Urban Issues and Challenges 2 - Rio de Janeiro Flashcards
What is Rio de Janeiro our case study of?
A major city in an NEE as an example of urban growth.
Describe the location of Rio de Janeiro.
-Rio de Janeiro is located on the continent of South America, in the South East of Brazil, which lies on the Atlantic coast.
-It has grown up around a large natural bay called Guanabara bay.
What is the importance of Rio de Janeiro regionally?
-The city provides schools, universities, jobs, leisure, and hospitals
-This means that it gives residents many opportunities from higher education to good healthcare
-Which means that they can access a good quality of life at varied stages of life
What is the importance of Rio de Janeiro nationally?
-Manufacturing industries in Rio de Janeiro produce a variety of products from pharmaceuticals to clothing
-This means that the city is an important area for industry in Brazil (the 2nd most important after Sao Paulo, producing 5% of the country’s gross domestic product)
-Which means that Rio de Janeiro is an important contributor to Brazil’s economy.
What is the importance of Rio de Janeiro nationally? (EXTRAS)
-Homes the headquarters for many of Brazil’s important mining, oil and telecommunications companies
-Was the capital of Brazil until 1960 and still is culturally
-Is an essential centre for research due to the universities and research labs located in the city.
What is the importance of Rio de Janeiro internationally/globally? - ECONOMIC
-Rio de Janeiro is a major international transport hub, with 5 docks and 3 airports.
-This means that the city is an important centre for global trade
-Exports include the sugar, coffee, and iron ore produced in Brazil (The Port of Rio de Janeiro is essential for this)
-From these exports, money is brought into Brazil which can be invested into development
What is the importance of Rio de Janeiro internationally/globally? - SOCIAL
-Rio De Janeiro hosted the 2016 Olympic/Paralympic games and 2014 World cup.
-This means that Brazilian culture was televised
-Which increased the cultural awareness of many and encouraged tourism.
One of the biggest music and dance festivals in the world happens annually in Rio de Janeiro.
What is the name of this festival?
The Rio Carnival
What nation does Rio belong to?
Brazil
What are some of Rio de Janeiro’s tourist attractions?
-White beaches such as Copacabana and Ipamena
-Iconic landmarks such as Sugarloaf mountain and the “Christ the Redeemer” statue (7 wonder, ≈2 million visitors/year)
Why was Brasilia created as the capital of Brazil in 1960?
(by the government)
-In an attempt to encourage economic growth further inland
-To reduce power consumption on the coast
What is the population of Rio De Janeiro’s inner city
≈6.6 million
What is the population of Rio De Janeiro, including all the metropolitan areas?
≈13.5 million
Briefly outline why Rio de Janeiro has become a global city.
-Due to its importance in the global economy as major industrial and financial centre.
(housing many important companies and industries)
-Natural increase
What are the causes of Rio de Janeiro’s growth?
-Rural to urban migration
-Natural increase
How much has Rio’s population grown in the past 50 years?
It has nearly trebled, to become a major industrial and financial centre and the 2nd largest city after Sao Paulo.
Metropolitan area
The surrounding urban area under the same local government.
Over the past 150 years, migration has been responsible for what percentage of Rio’s population growth?
65%
Causes of Rio de Janeiro’s growth - Natural increase.
-It tends to be younger generations who migrate to the city for economic opportunities, which leads to a high fertility rate
-There are also better quality healthcare services in the city than in rural areas
-This means that there is less risk of people dying, which means that life expectancy is longer.
-Infant mortality is also lower.
-So, there is a higher birth rate than death rate (in Rio de Janeiro) leading to a ‘natural increase’ in the population.
(&thus the growth of the city).
Causes of Rio de Janeiro’s growth - Rural to Urban migration
(FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES)
Rio’s industrial and tourist sectors have grown hugely.
For example, the headquarters of Petrobras and CVBB (Brazil’s largest oil and mining companies) are now located in Rio. (in a financial centre)
This means that people are attracted to the city for jobs - ones which mean that they can earn higher and improve their quality of life.
People migrate from other areas of Brazil (like the Amazon Basin), other countries in South America (like Argentina), and from abroad (like China, South Korea) for this reason.
More skilled jobs on offer also attract Westerners from the USA and UK.
