Rio de Janeiro- Urban Issues and Challenges: Paper 2 Flashcards
(46 cards)
1
Q
Regional Importance
A
- Beautiful nature and lies on the coast
- Main manufacturing industries are chemicals, pharmceuticals, clothing, furniture and processed foods.
2
Q
National Importance
A
- Brazil’s 2nd most important industrial centre producing 5% of the country’s GDP.
- Economic activites in Rio have attracted many tourists from Brazil.
3
Q
International Importance
A
- Main service industries: finance, banking and insurance. Known as industrial and financial centre in world economy.
- Rio was built around Guanabara Bay and has 5 major ports and airports.
- Christ the Redeemer (7 wonders of the world) is in Rio. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Rio hosted a World Cup in 2014 and olympics in 2016.
- Coffee, sugar and iron ore are main exports.
4
Q
Define Favela
A
Self built housing on public or private land which initially lacks any proper infrastructure. Overtime, services such as water and electricity may be introduced.
Favela’s are the most important squatter settlements in Rio, with >1000 favela’s across the city, housing roughly 24% of Rio’s population. (Rapid- Growing)
Favela’s have been cleared by authorities near the city centre to make it more attractive to businesses and tourists. Around 85% of favelas are in the city’s suburbs or outer areas.
5
Q
Characteristics of a Squatter Settlement
A
- Illegal- people build homes on land that they don’t own.
- Great social deprivation due to government neglect: lack of schools, waste disposals and electrity
- Overcrowded
- Dangerous- houses mostly made of wood (fire hazard), and located on steep slopes (risk of landslides and blocks access).
6
Q
Challenges of living in Rocinha Favela: Construction
A
- Houses initially poorly constructed- built illegally
- Heavy rain can cause landlsides on steep slopes. In 2010, 224 people were killed and 13,000 lost their homes when houses were swept away.
- Limited road access due to sleep slopes
7
Q
Challenges of living in Rocinha Favela: Services
A
- In the non-improved favelas, around 12% of homes have no running water, 30% have no electricity anf 50% have no sewage connections.
- Many homes use illegal connections to electricity pylons.
- Sewers are often open drains
- Drinking water often comes from tapping into the city water mains, located at the bottom of sleep slopes.
8
Q
Challenges of living in Rocinha Favela: Unemployment
A
- Unemployment rates as high as 20%
- Much employment is poorly paid with irregular jobs in the informal sector.
- Average incomes may be less that £75 a month.
9
Q
Challenges of living in Rocinha Favela: Crime
A
- There is a high murder rate of 20 per 1000 people in many favelas.
- Drug gangs dominate many favelas
- Many inhabitants distrust the police because of violence and corruption
10
Q
Challenges of living in Rocinha Favela: Health
A
- Population densities of 37,000km squared
- Infant mortality rates are as high as 50 per 1000
- Waste can build up in the streets, increasing the danger of disease
- Occasionally fires break out. Smoke is harmful to health.
11
Q
Formal Sector definition
A
The type of job where people receive a regular wage, pay tax, and have certain rights e.g. holidays and sick pay
12
Q
Informal Sector Definition
A
Employment outside the official knowledge of the government (people make a living however they can).
13
Q
What is economic development?
A
Economic development is the actions of the government to improve the economic and social well-being of people living in that particular country.
14
Q
Define Infrastructure
A
The basic equipment and structures (such as roads, utilities, water supply and sewage) that
are needed for a country or region to function.
15
Q
Urban Growth Definition
A
The increase in area taken up by urban environments.
16
Q
What is one of the main challenges of service provision in Rio?
A
Inequality between different areas
17
Q
Describe the problem of Water Supply in Rio
A
*In the hills above the city is Guandu treatment plant, which is the world’s largest treatment plant.
- 12% of the population doesn’t have access to clean running water.
- Over 1/3 of water is lost through leaky pipes, fraud and illegal access.
- Frequent water shrotages due to problems with infrastructure.
18
Q
What percentage of Rio’s water does Guandu Treatment Plant Supply?
A
Over 92%
19
Q
Solutions to insufficient water supply in Rio.
A
*Providing access to water in the favelas is difficult because many citizens do not have legal proof of ownership so the city’s water and sewerage organisation (CEDAE) do not have the duty to supply water to induvidual homes
- Water is supplied to a central area for residents to access.
