OFID on Energy Poverty
 

All around the world, people move both within countries and across borders. Mostly, they are searching for better opportunities, although occasionally such migration is the result of political conflict. Frequently, especially in the developing countries, the migration is to urban areas, as poverty-stricken rural dwellers abandon the countryside in search of work and a better quality of life. Although urbanization is a global trend, the most significant movements are expected to occur in the developing countries, where the urban population is predicted to increase by 33 percent during the period 2007-2030. This internal migration will place enormous pressure on already overburdened urban infrastructure and basic services, including housing, health, transportation, education and, of course, electricity. While urban investment will be imperative to help meet this increased demand, it will be equally important to invest in rural infrastructure in order to slow down the mass migration from the countryside.