Urban issues and challenges

• Last year Rio received $7.3 billion in foreign direct investment - seven times more than the year before, and more than twice as much as São Paulo
• It is the second most populated city in Brazil, but the city's market is much larger because it includes visitors from around the globe
• Over 1.6 million tourists arrive through five harbours and three airports in a normal year, with no major events such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games
• 56% of Brazil's GDP is concentrated within a 500 km radius around the city
• The unemployment rate is on decline. In Rio, you work and consume more every year
• The city is the largest producer of oil in Brazil & home to Petrobas. Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Films produced in Rio correspond to 85% of the national film industry's box office
• Causes of growth


  Natural increase and migration
• 2nd largest city in Brazil with 6.5 million people in the city itself and 12.5 million people in the surrounding area
• Grown rapidly in the last 50 years to become a major industrial, administrative, commercial and tourist centre
• These activities have attracted many migrants from Brazil and other countries who have contributed to the economic development
• Migrants come to Rio from

  • Other parts of Brazil e.g. Amazon basin
  • Other countries in South America e.g. Argentina and Bolivia
  • South Korea and China
  • The common language still attracts people from Portugal
  • Skilled workers attracted from the USA and UK
• Rural to urban migration

  Accounts for 65% of all population growth in Rio de Janeiro
• Urban growth


  Creates urban opportunities
• An increasing work force means and increase in taxes being paid that can be spent on improving local infrastructure
• In Brazil around 25% of the poorest children do not attend school. In Rio the illiteracy rate is 4% while in some states such as Alagoas the illiteracy rate is 22%
• In Rio there are 1000 primary schools and 400 secondary schools. Rio contains 19 of the top 50 schools in the country. The city also has 6 major universities
• Healthcare in Rio de Janeiro has improved rapidly in comparison to other areas in Brazil. There are 105 hospitals in Rio however only 34% of these are public. As a result of these improvements life expectancy in Rio is 77 years in comparison to a 73-year average for Brazil. Infant mortality rates are also lower, 6.2 babies die in Rio per 1000 live births compared to an average of 18 per 1000 live births for the whole of Brazil
• 95% of the population has mains water supply in Rio de Janeiro compared with only 65% of the rural population
• In rural northern Brazil 1 in 4 homes do not have access to an electricity supply. The lowering of energy costs and building of hydroelectric power plants in Rio now means that 99% of the city has access to the power grid. The Simplicio hydroelectric complex built in 2013 supplies the city with 30% more energy
• More jobs are available in Rio than there are in the North and North East of Brazil. It is the 2 most important industrial centre after Sao Paulo. The city provides 6% of all employment in Brazil. You can work in the formal or informal sector
• Rio is the top visitor destination in South America and tourism is the city's biggest industry
• Rio's main manufacturing industries include chemicals, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture and processed foods
• Service industries are also very important and Rio is a major centre for banking, finance and insurance
• Land Rover has recently opened a £240 million car-manufacturing factory in Rio employing 300 people
• More recently the construction industry has become a large employer due to the FIFA world cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympic games
• Rapid urbanisation


  The cities do not have the time or resources to accommodate and employ these people. Therefore, the migrants arrive to find themselves living in poor conditions and fighting for a degree of quality of life
• This has led to informal settlements, called shanty towns or favelas, being established around the urban centers. In fact, in Rio de Janeiro alone, there are approximately 2 million favela inhabitants
• The geographical split of the wealthy and the poor within one area is a common characteristic of urbanisation
• Unemployment and poverty are major issues of urbanisation. Another enormous problem for those living in the favelas of Brazil is the rapid spread of diseases and the distinct lack of adequate health care. These issues have to be addressed for the progress and development of a country like Brazil
• It is estimated that 37% of water is lost through leaky pipes, fraud and illegal access
• There is a shortage of electricity with frequent blackouts
• Air pollution is estimated to cause 5000 deaths per year in Rio
• Many children drop out of school at 14
• Favela Bairro


  An example of how urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor
• Problems in favelas


  • Infant mortality rates are as high as 50/1000
  • Unemployment rates are as high as 20%
  • Many houses are illegally connected to electricity pylons
  • Sewers are often open drains
  • The slopes are very steep so there is limited road access
  • There is a high murder rate of 20/1000 people
  • Waste cannot be disposed of and builds up in the street spreading diseases
  • Much employment is poorly paid and is irregular
  • Many people work in the informal sector
  • Drug gangs dominate the favelas
  • Burning rubbish often sets fire to the wooden houses. Smoke harms people's health
• Self Help Schemes


  Residents of Rochina transformed the favela into a small city; Buildings have been upgraded to brick and tile; People have set up own shops and small industries - the 'informal sector."; Authorities have now accepted the existence of favelas and added electricity, paved and lit some streets and added water pipes
• Site and Service Schemes

  City authorities set aside £200 million to improve 60 of the 600 favelas. The plan include - replacing wood buildings and those built on dangerous slopes with larger (5x4m) brick houses, widening streets, laying pavements, laying water pipes and electricity cables, improving sanitation, providing health and sports facilities, using local residents as labour
• Favela Bairro Project


  Wealthy residents of Rio looked for a safer place to live with more space. Nearest flat land was 20km along coast. 1970: 4 lane motorway cut through mountains and on stilts over sea. 1995: New town of Barra had population of 130,000. It has 5km of shops, schools, hospitals and offices. There is an efficient local bus service linking the apartments, shops and leisure amenities
• Pacification


  Authorities are attempting to transform favelas through a city-wide policy called 'pacification'. Stage one-Armed police units, backed by soldiers and marines, go into favelas to drive out criminal gangs. Permanent police presences are established in what had often been no-go areas for security officials. Stage two-With the shanty town secured, staff from Rio's municipal authority can start to provide social services such as schools, healthcare centres, and rubbish collection