- 7 new treatment plants
- 300km of pipes laid
- 2014- 95% of population had a mains water supply
20
Q
Problems of sanitation systems in Rio
A
Sanitation systems involve the capture, transfer and treatment or disposal of human waste and wastewater.
- Roughly 35% of sewage is transferred in open sewers and dumped into Guanabara Bay, the city’s infrastructure connot cope with this volume of waste.
- During rainy season, rainfall can overwhelm the sewers that carry waste to the treatment plants.
- 150 metric tons of industrial, wastewater which may be toxic or contaminated with chemicals, flow into the bay.
- The issue of legal ownership in the favelas also mean that houses are not connected to the city’s sewage system.
- In Rocinha favela, open sewers transfer raw sewage in the sea.
- Lack of adequate sanitation and piped water can lead to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
21
Q
Problems of energy in Rio
A
99% of all of Rio (including the favelas) have electricity access
- Illegal connections and overloading of the system often results in power cuts.
- Illegal tapping also leads to fires, electrocution and blackouts.
22
Q
Solutions of Energy demand in Rio
A
- 60km of power lines installed
- New nuclear generator built
- Simplíco hydro-electric complex increased Rio’s electricity provision by 30%.
23
Q
Problems of Health in Rio
A
- Only 6 hospitals in the Rio
- Two health clinics for roughly 10 million people.
- On average, favela residents live 13 years less than people in wealthier parts of Rio.
- Rocinha- 6000 people suffer from at least one serious health condition
- Tubercolosis in favelas is 10x the Brazilian average, and many people suffer from diseases associated with inadequate sanitation systems and lack of safe water.
- Infections like Covid spread rapidly through the communities, and many people could not isolate at home because they couldn’t afford to leave work.
24
Q
Solutions to healthcare in Rio
A
Favela of Santra Marta, with a population of 8000 is set on a steep hillside with lack of roads and overcrowded cable car as main access. Nearest hospital= 30km away.
* Staff took health kit to people’s homes and were able to detect 20 diseases and treat them, decreasing infant mortality rate, and increasing life expectancy.
25
Problem of Education in Rio
* Education in Brazil is only compulsory from age 6-14. 50% continue beyond that. Those who drop out often become involved in drug trafficking.
* Poorest 25% between ages 6-14 don't even regularly attend schools.
* High adult unemployment rate- children work to support their family.
* In Rio das Pedras favela (3rd largest) has a pop. of 50,000- only two elementary schools.
* Children have to walk far to go to school.
* Schools may be closed due to police opertation for several days.
26
Solutions to poor education in the favelas
* Authorities are encouraging locals to volunteer to help in schools.
* Providing grants to poor families help them meet the cost of keeping their children in schools
* Making money available to afford free lessons in sport.
* Opening a private university in Rocinha
27
Problems of Unemployment in Rio
* 2017-2020, the unemployment rate in Rio averaged out to 15%
* Female unemployment is higher than male- 18% in 2019.
* High youth unemployment
* West Zone (Wealthy, middle class)- 2% unemployment rate
vs North Zone (favelas)- 37% unemployment rate.
* Large no. in informal sectors (innacurate estimates of unemployment)- 3.5 million have no formal employment contract, with no insurance or unemployment benefits.
* No taxes paid by informal sector.
28
Reasons for uneployment in Rio
* 2015- economic recession in Brazil.
* Unemployment- main reason why Rio and Brazil has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the world: richest 1% earn 12% of total income, poorest 50% earn 13% of total income.
Informal jobs- no taxes- cannot be spent on country's sevices + earn only £50-100 a month but irregular.
29
Drugs and Crime in Rio
* Murder, kidnapping, carjacking and armed assult are common
* 2017- murder rate increased by 20% due to rise in unemployment and decline in police budget
* Drus gangs dominate favelas e.g. Red Command- one of Brazil's most violent criminal organisations.
30
What has been done to reduce the crime?
* Pacifying Police units (UPP's) established in 2013 to reclaim favelas from drug dealers.
* Police have taken control of crime dominated Complexo de Alemao, and 30 others.
31
What has been done to reduce unemployment?
*Schools for tomorrow programme to improve education or the youth in the city, in poor and violent areas, as well as provide skills based courses.*
Courses are also available for adults who left education but want to continue their studies
Free Child Care is provided for teenager parents to enable them to return to education, so they can work.
