How does extreme heat affect favela residents in Rio de Janeiro?

Favela residents experience extreme heat differently, facing unbearable indoor temperatures due to limited access to amenities like air conditioning and poorly ventilated housing.

What is the goal of the Utrecht University study in Rio's favelas?

The study aims to understand how extreme heat strains livelihoods in favelas and to demonstrate how climate change amplifies existing urban inequalities in the city.

How are researchers measuring heat in Rio's Chapeu Mangueira favela?

Researchers have installed thermometers in homes and are asking residents to keep 'heat diaries' documenting the impact of high temperatures on their daily lives.

Home / Environment / Rio Favelas Swelter Under Extreme Heat

Rio Favelas Swelter Under Extreme Heat

19 Jan

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Summary

Favelas experience extreme heat differently due to lack of amenities.
Researchers are measuring indoor temperatures and collecting heat diaries.
The study aims to highlight how climate change worsens urban inequalities.

Extreme heat in Rio de Janeiro is disproportionately affecting residents of the city's favelas, working-class neighborhoods lacking proper urban planning. Michele Campos, a resident, describes the intense discomfort, particularly the struggle to sleep in her windowless bedroom as temperatures climb.

Researchers from Utrecht University, collaborating with local partners, are actively studying these conditions. They have installed thermometers in homes within the Chapeu Mangueira and Morro da Babilonia favelas and are collecting "heat diaries" from residents to document the effects of high temperatures on daily life and well-being.

The initiative seeks to demonstrate how climate change exacerbates existing urban inequalities in Rio. The collected data is intended to inform public policy, ensuring that housing conditions, not just street temperatures, are considered in future urban planning and climate adaptation strategies.