Preparation of Local Governments to Implement the Concept of Sustainable Development Against Demographic Changes in Selected Rural and Urban-Rural Communes of the Warmiñsko-Mazurskie Voivodship (Przygotowanie samorzadow do wdrazania koncepcji zrownowazonego rozwoju wobec zmian demograficznych w wybranych gminach wiejskich i miejsko-wiejskich)

The demographic potential, especially in the peripheral and remote areas, has been deteriorating. The negative natural increase, low or negative migration balances, unfavourable values of the feminisation rate and a growing ratio of the number of people of post-working age to the number of people of working age have been threatening rural development. The taxonomic measures calculated using Hellwig’s method show spatial concentrations of communes with a similar level of demographic potential. The analysis of strategic objectives of the communes shows that in some of them the authorities (and the society) have been aware of the threats resulting from the depopulation of rural areas and the unfavourable demographic structure. At the same time, environmental conditions and existence of legally protected areas force the authorities to carry out activities in line with the principles of sustainable economy.