Highland MSP insists rural depopulation is ‘not inevitable’
Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, marked World Population Day by focusing on the challenges of rural depopulation in the region.
“Rural depopulation is not inevitable,” Ms Burgess said. “Places like Orkney have shown that our rural and island communities can be attractive destinations for young people to live, as well as older people to retire to.”
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Speaking on World Population Day, on Thursday, she pointed to recent research by Rewilding Britain, which claims rewilding efforts across Scotland have boosted job numbers by more than 400 per cent.
“Rewilding can turbocharge social and economic benefits for people, while offering hope for reversing biodiversity loss and tackling climate breakdown,” she said.
She also highlighted the need for innovative ways of delivering employment-related housing – a pre-requisite for economic development.
“The employers I meet in the Highlands are keen to grow and expand but struggle to recruit and house workers,” she said.
“That’s why Greens in government pushed for an increase in the number of homes being built in rural areas and secured funding to support communities who want to take the lead on building their own housing.”
She added: “On this World Population Day, let’s focus on the opportunities we have to reverse rural depopulation.
“The choice and the opportunity for the country is huge – for jobs and local economies, and for better health, food production and access to nature and clean air.”
