city in a LIC/NEE section A urban issues - Rio Flashcards
What do u need to know?
A case study of a major city in an LIC or NEE to
illustrate:
* the location and importance of the city,
regionally, nationally and internationally
* causes of growth: natural increase and
migration
How urban growth has created opportunities:
* social: access to services – health and
education; access to resources – water supply,
energy
* economic: how urban industrial areas can be
a stimulus for economic development
How urban growth has created challenges:
* managing urban growth – slums, squatter
settlements
* providing clean water, sanitation systems and
energy
* providing access to services – health and
education
* reducing unemployment and crime
* managing environmental issues – waste
disposal, air and water pollution, traffic
congestion.
An example of how urban planning is
improving the quality of life for the urban poor.
what is the population like in rio
The rapid growth of Rio has caused
many issues. Growing from 4 million
in the 60s to over 12 million today
means that services haven’t been
able to grow at the same rate.
Additionally, everyone living in
informal settlements (favelas) means
the government struggle to identify
the exact needs of each area, as well
as not receiving tax from the
“informal economy”.
What is rio like
Rio de Janeiro is NOT the capital of Brazil,
but is by far the richest and most well-
known city. It serves as a hub for trade, with
most goods manufactured in Brazil
eventually leaving through Rio’s ports.
Additionally, the 2014 Football World Cup
and 2016 Olympics shone a spotlight on the
city, triggering a rapid change in
government policy from the late 2000s.
Pacification and resettlement were among
the controversial and extreme policies
which aimed to “clean up” the favelas.
social challenges and solutions
Rapid growth has made it hard to access key
services such as schools, hospitals, clean water as
there simply aren’t enough available. Solutions
include:
* 7 new water treatment plants since 1998
* New dam provides 30% of Rio’s power
* 60km of new power lines installed
Additionally, high crime rates in the favelas have
been “solved” through pacification, although that
was controversial and, some say, ineffective.
environmental challenges and solutions
These are categorised into waste, water,
congestion and air pollution:
Waste – Steep slopes make it hard for large bin
lorries to access. Solutions: small-scale recycling.
Congestion – Growth means 40% more cars in last
decade. Solutions: Toll roads and public transport
Water – 200 tons of sewage into bay each day.
Solutions: 5km of sewage pipes laid in 10 years
Air – Congestion leads to lots of exhaust fumes.
Solutions: One-way roads, toll roads and buses.
economic opportunities
High unemployment rates and high levels of crime
have made it hard for the government to invest in
improving areas. Alongside pacification enabling
the favelas to be improved, wider job
opportunities are available in Rio:
* Employment for World Cup and Olympics
* High levels of tourism (3 airports)
* Largest steelworks in South America
* 5 ports for large levels of trade
* Economic hub for Brazil financial services
what is Favela Bairro
This is a community-focused scheme to improve
the favelas and re-integrate them into Rio’s
society. Between 1994 and 2009, over 250,000
people had seen a quality of life improvement (130favelas). By improving transport access, public walkways, education and health facilities, the informal economy of these favelas now contributes tax for the government, funding further improvements. Involving residents was key.