Causes of Rio de Janeiro’s growth - Rural to Urban migration
(FOR CULTURAL REASONS)
The common language in Rio de Janeiro is Portuguese, as Portugal is Brazil’s former colonial power (late 1800s).
This means that the city attracts migrants from Portugal.
It is known as the largest “Portuguese city”.
Why is 55% of Rio de Janeiro’s population from European descent?
-Colonised by the Portuguese
-A labour shortage in the late 20th century drove many Germans to work in Brazil’s coffee plantations
Causes of Rio de Janeiro’s growth - Rural to Urban migration
(EXTRAS)
-The living conditions in many other areas of Brazil are poor.
-This means that many migrate to Rio de Janeiro for access to better sanitation systems
-Which means a reduction in their risk of sickness and an increase in life expectancy.
2/3 of the city’s population increase is due to what?
International migration to Rio’s favelas.
Why do favelas exist?
People end up in favelas because there is a lack of housing for Rio’s rapidly growing population.
What are favelas?
Informal, often illegal settlements, often built in undesirable areas.
Enslaved people from African nations were forcibly brought to Brazil during what period?
The colonial period.
Between 1960 and 2000, how much did the population of Rio de Janeiro increase by?
115.3%
Causes of Rio de Janeiro’s growth - Rural to Urban migration
(FOR POLITICAL REASONS)
In countries like Syria and Lebanon, there is political and economic instability.
This means that people flee to countries like Brazil for safety.
What are the challenges created by urban growth in Rio de Janeiro? - SOCIAL
-managing urban growth in the favelas
-providing clean water, sanitation systems, and energy
-providing access to health and education services
What are the challenges created by urban growth in Rio de Janeiro? - SOCIAL - managing urban growth in the favelas
-Residents (millions!) forced to construct their own homes from scrap materials such as corrugated iron, metals, or wood.
-TMT there is often no sewage or waste disposal system in place, and few taps - shared between many families, which means that sanitation is poor. Diseases like cholera are common.
This is only going to get worse because the population in the favelas is increasing at the same rate as the rest of Rio’s population.
There is little access to healthcare and education services due to location.
Crime and unemployment rates are high
Where are Rio de Janeiro’s favelas located?
-On the outskirts of the city because only this land is available to build on within the city limits.
-Furthermore, much of Rio’s industry is located on the edge of the city hence many people locate close to the factories for jobs
-Some are 40/50km from the city centre, up steep hillsides/by main roads
By what processes are favelas created and then improved?
Invasion, consolidation, upgrading, and assimilation.
Invasion
(favela creation and then improvement step 1)
1- Migrants too poor to live in formal settlements settle on undesirable (e.g. risk of flooding), often illegal land.
They build shanty houses out of scrap materials from dump sites WMT sanitation and quality of life are poor.
There’s little access to healthcare and education services.
Consolidation
(favela creation and then improvement step 2)
2- People decide they want to improve the conditions so self-build better homes (e.g. by saving for bricks).
Services like shops and schools can uprise (but without planning permission)
People look for jobs but often in the informal sector e.g. rubbish collectors/street vendors.
The favela grows up as a community.
Upgrading
(favela creation and then improvement step 3)
3- Houses develop further, becoming more sustainable.
Schools are completed so children have access to an education.
Families rely on all members including children to make an income but it gets easier to survive due to the uprising community.
Assimilation
4- Things become more permanent e.g. housing is much better quality and schooling is established.
By assimilation etc. around urban areas what is this an example of?
How urban industrial areas can be as stimulus for economic development.
This is because the favelas often emerge on the outskirts around factories.
How can urban areas be a stimulus for economic development?
Through the positive multiplier effect.
Give an example of the positive multiplier effect in Rio de Janeiro. (economic opportunity)
Industry in Rio de Janeiro has grown e.g. of petrochemicals due to the discovery of oil off the coast.
This increased the number of local workers employed which meant that the government is paid more tax directly, and through tax revenues by increased spending of disposable income.
Consequently, there is more money available to invest into improving infrastructure (like roads/rails) and services (like education/healthcare).
This encourages more businesses (including TNCs like shell) to move in creating an economic growth cycle.
