RIO DE JANEIRO

Question 1

Why is Rio regionally important

Answer 1

• Schools and hospitals
• 12 universities
• Major employer in the region for banking, finance and insurance

Question 2

How has Rio grown so quickly

Answer 2

1. Migration –> people were pushed from poorly paid jobs in the surrounding areas into Rio on the promise of better paid jobs and improved living conditions
2. Natural increase –> People who moved to Rio young were likely to have babies

Question 3

Why is Rio Nationally important

Answer 3

• Rio carnival
• Major tourist destination
• makes 5% of GDP for Brazil

Question 4

Why is Rio internationally important

Answer 4

• Held 2014 fifa world cup
• UNESCO world heritage site, christ the redeemer
• Held olympics 2016
• Major port, main exports of coffee, sugar

Question 5

What social opportunities does Rio provide

Answer 5

• Access to services, such as health and education
• Access to resources, such as water and energy supply

Question 6

Access to Health services in Rio

Answer 6

• Free healthcare and better access to hospitals in Rio than other parts of Brazil
• 3 public hospitals and 6 private hospitals
• life expectancy is higher in Rio than the Brazil average
• Infant mortality rate is lower than Brazil average

Question 7

Access to education services in Rio

Answer 7

• Standard of education is high in Rio
• 1000+ primary schools, 400 secondary schools, 6 universities
• In poor favelas, NGO’s such as ‘schools for tomorrow’ work to improve education provision
• government provides grants to help children remain in school and supports extracurricular activities

Question 8

Access to water supplies in Rio

Answer 8

• Rio has the largest water treatment works in the world
• people in the city have a much greater chance of having fresh water than people in rural areas
• 96% of the city area has safe piped water, only 88% of the favela houses are connected

Question 9

Access to energy in Rio

Answer 9

• about 99% of the cities residents have direct access to electricity
• community energy programs in slums, fitting solar panels to the roofs providing affordable clean energy
• Two nuclear reactors and a third just started

Question 10

Economic opportunities in Rio

Answer 10

• 2nd most important area after Sao Paulo
• Port areas, tourism, and finance have helped Rio to grow
• Largest steel works in South America
• Worlds top tourist destination
• Land rover factory, employs 3000 people

Question 11

Challenges of living in favelas

Answer 11

1. Construction
2. Unemployment
3. Services
4. Crime
5. Health

Question 12

How is construction a challenge of living in a favela

Answer 12

• Houses were initially poorly constructed as they were built illegally
• Heavy rain from storms can cause landslides on steep slopes, people can be killed and houses can be swept away
• there is limited road access due to the steepness of the slopes

Question 13

How is unemployment a challenge of living in a favela

Answer 13

• Unemployment rates are as high as 20%
• Much employment is poorly paid with irregular jobs in the informal sector

Question 14

How are services a challenge of living in a favela

Answer 14

• In non improved favelas, there is limited access to running water, electricity and sewage connections
• Many homes use illegal connections to electricity
• Sewers are often open drains
• Drinking water comes from tapping into the mains

Question 15

How is crime a challenge of living in a favela

Answer 15

• There is a high murder rate, 20 out of 1000
• Drug gangs dominate many favelas
• Many inhabitants distrust the police due to corruption

Question 16

How is health a challenge of living in a favela

Answer 16

• Infant mortality rates are very high
• Waste can build up in the streets, increasing the danger of diseases
• Occasionally fires break out with the smoke affecting health
• There is a high population density

Question 17

Why have favelas and slums formed

Answer 17

Due to the city not being able to keep up and build enough housing to meet the demand of the growth in population

Question 18

Social challenges of healthcare and education

Answer 18

Healthcare - inequality across the city from high income areas and low income areas, infant mortality rates and average life expectancy differ massively

Education - most kids in the favelas do not attend school regularly, only 50% of children in Rio continue with education past 14
- teenage pregnancy causes drop outs
- high adult unemployment means many kids are expected to work to support their families

Question 19

Challenges of unemployment and crime

Answer 19

Unemployment - impossible to measure unemployment due to large number of people employed in the informal sector, this means they do not pay taxes and the government receives no income

Crime - violent crimes of murder and armed assault occur regularly in Rio. Powerful gangs control the favelas. Police regularly target drug gangs in favelas and end up killing many people (The red command)

Question 20

Environmental challenges

Answer 20

Waste disposal - only 2% of waste is recycled,
- due to steep favelas and difficult access waste litters the streets resulting in much of it ending up in the river,
- flowing into Guanabara Bay

Water pollution - Guanabara bay is highly polluted causing major threat to wild life,
- oil spills contaminate the bay,
- 50+ tonnes of industrial waste discharged everyday

Traffic congestion + air pollution - Rio is the most congested city in South America, this increases air pollution and commuters times while costing businesses money for delays,
- its coastal location restricts options for roads,
- car ownership has increased massively
- a brown smog hangs over the city, causes respiratory health issues

Question 21

What is quality of life

Answer 21

describes the extent to which a person is comfortable, healthy and able to enjoy life.
Can be measured by considering, literacy, life expectancy and infant mortality rates

Question 22

How are favellas being improved

Answer 22

By the favela Bairro Project, city planners decide to upgrade them and provide essential services

Question 23

How is the favela Bairro project improving the favela’s socially

Answer 23

• Daycare and after-school care enabling adults to seek secure employment
• Improving adult literacy to increase employment opportunities and incomes
• Medical services for drug addiction, alcoholism and victims of domestic violence
• Pacification of the favelas, greatly reducing crime and allowing children to grow up safely

Question 24

How is the favela Bairro project improving the favela’s economically

Answer 24

• Inhabitants can apply to own their properties legally, encouraging them to improve their housing
• Access to credit to allow people to buy materials to improve their homes

Question 25

How is the favela Bairro project improving the favela’s environmentally

Answer 25

• Replacement of wooden buildings with brick, making them permanent and less likely to be damaged by the weather
• Removal of houses from dangerous steep slopes
• Infrastructure improvements, e.g. water, sanitation, electricity
• Widen and paving of streets to allow access for waster collection and emergency services

Question 26

Around how many favelas had been helped by the Favela Bairro project

Answer 26

100 favelas

Question 27

Despite successes, what issues had their still been in the favelas after the favela Bairro project

Answer 27

• Training for employment has had limited success as many resident lack literacy skills
• some of the new infrastructure improvements were costly and not maintained
• rents have risen in some of the improved favelas
• new elevated pavements caused flooding in home