(a) State four advantages of rural—urban migration (b) Describe four effects of rural—urban migration on the urban areas (c) Highlight two measures that can...

(a) Four advantages of rural-urban migration:

• Supply of labour to towns: migrants provide the workforce needed for industries, construction and services in the urban areas.
• Higher incomes and remittances: migrants earn better wages and send money home, improving the welfare of rural families.
• Reduction of pressure on rural land: movement of people out of villages reduces population pressure on farmland and other rural resources.
• Acquisition of skills and exposure: migrants acquire education, skills and new ideas in the town, some of which they later transfer to the rural areas.

(b) Four effects of rural-urban migration on urban areas:

• Overcrowding and housing shortage: rapid population increase leads to congestion and the growth of slums and shanty settlements.
• Unemployment and underemployment: more people arrive than the town can employ, raising unemployment.
• Pressure on services and infrastructure: water, electricity, schools, hospitals, roads and sanitation become overstretched.
• Increase in social problems: crime, prostitution, traffic congestion and environmental pollution rise (though the labour force and market also expand).

(c) Two measures to check rural-urban migration:

• Rural development: provide the countryside with amenities such as good roads, electricity, water, schools, hospitals and industries so that life there is attractive.
• Creation of rural employment and improved agriculture: establish agro-based industries and modernise farming so that jobs and good incomes exist in the villages (siting of industries and administrative functions in rural areas).