Social challenges created by urban growth - providing clean water
-12% of Rio’s population did not have access to running water before 2014
-37% is lost due to leaky pipes (caused by fraud if the poor drill into pipes illegally)
-Despite improvements, recent drought has increased the pressure on water supply because reservoirs have dried up
-For example, Santa Branca reservoir produced under 40% of its useful volume for Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in 2021-2022
F R A U D U L E N T
Social opportunities created by urban growth - providing access to clean water
Rio knew they were to host the 2016 Olympics/Paralympics and the 2014 World cup - both major sporting events with many visiting spectators.
This encouraged the authorities to improve access to clean water, particularly in the favelas and in the Olympic Park where 300km of pipes were laid.
Also, 7 new treatment plants came into action between 1998 and 2014 which provided a source of clean water for many.
Which meant that by 2014, 95% of Rio’s population had access to a mains water supply.
Where was Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic park located?
Barra da Tijuca in the West zone
Social challenges in Rio de Janeiro - providing sanitation systems
-Many people have no access to flushing toilets so are forced to use pits instead
-This means their sewerage drains into the soil (polluting groundwater), or pours into open drains and rivers
-Which means that many of Rio’s rivers and Guanabara Bay itself are heavily polluted with raw sewerage – an estimated 200 tonnes per day
Why is the heavy pollution of Guanabara bay a challenge?
-It’s a threat to wildlife
-It’s likely to affect Ipanema and Copacabana beaches which would reduce tourism and hence damage the economy
Social challenges in Rio de Janeiro - providing energy
-There are energy shortages in the city – the growing population and demands of the 2016 Olympics made the situation worse
-This means that there are frequent blackouts
-Which means that the productivity of hospitals, schools, and industry is slowed
-Many people in poorer part of Rio illegally tap into the main supply which is unsafe with the risk of electrocution and fires/ more blackouts
Social opportunities created by urban growth - providing energy
The “Simplicio Hydroelectric Complex” is being constructed at the Paraiba do Sul River (south east Brazil)
It came into operation in 2013 and the hope is that it means Rio’s electricity supply should increase by 30%.
Which means that electricity supplies should become more reliable.
60km of new power lines were also installed which means that energy supply is more reliable than in rural areas.
So, residents are less likely to tap into power supplies illegally.
What is the name of the new nuclear generator being built in Rio de Janeiro?
Angra Nuclear power plant, scheduled to be completed in 2028.
Social challenges caused by urban growth - providing healthcare
-Favelas are often in difficult locations
-TMT not only are there poor provisions and facilities but little access to healthcare elsewhere,
-Which means that diseases are common and life expectancy is low
Social opportunities caused by urban growth - providing healthcare
-The government has invested in healthcare provisions like hospitals and medical kits
-This means that people in Rio have improved access to the medical care they need, in particular emergency care and vaccinations.
-Which means that IMR has fallen and LE has increased of importance to the vulnerable (young and elderly)
-Healthcare is now significantly better than in the rural areas of Brazil.
Healthcare challenges example
-Favela “Cidada de Deus” (or “City of God”) in the West zone
-Services for pregnant women and the elderly were very poor
-IMR was 21 per 1000 and LE was 45
-Only 60% of pregnant women were getting medical care
In 2013, what % of Rio’s population had access to a family health clinic?
55%
Healthcare improvements example
-Medical staff took medical kits to people’s homes in the favela of Santa Marta, where transport is a barrier to care
-They were able to detect 20 disease and treat them.
-As a result IMR has fallen and LE has increased
Social challenges caused by urban growth - providing education
-There is a lack of schools and teachers (due to low pay and little training required)
-Furthermore, many children need to work to improve their family income
-This means that there are low levels of school enrolment, with only 50% continuing education beyond the compulsory 14 years of age
-Which reduces their future employment opportunities and reduces direct tax for government
What ages is schooling compulsory in Rio de Janeiro?
6-14 years
Social opportunities caused by urban growth - providing education
Rio’s local authorities have invested in the education system, for example by providing poor families with school grants.
This investment means that education is accessible to the less wealthy, increasing children’s likelihood of completing education.
Which has enabled 95% of children aged 10 and above to be literate in Rio - considerably higher than the national average.
What (apart from school grants) has the government made money available for education wise?
Extracurricular activities like sports to give a better quality of life.
