Extents of rural-urban linkages and its determinant factors in Robe town and its surrounding hinterlands, Bale Zone, South East Ethiopia

This study examines the extent of rural-urban linkages and the key factors influencing connectivity between Robe Town and its rural hinterland in the Bale Zone of the Oromia Region, Southeastern Ethiopia. Rural-urban linkages involve the movement of products, people, goods, services, resources, finances, and information across spaces that connect rural and urban areas. For this study, researchers selected a sample of 260 rural households, representing 5 % of all rural households within a 20 km radius of Robe Town. They collected both quantitative and qualitative data through structured surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The descriptive analysis showed that 30.4 % of households have strong linkages, 16.2 % maintain moderate linkages, and 53.4 % exhibit weak linkages to Robe Town. Among the three concentric zones, the immediate hinterland exhibited moderate linkages, while the intermediate and distant zones displayed weak linkages, with mean scores of 3.54, 3.26, and 3.20, respectively. The ordinal logistic regression analysis identified several statistically significant factors (P < .05) that influence linkage strength. These factors include distance from the urban center, gender, age, education level, use of irrigation, forest product harvesting, income diversification, access to agricultural extension services, availability of modern financial institutions, and access to electricity. The findings suggest that strengthening rural-urban linkages through enhanced rural services, expanded non-farm business opportunities, and improved infrastructure can promote more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth in the region, ultimately contributing to poverty reduction.