Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

• Rio de Janeiro


  Second largest city in Brazil with a population of over 13 million
• Rio de Janeiro's economy


  • Highly diversified, home to Brazil's third busiest port, key trading area in South America, exporting coffee, sugar, rubber and other goods
• Rio de Janeiro


  • Popular tourist destination due to landmarks such as the statue of Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain and its famous beaches
• Rio de Janeiro's population has more than trebled since the 1950s
• Urban growth in Rio is largely due to rural to urban migration as people move from the countryside into cities for a better quality of life and improved opportunities
• Many migrants are young adults, so birth rates are high with low death rates, causing a natural population increase
• Opportunities in Rio de Janeiro

  • Economic opportunities across the city, especially its five ports, and steelworks (the largest in South America)
  • Hospitality sector supported by over 2 million tourists visiting Rio each year
• Social opportunities in Rio de Janeiro

  • Free, universal health care for legal residents
  • Over 1,000 public schools which provide free education to children, adult literacy rate of 99%
  • Developed energy and water services
• Rio's population continues to grow at an unsustainable rate due to the city's physical geography; mountainous surroundings in the north-west and coast in the south-east, it is struggling to accommodate new migrants
• Affordable housing shortages lead to migrants living in squatter camps and overcrowded slum neighbourhoods called favelas on the city's edge
• Roads are heavily congested as the number of cars increases
• Attendance rates of students from low-income families are less than students from high income families. In Rio, 50% of children do not continue their education after the age of 14
• Although better than in rural areas, access to health care in poor urban areas is still limited. Infant mortality rates are as high as 50 per 1,000 in vulnerable areas
• Unemployment in favelas is around 20%. 1/3 of workers are in informal work sector, doing dangerous paid work. Organised crime is rife in favelas
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)


  Launched in 2012 and developed further in 2014 and 2016 to improve access to the city but reduce congestion and air pollution. The BRT systems can carry 220,000 passengers a day
• Air pollution from traffic and congestion causes over 5,000 deaths a year
• Untreated water causes high pollution. 200 tonnes of raw sewage enters Guanabara Bay every day
• Rio generates around 3.5 million tonnes of waste per year. Refuse collection in favelas is difficult on steep, poor roads so waste is often dumped which increases risk of disease
• Many of the poorest areas do not have fresh water. 34% of Rio's residents do not have their sewage collected and treated
• People in favelas have been more affected by the Covid-19 pandemic than those in wealthier areas. In May 2020, the fatality rate in Mare (favela) was 30.8% compared to 2.4% in Leblon, Rio's richest neighbourhood
• In favelas, electricity cables run above ground and are unreliable. Power cuts are regular, with blackouts lasting over ten hours
• Schools of Tomorrow


  Between 2009 and 2012, 155 schools in Rio's poorest areas were targeted to reduce school dropouts and improve learning. Schools' Basic Education Department Index scores increased by 33% with 38% less dropouts
• Favela Bairro Project


  City authorities aimed to improve the living conditions in favelas. Houses with water, sanitation systems and electricity were built. Streetlights were installed to improve safety
• Urban Planning


  the process of designing and planning the physical layout and infrastructure of a city or town
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)


  a bus-based public transport system designed to provide faster, more efficient, and more reliable service than a conventional bus system
• To improve access to the city but reduce congestion and air pollution, Rio launched the BRT systems


  1. Launched in 2012

  2. Developed further in 2014 and 2016
• The BRT systems can carry 220,000 passengers a day
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