*Urban Issues and Challenges- Rio

Question 1

Define urbanisation

Answer 1

The rise in the percentage of people living in urban areas (towns and cities), in comparison with rural areas.

Question 2

Describe the global pattern of urban change

Answer 2

• Rates of urbansiation different depending on whether the country is rich or poor.
• The most rapid urban growth is happening in LICs.
• The lowest rates of urban growth is in HICs
• The rate of urban growth in NEEs is starting to slow.

Question 3

Which continent has the highest rate of urbanisation?

Answer 3

Africa

Question 4

What two factors affect the rate of urbanisation?

Answer 4

1. Rural-urban migration
2. Natural increase

Question 5

Define natural increase

Answer 5

When the birth rate in a country is greater than the death rate.

Question 6

Define migration

Answer 6

The movement of population from one area to another. Some migrations are forced, voluntary, permanent and temporary, International and regional.

Question 7

How is natural increase calculated?

Answer 7

Birth Rate minus Death Rate/100 (to express as a percentage)

Question 8

Define rural to urban migration

Answer 8

The movement of people from rural to urban areas due to rural push and urban pull factors.

Question 9

List three push factors

Answer 9

• Drought / flooding
• Lack of services
• Few opportunities
• Low pay
• Poverty

Question 10

List three pull factors

Answer 10

• Better quality of life
• Better access to services (e.g. education, health and entertainment)
• Better quality houses
• Increased pay
• Improved opportunities

Question 11

What is a megacity?

Answer 11

A city with a population of 10 million people or more.

Question 12

Name three megacities

Answer 12

Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Lagos, Karachi, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Dhaka, Jakarta, Metro Manila, Shanghai, Osaka, Tokyo.

Question 13

Which two population factors combine to produce megacities?

Answer 13

Migration + Natural Increase

Question 14

Which continent has the largest number of megacities?

Answer 14

Asia

Question 15

Describe the location of Rio de Janeiro

Answer 15

Rio de Jeneiro is a city located in the country of Brazil. Brazil is a country in South America.

22.9068° S, 43.1729° W

Question 16

Give a reason to explain why Rio is an internationally important city

Answer 16

• It held the 2016 Olympic Games
• Main tourist destinations in the Southern Hemisphere.
• It has a major port - its main exports are coffee, sugar and iron ore.

Question 17

Give a reason to explain why Rio is a nationally important city

Answer 17

• It is Brazil’s second largest city in terms of its financial and service industries.
• It produces 5% of Brazil’s GDP
• It is considered the cultural capital of Brazil with many museums, popular music and the famous Carnaval celebration

Question 18

Why has Rio de Janeiro grown as a city?

Answer 18

• Rio has grown as a major industrial city.
• It has developed as a Global City because of its industry and its excellent transport links i.e. 5 ports and 3 airports.
• Increase amount of migrants moving to the city in the search for work or a better quality of life.

Question 19

City growth in Rio de Janeiro is prevented by which physical factors?

Answer 19

There are mountains to the north and west, and sea to the south and east.

Question 20

How is Rio’s housing segregated?

Answer 20

• High class residential areas are found next to the CBD (city centre) and along beaches of areas such as Copacabana.
• Middle level residential areas have developed near the airport and highways.
• Favelas have grown on the edge of the urban area.

Question 21

How has urban growth created opportunities for Rio?

Answer 21

• The growth of Rio has boosted the city’s economic development. This has improved city’s infrastructure.
• Global companies have been attracted creating formal sector jobs.
• Hosting the Olympic games in 2009 had led to sponsorship deals worth $900million

Question 22

Describe the social challenges facing Rio

Answer 22

1. Health care - just over half of the city has access to a local health clinic.
2. Education - half of all children continue their education after 14. Many become involved in crime.
3. Water supply - 12% of Rio’s population did not have access to running water.
4. Energy - shortage of elecricity = powercuts

Question 23

Describe the economic challenges facing Rio

Answer 23

1. Unemployment - 20% of those living in favelas are unemployed.
2. Lots of people working in the informal sector - they don’t pay taxes, don’t have insurance and are poorly paid.
3. Crime - Robbery and violent crime are big challenges.

Question 24

Describe the environmental challenges facing Rio

Answer 24

1. Air pollution - causes 5,000 deaths per year in Rio
2. Traffic congestion - caused by few roads due to mountain landscape and more people owning cars.
3. Water pollution - Guanabara Bay is highly polluted causing a threat to wildlife. Caused by pollution from favelas and industrial waste.
4. Waste pollution - it is difficult to get waste collection lorries into the steep sided streets of the favelas

Question 25

How have social problems in Rio been solved?

