IGCSE Geography “For a named city in an MIC that you have studied, describe attempts to improve the quality of life there” (8) Today we will CONSIDER the STRATEGIES used to improve QUALITY OF LIFE in MICs

Access to Access to leisure education How safe You feel Housing Affordable housing What is QUALITY OF LIFE? Affordable amenities How safe You feel Housing quality Proximity to Family/ friends human happiness depends on three key elements: good health, access to education, and relative wealth.

Improving QUALITY OF LIFE IN RIO DE JANEIRO Improving access to services-To reduce rural to urban migration Site and Service – Land is cleared and building plots prepared with water and electricity. Forced evictions of squatter settlements – To clear land for formal development Rural Development – To reduce rural to urban migration Counter-urbanisation - encourage upwardly mobile people to move out to new towns like Barra da Tijuca. Self Help Scheme – Existing settlements provided with water, sewage and rubbish collection. Building materials provided for residents to upgrade their homes (Favela Barrio Plan)

1) Self-help housing in Rochina (The Favela Barrio project) This improved housing in Rocinha, most are now made from concrete and brick. Some are 3/4 stories tall and almost all have basic sanitation, plumbing, and electricity. Rocinha has a better developed infrastructure and hundreds of businesses such as banks, drug stores, bus lines, cable television, including locally based channel TV ROC. These factors help classify Rocinha as a Favela Bairro, or Favela Neighborhood. The local authority provide local residents with the materials needs to construct permanent accommodation. This includes breeze blocks and cement. The local residents provide the labour, giving them skills so they can find work as labourers. The money saved can be spent on providing basic amenities such as electricity and water.

2) SITE & SERVICE SCHEMES These are schemes where the government will provide a site (location) and basic amenities such as water and sewerage. The resident will be given rights of ownership and then expected to complete the work at his or her expense.

3) Building the new town of Barra da Tijuca In an attempt to find more space, Rio’s wealthy have moved out from the centre of Rio (counter-urbanisation) Wealthy residents of Rio looked for a safer place to live with more space. Nearest flat land 20KM along coast. 1970 4 lane motorway cut through mountains and on stilts over sea. 2010 New town of Barra had population of 300,000.  Process of counter-urbanisation. Self contained city. 5 KM of shops, schools hospitals, offices, entertainment. Spacious, luxurious accommodation.  3/4 of accommodation is in high-rise apartments, protected by security guards. Barra already has its own new favelas. Although representing only 4.7% of the city population and 13% of the total area of Rio de Janeiro, Barra is responsible for 30% of all tax collected in the city Aerial view of Barra

4) IMPROVING ACCESS TO SERVICES The Teleferico do Alemao cable car system 155 eight-seat cable cars travelling between six stations built across the favela. Operational since July(2012). A 3.5-kilometre cable car system connecting six of the favelas with the city's rail network. Roads have also been improved, providing residents with an improved journey to work and services at weekends. Complexo Rubem Braga project

In July 2010, the 10,000 residents of the Cantagalo/Pavãozinho favela, in southern Rio were connected to the main city by 2 elevators that connected their communities — (located on two facing sides of one of Rio's hills ) to the main metro station in Ipanema. The elevators also allow easy walking access to main commercial areas Copacabana and Ipanema decreasing journey to work times. Before the elevators, Cantagalo/Pavãozinho favela could be reached only by a steep poorly lit, unsafe stairway of more than 700 steps, which locals had to climb and descend several times a day. Also created was the Mirante da Paz, or "Peace Vista," which is a panoramic vista located at the top elevator tower. It is a place from which some of Rio's greatest tourist spots can be admired, such as Arpoador Beach, the Dois Irmãos hill, the Tijuca Forest, and the Cristo Redentor / Corcovado. This increases tourist visits to the favela, creating formal jobs, increasing taxes and thus investment in the favela further. This project has clear improvements. It has improved residents quality of life, and increased visitors numbers, contributing to emerging tourism and related business in the area. It has been said that this project has also helped to improve the positive perception of the informal settlements — and that, for the first time, locals from the "formal city" in Rio are finding this part of the "informal city" to be "accessible" and worth visiting.

5) IMPROVING RURAL AREAS The National Rural Education Program (Pronacampo) is aimed at raising the level of education of the population and offering technical and financial support to the schools in the rural areas. The program will provide assistance to improve the infrastructure of schools and increase the number of qualified teachers in rural areas. The population in Brazil's rural areas has lower educational levels than those living in urban areas. According to Brazil's Education Ministry, 23% of Brazil's rural population aged 15 or older is illiterate and 51% are with the educational degrees lower than secondary school. Launching the program, President Rousseff stressed the importance of education in improving the life conditions of rural populations, saying that the current and next generations will benefit from the program and the program will change the reality of the rural areas. "In our strategy to fight poverty in the country, this is a strategic program because it is aimed at not only lifting people from extreme poverty but also ensure that future generations have more opportunities," she noted. Of course, it is hoped that such schemes will stem the flow of migrants from the rural areas to the urban areas. An alternative viewpoint is here

6) INCREASING WEALTH AND SERVICES In 2007 the federal government launched the Growth Acceleration Program (PAC), which pumped more than 700 million reais (nearly £400 million) into infrastructure, healthcare, education, public housing, transportation and social services projects. Brazil to invest $1.2bn in favela areas in Rio de Janeiro June 17, 2013 $742bn second phase, PAC 2 The money will be spent improving three areas – Rocinha, Jacarezinho and the Lins complex so that they can be better integrated with the rest of the city. It will also improve sewage and water facilities that are often scarce. which focuses on six major initiatives – “better city”, “citizen community”; “my house, my life”; “water and light for all”; transportation and energy. The National Family Allowance (Bolsa Familia) social welfare program, provides low-income families with cash provided the children attend schools and mothers attend prenatal care. More than 50 million people — more than a quarter of Brazil's population — benefit from these conditional cash transfers, or CCTs as they are known.

Task… You are the new governor of Rio – born and raised in the Favelas, your mission is to begin to solve the population issues in Rio The challenge! You must make a proposal to the government in the form of a presentation, proposing how you are going to solve Rio’s issues. You must include: - Self help schemes - The Barra da Tijuca - 2 of the other schemes mentioned For each scheme: Outline the problem (give details!) Explain how the scheme will help to solve the issue Evaluate each scheme