Economic challenges caused by urban growth - reducing crime
-School dropouts often get drawn into drug trafficking and gangs to make an income and support their families
-This means that crime rates are high in the favelas
-Which makes them dangerous particularly at night
-Crime include drug trafficking robbery, vandalism, armed assault, car jacking, kidnapping and murder
Reducing crime
In 2013, Pacifying Police Units were established to address the problem of crime in the favelas for the local community.
When did violence erupt again in the favelas and why?
January 2018
Many blame the economic recession of 2015 which increased unemployment and caused a cut in police numbers on the streets
Economic challenges caused by urban growth - reducing unemployment
-1/3 of Rio’s 3.5 million strong workforce work in the ‘informal sector’ (street vending, sewing, car washing, wasted recycling) etc.
-These jobs are poorly paid, and unregulated so workers do not have employee benefits like insurance
-While people work in this sector they do not pay taxes. This means no multiplier effect or investment in services by government
-All this means that quality of life cannot improve
What % of people in Rio are unemployed?
20%
Many are unemployed because the favelas are far from the city centre (where the CBD is located)
What might unemployed people turn to?
Crime
Reducing unemployment example (FB poroject)
The ‘Schools for Tomorrow’ programme is using education to teach practical skills to the young (and adults) living in deprived areas
-TMT they’ll be able to read and write, meaning they’ll have opportunities for formal employment where they can earn a higher income
-WM more people working in this sector, driving the multiplier effect and taxes
-Hence driving investment by government to improve peoples quality of life
-Free child care is provided to enable teenage parents to return to education
What is the government using to reduce youth unemployment?
Education
Informal sector/informal economy
Working in jobs which are outside the official knowledge of the government.
What are the social opportunities in Rio de Janeiro?
-Access to services (health and education)
-Access to resources (water supply and energy).
What are the economic challenges of urban growth in Rio de Janeiro?
-reducing unemployment and crime
What are the environmental problems of urban growth in Rio de Janeiro?
Managing:
-traffic congestion
-air pollution
-water pollution
-waste disposal
What do shootouts prevent?
-Children from going to school
-This means they have less employment opportunities in the future.
Environmental challenges caused by urban growth - traffic congestion
-The umber of cars in Rio has increased by 40% in the last decade.
-Tunnels necessary for navigation through steep hillsides, create bottle necks.
-Rio is now the most congested city in the southern hemisphere
-Congestion increases air pollution and stress, and wastes time for commuters and businesses.
Environmental challenges caused by urban growth - air pollution
-Mist from the Atlantic mixes with vehicle exhaust fumes and pollutants from factory chimneys
causing a “brown smog”
-The situation is made worse by heavy traffic congestion
-Air pollution causes 5000 deaths a year
Environmental challenges caused by urban growth - water pollution
-Poor sanitation systems
-(So) The many rivers that flow into the Guanabara bay are polluted by run of from the favelas.
-Open sewers cause 200 tonnes of raw sewage to be poured into the Bay each day
-50 tonnes of industrial waste also enters the bay per day.
Environmental challenges caused by urban growth - waste disposal
The worst problems are in the favelas – many are built on steep slopes and few have proper roads.
This means that access for waste collection lorries is difficult.
Which means that most waste is dumped, polluting water sources which causes diseases like cholera and encourages rats.
How many tonnes of solid waste does Rio generate per year?
≈ 3.5 million tonnes
What are solutions to Rio de Janeiro’s waste disposal problem?
-‘Pickers’ (informal sector) can operate on landfill sites to sort and recover materials for use
- Landfill Gas is actively collected as source of energy (which can be used as fuel for vehicles or converted to electricity for other uses)
-A new biogas (methane) power plant is being set up to consume 30 tonnes of rubbish a day and produce enough electricity for 1000 homes (can help the blackout problem too!)
What are the solutions to Rio’s water pollution problem?
-Overseas aid has been used to reduce the amount of sewage being release into the bay
-12 new sewerage works have been built since 2004 at a cost of US$68 million
What are solutions to Rio’s traffic congestion/air pollution problem?
-Expansion of the metro system underneath Guanabara bay to the South zone and Barra de Tijuca
-New toll roads into the central city
Positive effects of cleaning the bay
-Less water pollution could increase commercial fishing (of which there’s been a 90% decline in the past 20 years), increasing the supply of food + less malnourished people = more schooled and employed
What is out example of how “urban planning is improving the quality of life for the urban poor”?
