Issues in informal settlements
Rio de Janeiro
The huge volume of people migrating to cities has caused many problems.
New arrivals to the city build their own houses out of basic materials such as tarpaulin, corrugated sheets and broken bricks, on land which they neither own nor rent.
These areas are illegalAn act that is against the law. and are not catered for by the Government, so there is no electricity, rubbish collection, schools or hospitals. The houses in these settlements have no basic amenities such as running water or toilets, so there are high incidences of diseases like cholera and dysentery.
Overcrowding is a major problem in Rio's informal settlements. On average, the population density is about 37,000 people per square kilometre. Because of the lack of toilets and poor sanitationThe treatment and proper disposal of sewage., sewage often runs in open drains. This causes diseases which spread rapidly.
People are poor and cannot afford healthcareThe resources available to maintain the condition of human beings. or medicines so illnesses go untreated. Diseases spread rapidly. As a result, infant mortality rates are high and life expectancy is low (on average 56 years) in Rio's informal settlements.
There are not enough jobs to go around, so unemploymentBeing without a job or source of income. rates are high. Most people who do have a job work in the informal sector for 'cash in hand', eg labourers, selling food on street stalls or cleaners. informal job sectorCash-in-hand jobs where people do not pay taxes to the government. are very poorly paid and the work is irregular so a steady income is not guaranteed.
The crime rate in informal settlements is extremely high as they are controlled by gangs who are involved in organised crime. Rocinha is so feared by police that they do not patrol on foot without guns.
Rio is hemmed in by mountains, so during tropical stormAn intense storm that forms in places with warm seas. Sometimes called hurricanes or typhoons. and landslideWhen the rocks on the side of a steep slope give way. are common. Make-shift houses in informal settlements offer little protection to people and houses are easily washed away by the heavy rain and mud.
Development issues in informal settlements
The Brazilian Government has realised that it cannot solve the housing problem in informal settlements of cities like Rio by destroying them. The Government wants to improve existing informal settlements but does not want to encourage more to develop. The informal settlements are eyesores and portray a poor image of the city.
