Rio de Janeiro - urban growth

Rio is an emerging city in Brazil.

• The second most populated city in Brazil
• Millions of people have been migrating from urban to rural areas (like Rio)
  • This is usually to look for better opportunities (rio has national and international significance)

Rio is ...

• The cultural capital of Brazil
• UNESCO world heritage site
• host of 2016 olympics and 2014 world cup
• 2nd most important industrial centre (in brazil)
• Major port
• Statue of Christ the Redeemer
• One of the most visited places in southern hemisphere

Access to Services and resources:

• 55% of populution without access to a local clinic
• 1/2 of Children continue education beyond 14
• 12% without access to running water
• Blackouts are frequent (due to powercuts)
• Hight crime rates
• WAGES - wide gap between rich and poor
• People living in favelas often work in the informal sector
• High unemployment in favelas
• Pollution (high) - industialization and poor sanitation
• Squatter settlements built on unstable hilltops

Air Pollution:

• Estimate = 5000 deaths per year
  • Heavy traffic congestion (extra exhaust fumes)
  • Pollutants from factories

Traffic Congestion:

• Lots of steep areas - roads only built of lowland (coastal) - becomes congested
• Tunnels through mountains connect areas of the city
• Cars + 40% in last decade
  • High crime rates (people prefer travelling by car)

SOLUTIONS ...

• expanding metro system (under Guanabara bay)
• Toll roads
• One way roads during rush hour

Water Pollution:

• Guanabara Bay highly populated (threat to wildlife)
• Commercial fishing declined by 905 in last 20 years
• Pollution could affect major beaches

Causes ...

• Lots of polluted rivers flow into bay
• Polluted from runoff (open sewers) + industrial waste + oil spills
• Ships empty fuel tanks in bay

SOLUTIONS ...

• New sewage works built since 2004 ($68 mill.)
• Ships fined for emptying fuel in rivers
• 5km of sewage pipes in badly polluted areas

Waste Pollution:

• Worst problems in Favelas
  • Location of Favelas difficult to get to.
  • Most waste is dumped and pollutes water system (risk of disease spreading)

SOLUTIONS ...

• Power plant set up (uses biogas)
  
  • uses 30 tonnes of rubbish per day (enough electricity for 1000 homes)

· Rio has one of the highest income/person in Brazil

· 6% of Bravil's total employment

· Improving people's access to services and resources

· Economic development ( growing industrial areas)

· + industrialized = + wealth

There are up to 1000 favelas in Rio:

• 60% are in the suburbs
• 25% are in the outer parts of the city (some are 40km from the city centre)
  • Authorities have cleared those near the city centre (makes Rio more attractive for business and tourism)

ROCHINA: the largest favela in Rio

- 2000 : 75,000 - now likely to be 3x higher (population)

Improvements:

• 90% of houses with all main resources
• Many houses have TVs and fridges
• The Favela has its own newspaper and radio station
• Has retail facilities
• Access to schools, health facilities and a private university

Construction:

• Houses are poorly constructed (self built with basic materials)
• Built on steep slopes (landslides)
  • 2010 - 224 people killed in a landslide and 13,000 lost their homes
• Limited road access

Unemployment:

• Rates as high as 20%
• Most of employment is in the informal sector (poorly paid)
• Avg. income may be less than £75/month

Services:

• 12% with no running water, 30%+ with no electricity, 50% with no sewage conections
• Illegal connections to pylons and open sewage
• Water from tapping into city and taps at bottom of slope (several trips/day)

Crime:

• High murder rate (20 per 1000 in many favelas)
• Drug gangs dominate many favelas
• People distrust the police duet o violence and corruption

Health:

• High population densities
• Infant mortality -as high as 50 per 1000
• Waste is not removed so builds up on streets, this increases danger of disease
• Burning rubbish sets fire to wooden houses + smoke is harmful