While Population Suffers Impacts of Poor Infrastructure, Greater Rio de Janeiro’s Flood Containment Program Is Delayed and Over Budget
- Adriano de Carvalho Mendes
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
The Dique da Vila Alzira favela, near the Iguaçu River, faces recurring floods. Photo: Filipo Tardim
In December 2023, mechanical technician Sandro Luís Costa, a resident of Parque Amorim, a neighborhood in Belford Roxo, a municipality in Greater Rio de Janeiro’s Baixada Fluminense region, faced one of the most devastating storms in the area. Living in a two-story house, he watched as floodwaters surged into his backyard, leaving him and his family stranded for days.
Unable to leave, Sandro missed over a week of work. With torrential rains falling between Christmas and New Year’s, it took over a week for waters to recede. While his family fortunately did not suffer material losses, the vast majority of his neighbors, living in more vulnerable homes, lost furniture and appliances.
This article is part of a series created in partnership with the Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies at San Diego State University, to produce articles for the Digital Brazil Project on environmental justice in the favelas through RioOnWatch.