Answer 25

1. Health care - medical staff have taken medical kits to people’s homes
2. Education - encouraging local volunteers to help in schools, opening a university in Rocinha
3. Water supply - 7 water treatment plants were built. By 2014, 95% of he population had a mains water supply.
4. Energy - 60km of new power lines installed, developing Simplicio hydro-electric complex which will increase Rio’s electricity supply by 30%

Question 26

How have the economic problems in Rio been solved?

Answer 26

1. Unemployment - ‘Schools of Tomorrow’ programme aims to improve education for young people in the poor and violent areas of the city.
2. High levels of informal sector employment - courses are available for adults who have temporarily left education but want to continue their studies.
3. Crime - Police Pacifying Units were established to reclaim favelas from drug dealers

Question 27

How have the environmental problems in Rio been solved?

Answer 27

1. Air pollution - expansion of the metro system (public transport)
2. Traffic congestion - new toll roads in the city centre
3. Water pollution - 12 new sewage works have been built, ships fined for dumping waste
4. Waste pollution - a power plant has been set up using methane gas (biogas) from rotting rubbish.

Question 28

Define informal sector

Answer 28

People working that do not receive a regular wage, making and/ or selling goods/services unofficially, often for ‘cash in hand’. They don’t have a contract, health and safety protection, health insurance or pension schemes. They don’t pay taxes

Question 29

Define shanty town

Answer 29

A squatter settlement that springs up in an area that used to have no houses. (Also called spontaneous settlements).

Question 30

Define squatter

Answer 30

Someone who settles on land without the legal rights to stay there

Question 31

_Where_ do squatter settlements occur ?

Answer 31

Usually in least favourable parts of the city (e.g. steep hillsides or swamp areas)

Question 32

_Why_ do squatter settlements occur?

Answer 32

Usually because of rapid rural-urban migration so governments don’t have time to provide houses, drainage, clean water, schools etc.

Question 33

What are the challenges of squatter settlements in Rio

Answer 33

1. Construction - houses are poorly constructed. Limited road access.
2. Services - lack of access to basic facilities e.g. no have running water, no electricity, no sewage connections.
3. Unemployment - 20% are unemployed. Many work in the informal sector.
4. Crime - There is a high murder rate. Drug gangs often dominate the favelas.
5. Health - Infant mortality rates are high. Waste cannot be disposed of safely leading to disease.

Question 34

What is a favela?

Answer 34

A name of a squatter settlement in Brazil

Question 35

Name the biggest favela in Rio?

Answer 35

Rocinha

Question 36

Why are there increasing numbers of favelas in Brazil?

Answer 36

Many people have migrated to Brazil in the hope of finding a better life so informal housing (i.e. favelas) have been built to deal with the rapid influx of people.

Question 37

What improvements have happened in the favela, Rocinha?

Answer 37

• 90% of houses are now built with brick and have electricity and clean water.
• Many houses have TVs and fridges
• Has it owns newspaper and radio station, schools, health facilities and a private university

Question 38

How have Rio’s favelas been improved?

Answer 38

1. People have been moved to new areas such as Barra da Tijuca to reduce over crowding
2. Developing rural areas to encourage more people to stay in countryside
3. Favela Bairro Project - securing hillsides, installing cable cars, access to credit to allow residents to buy materials to improve their homes, Police Pacifying Units to patrol the community for extra security.

Question 39

Name some positives and negatives of the Favela Bairro Project been?

Answer 39

POSITIVE: Quality of life, mobility and employment has improved.

NEGATIVE: more training needed to improve literacy

NEGATIVE: rents in the favelas have now increased and the poorest are now worse off.

Question 40

Points and evidence for a sanitation question:

Answer 40

Poor sanitation can effect the economy as people may get sick and won’t be able to work- only 83% of Rio’s residents have access to sanitation
Can effect schooling and education; poorest effected
Can effect wildlife and the environment- only about half of sewage waste is treated before entering into waterways and eventually the ocean.

Question 40

Points and evidence for a traffic congestion/air pollution question:

Answer 40

. Rapid industrialisation- The number of vehicles in Rio de Janeiro has grown considerably making it the most congested city in South America
. Long and uncomfortable journeys- An average drive through Rio takes fifty per cent longer at peak times, compared to off-peak times
. Danger- 5000 people die every year from diseases caused by polluted air.