10HUMS - Poverty as a factor of Wellbeing - 18.3

18.3 - POVERTY AS A FACTOR OF WELLBEING

This lesson will look at poverty as a factor affecting wellbeing through the example of the favelas of Rio De Janeiro. We will then examine the interconnection between poverty, water, sanitation and human wellbeing, and to discuss progress that has been made in these areas. Read through the information on the slides and answer the relevant questions.

18.3.1 - The Haves & Have-nots of rio

How would you like to live with spectacular views over one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines? The only problem is that you could be living in a slum without running water and your only access in or out is via hundreds of stairs and laneways. This is what life is like in a typical favela in Rio de Janeiro. According to World Bank statistics, Brazil is the eighth-largest economy in the world. This ranking places Brazil ahead of Russia, South Korea and Australia. Yet, despite the strength of Brazil’s economy, the benefits of economic growth have not trickled down to the poor, resulting in large differences in wellbeing across the nation. In Brazil, some of the most overt inequality of wealth distribution in the world is evident. Almost 55 million Brazilians — a quarter of the population — live in poverty. Incredibly, the wealthiest 5 per cent of Brazil's population earns the same income as the remaining 95 per cent.

FAvelas in rio

Living conditions in the favelas are extremely difficult as these areas have developed without any type of planning or government regulation and the housing is generally substandard. The resulting issues have an impact on the ongoing development of the city as well as the wellbeing of its citizens. The issues include things such as a lack of infrastructure such as sanitation and piped water. For example, almost one-third of favela households lack sanitation, leading to higher rates of disease. Garbage has to be put in sectioned-off dumping sites. Vulnerability to weather extremes. For example, heavy rainfall creates landslides and floods on steep slopes. Timber shacks are more vulnerable to collapse than houses built of concrete bricks. Lack of access. There is often only one main road, so movement around the favelas is via narrow lanes and steep staircases. Long commuting times. The average time to travel into the city centre of Rio is 1.5 hours by bus. The cost of public transport also takes a sizeable proportion of the average worker’s salary. This in turn limits both educational and employment opportunities. Lower household income. The average household income for people living in the favelas is approximately half that of those people living in the inner suburbs. High crime rates. The incidence of homicide and other crimes is high. This is linked to the influence of drug trafficking and criminal gangs who have established themselves within the relative safety of the favelas. A sense of insecurity felt by residents. Most people do not have legal title to their land or dwellings and can be moved by the government at any time.

Multiple Choice

The characteristics / features of a favela ususally include...

• Clean water, safe housing and flat roads

• Informal housing, steep hillside, no running water or formal facilities.

• Running water, steep hillside and formal infrastructure.

• Informal housing, clean water, safe streets and access to services.

​There is considerable spatial variation in wellbeing between regions in Brazil. The majority of industrial development in Brazil has occurred in the south and south-east regions, generating more wealth there. This contrasts markedly with the agriculturally based north-east region, which has higher rates of poverty and infant mortality and lower rates of nutrition.

Multiple Choice

What is the average GDP for the state of Rio de Janeiro?

• $15,781 to $20,232

• $10,844 - $15780

• $5887 to $10,833

• $2917 to $5886

Impacts of Rio de Janeiro’s development on wellbeing

Rio de Janeiro is a well-known tourist destination in Brazil, famous for its beaches, spectacular scenery and carnivals. However, for many local people, these elements are far removed from their daily lives. Even within one of the wealthiest cities in the wealthiest region in Brazil, there is considerable variation in wellbeing and living conditions. The city has experienced rapid growth, starting in the eighteenth century when freed slaves who had worked on plantations came into the city in search of employment. This rural–urban migration still exists today, with thousands flocking to the city in search of opportunity and a new life. New settlers faced the dual problems of low wages and high housing costs, thus forcing them to construct illegal shanties on wasteland or vacant land. Over time, these have developed into entire suburbs, known as favelas. Typically, these slums are located on steep slopes on the edges of the city, although, as the city has expanded, it has wrapped itself around the favelas.

​Ironically, the poorest citizens live on unstable slopes with spectacular million-dollar views (see FIG 2), while the wealthier tend to live on the more stable flatter land closer to the city centre. Brazil conducts its census every ten years. According to the census in 2010, 22 per cent of Rio de Janeiro’s population of over 6.35 million people lived across some 763 favelas. Rocinha (shown in FIG 3) is considered Rio’s largest favela, with its population estimated at between 150 000 and 300 000 people. It is located in the southern zone of the city, in close proximity to the famous beaches of Rio’s Ipanema and Copacabana districts.

​As Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympic Games, the city expanded infrastructure and built new facilities. FIGURE 4 highlights the major issue that many of the planned Olympic Zones were located on existing favela sites. Many residents were very unhappy at the prospect of being relocated to make way for new sporting venues. Over 3000 families were forcibly relocated. Favela residents claimed that the financial compensation offered was insufficient for a new home and that communities that had existed for generations were being destroyed.

Multiple Choice

The spatial distribution of favelas in Brazil (Figure 4) can be described as...

• Tightly clustered on the Northern coast.

• Scattered in a linear pattern across central Rio.

• Packed tightly together in a single location.

• Scattered across the city and south east of Brazil.

The interconnection between poverty, water supply, sanitation and wellbeing

​In Australia most of us take it for granted that we can turn on a tap and get clean, drinkable water. We are confident that when we drink our tap water we will not get sick from it. We assume that our waste water and sewage will be treated and disposed of without posing a threat to our health. However, for many people around the world, lack of access to clean water and lack of adequate sanitation has had a major impact on their health and therefore their wellbeing.

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Approximately 840 million people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water, and at least two billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with faeces. Over two billion lack basic sanitation. Safe drinking water and basic sanitation are of crucial importance to human health, especially for children. Water-related diseases are the most common cause of death among the poor in less developed countries — they kill an estimated 842 000 people each year, nearly half of whom are children under the age of five. Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and worm infestations are directly attributable to contaminated water supplies.

Multiple Choice

How does poor sanitation impact health and wellbeing?

• There is no link between the two so it doesn't impact it.

• Poor sanitation is directly linked to poor health - can lead to disease and death.

• It makes it harder to drink the water.

• It causes the wellbeing of places to increase.

Multiple Choice

Diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and worm infestations are directly attributable to contaminated water supplies.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Open Ended

Explain the interconnection between poor sanitation, unclean water, health and wellbeing.

extension readings & questions

​Improvements to wellbeing in the favelas

To help improve access for favela residents, the government has installed cable cars to transport people up and down the steep hillsides quickly and effectively, with local residents entitled to one free round trip per day. It is also hoped that the cable cars will allow for expansion of tourism. However, one favela community criticised the government’s priorities, maintaining that locals were not properly consulted and that basic services such as sewerage and education should have come first.

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Nationally, the government aimed to eliminate extreme poverty by 2014 with its Brazil Without Misery Plan. It involved the expansion of cash transfer payments to low-income families in exchange for them keeping their children in school and following a health and vaccination program. Improved infrastructure, vocational training and micro-credit were also part of this plan.

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Although the plan reduced the numbers of those living in extreme poverty from 10 per cent in 2004 to 4 per cent by 2012, it ultimately fell well short of its goal; extreme poverty remains, with rates back up to 4.8 per cent in 2017. The challenge of improving the lives of Rio’s poor continues.

Open Ended

Outline the government action to improve wellbeing in favelas on two different scales.