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PROJECT BACKGROUND
ABOUT FAVELAS
This section will provide a brief history of favelas in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as
well as discuss UmRio’s work within the favela of Morro do Castro and then discuss how
favela residents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Information
provided will discuss how favelas developed, who the residents are, why residents of
favelas are generally not part of the city’s formal infrastructure, why they are unable to
access many services that the government provides to other residents, and why
empowering favela residents is essential in preparing them to deal with the
disproportionately adverse effects of climate change that they are already experiencing
and will continue to face.
The Encyclopedia Britannica describes favelas as “a slum or shantytown located within
or on the outskirts of the [Brazil’s] large cities, especially Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A
favela typically comes into being when squatters occupy vacant land at the edge of a
city and construct shanties of salvaged or stolen materials” (Favela | Definition,
Britannica, n.d.). Typically, favelas lack some or all of the following: sewage systems,
reliable water supply, regular access to energy, community health centers, regular
garbage collection, sufficient numbers of schools, and accessible and affordable public
transport (Marques, 2024). Favelas are located primarily on the slopes of hills
surrounding large cities, but they can also be found on the banks of streams, rivers,
canals, or mangroves. Most homes are built of wood or concrete, with residents adding
floors above each other and little to no space between them, creating a densely
populated community (Williamson, n.d.). Today, favelas have become a relatively
famous, or infamous, part of the landscape of many Brazilian cities and states,
particularly the city of Rio de Janeiro in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Panorama at night of Rocinha, the largest favela in Brazil, in Rio de Janeiro city, with
the Morro Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers Hill) in the background, in June 2014.
(Chensiyuan, 2014)
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