant infrastructures. This proposed Tangible-intangible infrastructural integration model outlines why the rural economies are backward despite them being understood and known as bunkers of essential resources for development. And it analyzes the complex interplay between availability of natural resources and underdevelopment of the rural economies.

Cite: Mundende, James 2025. Rural areas; Bunkers of Natural Resources for Development but with no Development: An Inductive Historical Investigation into the Rural Economies. Holistic Science Publications, Intellectual History Archive, Finland. https://www.holistic-science-publications.com/i-h-archive2/