Rio De Janeiro won both the bids for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games. A city that should have been celebrating the opportunity to host such great events was under much protest after receiving the bids. Rio is the worlds 5th largest city with an estimated population of 12 million people. Over half of the population lives below the poverty line in favelas (shanty towns). The protests were due to the fact that the government was to spend 3.6 billion (US dollars) on stadiums. 1.3 billion (US dollars) was to go towards infrastructure, but the majority of these projects were left unfinished, and some neighborhoods were ignored completely.
Below are images of the polluted waterways in Rio, where a large portion of the sewage goes untreated and trash fills canals and the bay area. The over saturation of tourists for these events puts a major strain on the ecosystem of the city and surrounding areas.
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Brazil World Cup: Clashes at Sao Paulo and Rio protests. (2014, June 13). BBC.
Rio De Jeniero Population 2014 (2014). In worldpopulationreview. Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/rio-de-janeiro-population/
By: Matthias E. Reiber
Matthias,
ReplyDeleteI would definitely say there needs to be a regulation policy on cities hosting major sport events such as the World Cup or the Olympic Games. With the major stress that is put on cities hosting such events, there needs to be a more comprehensive testing procedure to ensure the city is capable of hosting the event or that they have a viable plan in place to build and become capable in time for their hosting duties. If a city is incapable, like in Rio De Janeiro, it can create an even bigger socioeconomic issue for the citizens. The economic and entertainment value of such sporting events shouldn't override the necessity for adequate living conditions for the population of the host city.
Joey Durant