Sustainable Development of Rural Areas in Poland since 2004 in the Light of Sustainability Indicators

Sustainable development of a region requires sustainability of its rural parts, as a source of supplies and resources for the urbanized regions. The current climate changes, loss of biodiversity, limited resources, depopulation, deterioration of economic conditions or even poverty may limit the sustainable development of rural populations. This paper presents the study concerning assessment of sustainable development of rural areas in Poland since 2004, the date of Poland entrance to the European Union, in light of the selected Sustainable Development Indicators. The assessment was based on the set of 38 indicators covering environmental, social and economic pillars of sustainability. The results of this study indicate the significant progress in some aspects of rural development in Poland since 2004. However, several serious limits for rural sustainability were identified, including limited access to basic services including sanitation, anthropopressure on the natural environment, limited access to clear and renewable energy, depopulation, ageing, unfavorable economic conditions and relatively low productivity of agriculture.