The case study areas of Siemiatycze, Hajnówka and Bielsk districts (LAU 1) are located in the Łomża subregion (NUTS 3). After World War II, Poland's borders changed and the area became peripheral, bordering the former Soviet Union (nowadays Belarus and Lithuania). Population started to shrink in the 1950s due to forced industrialization and after 1989, due to the political transformation, local industries as well as of small farms have collapsed, leading to high unemployment rates in the area. As a consequence, the population has decreased by almost 10% since 1990, while the ageing index has increased from 45.3% to 121.6%.