Definisanje programskih i projektnih modela revitalizacije ruralnih područja sa posebnim osvrtom na klimatske promene - primer jugoistočne Srbije

Abstract

Rural areas occupy a significant area of the territory of the Republic of Serbia and are home to more than half of the population. In recent decades, these areas have been marginalized and stagnated in demographic, economic, functional and spatial terms. In these areas, the process of depopulation is expressed, the economy is underdeveloped and mainly focused only on agricultural production, and polycentric network of settlements is not developed. As well as urban, rural areas face the negative impacts of climate change, which represent today's global challenge. In this regard, the subject of this research is the definition of program and project models for the revitalization of rural areas in the area of southeastern Serbia in the function of their sustainable and social development. The aim of this research is, based on the examination of the impact of different programs for the revitalization of rural areas on sustainable rural development, to define appropriate program and project models for revitalization, adapted to the specificities of rural areas of southeastern Serbia and suitable for practical application. Based on a critical analysis of rural development policies and programs in the EU and Scandinavian countries, which are recognized as examples of good practice, a theoretical framework for defining program and project models in Serbia was established. By analyzing the policies and programs for rural development in the Republic of Serbia, deficiencies and limitations that need to be overcome in order to improve the sustainable development of rural areas were noted. Based on that, program and project models for the revitalization of rural areas in the area of southeastern Serbia were innovated and defined. In order to verify these models, and due to the large research area, they were checked on a selected sample - on the example of rural areas in the territory of the City of Niš. It was concluded that by innovating the existing models in a comprehensive way, with the inclusion of sustainability factors (use of all resources, diversification of rural activities and adaptation to climate change) and the application of the territorial approach, it is possible to improve the process of revitalization of rural areas, the quality of life and contribute to their sustainable development in the Republic Serbia.