How can life be improved for the urban poor? Is city life in LEDCs doomed to failure?

We have seen why migrants… Leave the rural areas Go to urban areas Due to push and pull factors Migrants have little money Have no power or rights They are vulnerable to intimidation by gangsters, police, developers and governments Bulldozing

However the quality of life in cities can be improved

How is city life being improved? Self help schemes – eg Rocinha – people work together Government assistance (improving infrastructure – water, electricity and health facilities) Govs also assisted self help – money and materials provided Some NGOs like Save the Children help community programmes

Rio Rio de Janeiro has undergone rapid urban growth over the last forty years With around 6 million people living in the city itself, Rio today still ranks as one of the world's largest cities. Rio is A city of contrasts

Copocobana beach Some residents of Rio enjoy extremely high living standards. Owning property on the Copacabana beachfront can cost millions of pounds

However, 20% of Rio's population live in the city's 600 favelas. In the past, favelas have conjured up images of dirty, dangerous places with a miserable quality of life today, many favela communities are working in partnership with the Rio city authorities to counteract these negative images and to combat poverty

Disilusionment? Although a favela resident pays taxes like any other citizen in Rio, many have felt neglected by the city authorities and their richer neighbours. To reflect their disillusionment, half a million people voted for a monkey in one of the elections for the mayor of Rio during the 1990s.

Favela dwellers are citizens too But Rio's residents have begun to appreciate the positive contribution that favela dwellers make to Rio's economy They provide low cost services and goods in the informal sector as well as being the birthplace of Brazil's Samba dance schools Favelas are also the homes of some of the country's greatest footballers like Pelé, Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

The 'Favela-Bairio' programme favelas need support from outside Since 1995, the Rio city authorities have invested in the most expensive programme ever to improve life in the favelas With financial backing from the Inter-American Development Bank, the Rio city authorities have spent $500,000 on the 'Favela-Bairio'

What is the 'Favela-Bairio' programme? improve the services and infrastructure in 300 of Rio's favelas. Also to promote self-help amongst favela residents, building on the strong community spirit that exists there. To make the most of the money available, the city authorities discuss and negotiate with the local community committees to find the best ways in which local people can help themselves.

2 Examples of REAL improvements from 'Favela Bairio'

Villa Canoas

Villa Canoas The 2,500 residents of Villa Canoas, a small favela located in a ravine on the edge of Rio, now enjoy a better quality of life thanks to the 'Favela Bairio' programme A new underground sewage system has been built beneath the favela's concrete steps and alleys. Waste bins are available for each alley, and are emptied on a regular basis. These improvements have reduced the risk of disease and illness, particularly amongst children.

Cheapo electricity? Villa Canoas now has a subsidised electricity supply. Previously, poorer residents would illegally tap into the mains because they couldn't afford the charges

Dangerous practices You should never play with electricity Always use a qualified electrician Never attempt to tap into the city supply of electricity ilegally If you do the Government will not be held responsible

Roçinha Rio's oldest and largest favela occupies a hilltop in the city Since its creation in the 1950s, Roçinha's population has swelled to 160,000, making it more like a city within a city. Here, community committees represent different neighbourhoods to identify people's needs and work together to improve conditions in the favela Roçinha now has two newspapers of its own, a radio station, its own waste disposal service, and local doctors and dentists offer their services at lower charges. Roçinha even has its own MacDonalds!

Environmental improvements In the previous photo you can see a pipeline beneath the rock face. This is connected to drains to remove excess water from the Roçinha's slopes during times of heavy rain This should hopefully prevent a repeat of the 1988 tragedy when a build-up of water in the underlying rock led to a landslide that killed 277 people and left another 13,000 homeless.

Drug Wars Rio has one of the highest crime rates in the world an average of 60 murders per 100,000 inhabitants each year A lot of the violent crime is associated with the drug trade, much of which occurs in the back streets of the favelas Rio's police force regard many favelas as 'no go' areas Instead, it is left to the community committees to police the neighbourhoods it seems to work; few favela dwellers find it necessary to lock their doors, for instance.