3: urban issues and challenges

• What are squatter settlements called in Rio?

  Favelas
• What are favelas

  Favelas are illegal settlements that have great social deprivation.
• Why have favelas grown?

  -Favelas have grown because people are leaving the Amazonia and the drought-hit areas of north east Brazil countryside in the hope of finding a better life in the city.

  -Many are young adults so the birth rates are higher than in the most prosperous parts of the city
• Where are favelas located?

  there are 1000:

  -60% in suburbs near to city where jobs are available

  -25% in outer parts of the city often along main roads

  -they are often built on steep hillsides where landslides are common and access is difficult

  -some built up to 40km from city centre however authorities clear many of these to make Rio more attractive to businesses and tourists
• What is the largest favela in Rio?


  Rocinha:

  The favela is built on a very steep hillside overlooking the wealthy areas of Copacabana and Ipanema

  -Due to improvements, the favela now has:

  90% of houses built with brick, electricity, running water and sewage systems

  Has schools, health facilities and a private university
• What are the challenges found in a favela in Rio?

  -Construction

  -Crime

  -Services

  -Health

  -Unemployment
• Describe unemployment in the favelas?

  -Unemployment rates are as high as 20%

  -much employment is poorly paid with irregular jobs in the informal sector

  -average incomes are less than £75
• Why is health a challenge in favelas?

  -There are population densities of 37,000perkm2

  -infant mortality rates are as high as 50 per 1000

  -Waste cannot be disposed off so it builds up in the street, increasing the danger of disease

  -burning rubbish often sets fire to the wooden houses and the smoke is harmful to both the environment and health
• Why is services a challenge in favelas?

  -In the non-improved favelas around 12% of homes don't have running water, over 30% have no electricity and around 50% have no sewage

  -Many homes use illegal connections to electricity pylons

  -Water taps are often at the bottom of steep slopes and require several trips each day to fetch water
• Why is construction a challenge in the favelas?

  -Houses are poorly constructed as they were built illegally with basic materials such as iron, broken bricks and plastic sheets

  -There is limited access due to the steepness of slopes

  -Many favelas are built on steep slopes and heavy rain from storms can cause landslides (for example in 2010, 224 people were killed and 13,000 lost their homes when houses were swept away
• Why is crime a challenge in the favela?

  -There is a high murder rate of 20 per 1000 people in the favelas

  -Drug gangs dominate many of the favelas

  -Many inhabitants distrust the police because of violence and corruption
• How are favelas being improved?

  rather than demolish the favelas and move the population they decided to upgrade the favelas and provide them with essential services, however since the Olympics in 2016 there was a move to destroy favelas around the Olympic facilities
• What approaches have been taken to improve the conditions within favelas?

  -raising taxes on the rich to help pay for housing the poor

  -forced eviction from favelas to clear land for development

  -developing cultural activities for young people to prevent them getting involved in crime

  -rehousing people from favelas in basic housing
• Describe the Favela Bairro Project

  The Favela Bairro Project is where the local authorities provide:

  -land and services for residents to build homes

  -paved and formally named roads

  -building new health, leisure and education facilities

  -installation of a cable car system across the hillsides where inhabitants are given one free return ticket per day

  - A Pacifying Police Unit set up with police patrolling the community to help reduce crime
• What are the success of the Favela Bairro Project?

  The quality of life, mobility and employment prospects of the inhabitants of the favelas has improved because of the developments made possible by the project.

  It has been recognised a model by the UN and used in other Brazilian cities
• What are the failures of the Favela Bairro Project?

  The newly built infrastructure is not being maintained due to residents lacking the resources to make the repairs and requiring more training to improve literacy and employment.

  Rents rise in the improved favelas so the poorest can't afford
• What was the effect of the 2016 Olympics on the favelas?

  -some favelas were demolished to make way for developments

  -3000 houses were destroyed

  -1000 people lost their homes to make way for the new road, however 800 new houses were built in the West Zone for them but there was a lack of community, no shops, nowhere for children to play and it was a long way from the city centre