32
What are the environmental (human) challenges facing Rio?
* Waste disposal
* Water Pollution
* Traffic Congestion
* Air pollution
33
What are the environmental (physical) challenges facing Rio?
* Mountains limit space for building and makes the development of an effective transport system and costly.
* Algal Blooms and eutrophication in the Lagoa Rodrigo Channel.
* Many favelas built on steep hills and are prone to land slips (around 40% of Rio's population live there).
34
Traffic Congestion and Air Pollution in Rio
*Rio is most congested city in South America increasing stress, wastes time and costs businesses lots of money.*
* Rio's mountainous coastal location restricts the options for road building, casuing congestion on main routes.
* Car ownership has increased by 40%- high crime rates also means that more people travel by car for safety.
* Air pollution is estimated to have caused 5000 deaths per annum
* Heavy traffic and exhaust fumes combine with the industrial pollutants and Atlantic mist to create a brown smog over the city.
35
Solutions to Traffic Congestion and Air Pollution
* Expansion of the metro system under Guanabara Bay, to South Zone.
* New toll roads into city centre to reduce congestion
* Making coast roads one way during rush hours, to improve traffic flow.
36
Water pollution in Rio
*Guanabara Bay is polluted, causing threat to wildlife. Commercial fishing has declined by 90% over the last 20 years.
Danger of pollution affecting beaches destroying tourism.
* Most of 55 rivers flowing into bay are polluted.
* Rivers are polluted by runoff from open sewers into the favelas
* Over 200 tonnes of raw sewage pours into the bay each day.
* Oil spills from Petrobas oil refinery.
* Ships empty fuel tanks in bay due to lack of facilities.
37
Water Pollution Solutions
*Overseas aid to reduce sewage being released into bay.*
* 12 new sewage works have been built since 2004 at a cost US$68 million.
* Ships are fined for discharging fuel nto the bay illegally
* 5km of new sewage pipes installed around badly polluted areas.
38
Waste Pollution in Rio
* 3.5 million tonnes a year, <2% recycled
* Many built on steep slopes + few proper roads: rubbish collection is difficult.
* Moste waste is dumped, polluting streets and water systems
* Waste can cause diseases and encourage rats
39
Solutions to waste disposal in Rio
* A power plant has been set up near the University of Rio using methane gas (Biogas) from rotting rubbish.
* It consumes 30 tonnes of rubbish a day and produces enough electricity for 1000 homes.
40
Why did Rio take part in the regeneration scheme?
Olympic 2016 hosts- attract tourists
41
Acknowledgement of Favela
* 1980's- wasn't even on maps beforehand
* Mid 1980's- city planners wanted to help those living in favelas so upgraded them and provided essential services rather than kicking them out and squeezing them into public housing
BUT:
* 2016: move to destroy favelas in areas where olympic facilities were being built.
42
Social Improvements made by the Favela Bairro Project
* Daycare and after school care so adults can seek secure employment
* Improving adult literacy rates to increase employment opportunities and income
* Medical services for drug addiction, alcoholism and victims of domestic violence.
* Widening and paving of steets to allow easier access to emergency services
43
Environmental Improvements made by the Favela Bairro project
* Replacement of wooden buildings with brick, making them more permanent and posing less risk of safety hazards.
* Removal of houses from dangerous steep slopes
* Infrastructure improvement for provision of basic services
* Widening and paving of streets to allow access for waste collection
44
Economic Improvements made by Favela Bairro project
* Inhabitants can apply to own their properties legally, encouring them to improve their housing
* Access to credit to allow people to buy materials to improve their homes
* New services staffed by local residents providing them with income and helping them learn new skills.
45
Failures of the Favela Bairro Project:
* The Newly built infrastructure isn't being maintained by the government
* The property values in the favelas that have been part of the project has increased by 80-120%- poor cannot afford
* When rent and house prices in the favelas rise, poorer people are priced out of their homes
* Teachers do not have the skills to improve literacy and teach new skills.
* Elevated pavements have caused rain water to flood homes.
46
Successes of the Favela Bairro project
* The number of local businesses set up has almost doubled.
* Increased attendance of 5-20 year olds in schools- cycle of poverty link.
* Increase in day care attendance
* Standard of living improved in favelas that were targeted
* Because of the development of services employment prospects have risen for local people, and incomes have risen by 15%.
