Rio Flashcards
1
Q
What is a characteristic of the favelas?
A
- Located near rubbish dumps with houses constructed from materials such as plywood, plastic and corrugated iron.
- They lack basic services such as clean water and sewerage systems.
- Electricity is often stolen, risk of fires spreading.
2
Q
Are favelas overcrowded?
A
- Yes they are incredibly overcrowded with families of up to 10 living in one or two rooms. There is a lack of privacy.
3
Q
Do diseases spread quickly?
A
- Illnesses such as bronchitis, diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea spread quickly.
4
Q
Is there a low life expectancy?
A
- Low life expectancy – 55 years due to open sewers and poor sanitation. 10 years lower than the CBD.
5
Q
Is there a low or high inftant morality rate?
A
- Higher infant mortality rate – 20 in every 1000 people will not reach their 1st birthday.
6
Q
Is medical care avaliable?
A
- Although medical care is available, it comes at a high cost.
7
Q
Are unemployment rates low or high?
A
- Unemployment rates around 20% and most who are employed are construction workers, maids, bus drivers, hotel workers (often with low pay and no guarantee of day to day work)
8
Q
Is there an education system in Rio?
A
- Little or no education system – children are often pulled into gang crime. Due to no education they are also not able to pass the Vestibular which is the entrance exam into Higher Education.
- High illiteracy rates.
9
Q
Is there criminal gangs or not in Rio?
A
- Criminal gangs control many of the favelas and drug dealing, gun trafficking, kidnapping and murder are common.
- More than 6000 people are killed each year ( a rate similar to a war zone).
- Since favelas are illegal settlements the police are not often seen as they view these as out of their jurisdiction
10
Q
Are mudslides common in Rio’s favelas?
A
- Mudslides cause deaths every year. Caused by the heavy rainfall on Rio’s steep hillsides.
- In April 2010 the heaviest rain in decades was recorded and a landslide in Niteroi caused over 200 deaths with at least 50 homes being destroyed.
- Most of the victims were residents of the favela built on the hills.
11
Q
What is the Self-Help Scheme?
A
- This involved the Brazilian government providing basic materials to help improve their own, and their neighbours homes.
- It is a bottom-up approach.
- The community works with each other to construct or improve their homes which can provide a new skill set to local people who can use this for future employment.
12
Q
What is the Self-Help Scheme? (2)
A
- As money is saved, the local authorities can concentrate on supplying electricity, providing clean water and improving roads.
- Water tanks are used to gather rainwater that is then used in outdoor wash basins and in the bathroom within the house.
- Houses are powered using solar power systems.
13
Q
What is an advantage of the Self-Help Scheme?
A
- Men gained a new skill set and were employed in the construction of the 2016 Olympics.
14
Q
What is the disadvantage of the Self-Help Scheme?
A
- People took more materials than they needed to sell. This meant there was not enough for everyone.
15
Q
What is the Site and Service Scheme?
A
- This is a top-down approach as the Government also trying to upgrade basic services, like paving the roads to allow refuse lorries to collect rubbish, establishing appropriate sewerage systems and installing electricity and street lighting.
16
Q
What is the Site and Service Scheme? (2)
A
- Legalising land ownership for the residents so they are no longer considered squatters.
- Other facilities such as schools and health centres, are also built to transform the favela into an established community
- E.g. Favela Bairro Project.
17
Q
What is an advantage of the Site and Service Scheme?
A
- Street lights helped to reduce crime
- Collection of rubbish reduced disease.
