GIS-Based Mapping of Rural Accessibility and Regional Development Disparities
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Abstract
Rural accessibility is a major determinant of spatial equity because physical access to roads, markets, health services, educational institutions and administrative centres influences the ability of rural populations to participate in regional economic and social systems. The present study applies Geographic Information System techniques to examine spatial variations in rural accessibility and their relationship with regional development disparities. A geospatial database covering 120 rural settlements distributed across six administrative blocks was developed using road-network data, settlement locations, service-centre coordinates, land-cover information and socio-economic indicators. Network-based travel-time analysis was used to estimate access to all-weather roads, markets, secondary schools, primary health centres, banking services and block headquarters. A Composite Rural Accessibility Index and a Regional Development Index were constructed on standardized scales ranging from 0 to 100. Spatial autocorrelation, hotspot analysis, correlation and multiple regression were used to assess geographical clustering and the association between accessibility and development. The mean Rural Accessibility Index was 61.8, while the mean Regional Development Index was 58.6. Thirty-five settlements were classified as highly accessible, 49 as moderately accessible and 36 as poorly accessible. Accessibility displayed significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I = .41, z = 4.87, p < .001), demonstrating geographical concentration of accessibility advantages and disadvantages. Rural accessibility was strongly associated with regional development (r = .72, p < .001). Multiple regression indicated that market accessibility, road connectivity, health-service accessibility and educational accessibility jointly explained 57% of the variation in regional development. Low-accessibility settlements had substantially longer travel times, weaker service coverage and lower development scores. The findings demonstrate that GIS-based accessibility analysis can identify spatially concentrated development deficits that are obscured by district-level averages and can provide a practical basis for prioritising rural infrastructure and service investments.
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