The Favela Bairro Project
What is the Favela Bairro project?
An urban planning project created to improve Rio’s favelas.
Favela Bairro project date
1994 - 2008
What was the aim of the Favela Bairro project?
The authorities set aside £200 million with the aim of converting slum neighbourhoods like Rocinha to provide residents with a better quality of life.
What are the 8 parts of the Favela Bairro project?
-Improving infrastructure
-Removing unsafe houses
-The instillation of a cable car
-Site and Service scheme
-Self-help schemes
-Police pacifying units
-Health and Leisure centres
-Education
Favela Bairro project - Improving infrastructure
Streets and roads have been widened and paved.
This means improved access to many areas of the favelas
Which means that it’s easier to trade goods and services, and remove waste.
-Prevents the spread of fires
-Provides construction jobs
Favela Bairro project - Removing unsafe houses
Houses on steep slopes, which were at risk of landslides, have been removed.
The residents have been relocated to safer areas, which means they are less at risk.
Favela Bairro project - Education
-Adult education and training schemes were introduced including night classes
-Volunteers were encouraged to teach in the favelas
-The free education programme
Favela Bairro project - Instillation of a cable car
In 2011, a cable car was installed at the top of the largest favela - Rocinha
This meant that residents have increased access to the CBD for work (a 2 hour walk reduced to a 16 minute journey)
Which means that they can earn well whilst maintaining good health (not getting up ridiculously early)
-Free return ticket/ day so residents can afford to commute
-Increased connectivity with bus and rail links
Favela Bairro project - Site and Service scheme
-A project was undertaken by the authorities to relocate residents into brick houses with electricity, running water, and sanitation pipes
-This means that less people are sick and so less money will be spent on healthcare
-Residents can apply to own property
-This also means that the economy will improve due to land and insurance taxes
Favela Bairro project - Self-help schemes
-In the favela of Rocinha (and some others), the government donated residents building materials like cement and ‘breeze blocks’ (concrete)
-This meant that they could improve their housing to become more sustainable (upgrading stage) for example, wood replaced with brick and improved roads
-Which meant that connections improved and infrastructure was safer in the case of a natural disaster
-The favela is much more appealing to tourists
Favela Bairro project - Police pacifying units (2013)
Highly trained military were sent into start the pacification process and take control of the favelas.
They did this with the main aim of reducing crime and building ties with the local communities.
They took control of “complex de Alemao” and 30 other smaller favelas previously controlled by criminal gangs
Increased police presence (over 300 officers) has lowered crime rates and even led to tourism in the favelas
People now feel safer and have built trust with the police
-There has been a small reduction in death rate
Favela Bairro project - Health and leisure centres
Health centres were introduced to support those with drug and alcohol abuse
This meant that their health was improved, which meant a more viable workforce and less strain on hospitals.
Day care centres were introduced to allow parents with children to work.
This meant that they could earn money which boosted the economy.
If the children are educated they can earn even better and leave the favelas.
Rocinha
-Largest favela in Rio de Janeiro
-Built on a steep hillside overlooking the city
-approx. 1 km from the beach (tourism?)
-population = 60,000-150,000 (possibly more)
What is proof that the Favela Bairro project has been successful?
-Increased quality of life
-Increased mobility
-Increased employment opportunities
-Economic boost
It has been used as a model b y the UN and replicated in other Brazilian cities.
Downsides of the Favela Bairro project.
-The budget of $1 billion was not enough to cover all 73 favelas at the time, let alone the over 1000 now
-Residents lack the skills and money to maintain and repair the new infrastructure
-Rents rose in improved favelas which means that the poorest residents are even worse off than before, not able to afford basic needs or pay the tax to stay.
North zone
-Industrial and port area
-international airport
-low quality housing and favelas
West zone
-Barra da Tijuca - developed into a wealthy coastal suburb (tourism)
-Industrial area (Campo Grande - low q housing around steelworks)
-Main Olympic stadiums
Centro
-Oldest area
-CBD and main shopping area
-Financial centre (Petrobras and CVBB)
South zone
-Tunnels cut through mountains
-tourist hotels and beaches
-wealthiest district
-Rocinha (largest favela)
