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Latest News
  • [ February 28, 2026 ] Meet the CIEPs: In Rio de Janeiro, An Ahead-of-Its-Time Education Policy Turns 40 Having Resisted Decades of Dismantling by Community Contributors
  • [ February 20, 2026 ] Brazil Elections 2026: Favela Communicators Fight Misinformation and Digital Vulnerability #CommunityMedia
  • [ February 15, 2026 ] Violent Rains Ravage Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas—Causing Floods and Landslides Ahead of Carnival—Show #VoicesFromSocialMedia #CommunityMedia
  • [ February 13, 2026 ] Queens from the Favelas: Meet Homegrown Rhythm Section Queens Upholding Black, Peripheral and Female Leadership in Rio’s Carnival *Highlight
  • [ February 11, 2026 ] In Serrinha Favela, Kids Make Things Happen! Community Project ‘Mulecada Que Agita’ Continues the Legacy of Generations of Sambistas and Jongueiros [INTERVIEW] *Highlight
HomeÁguas do Rio

Águas do Rio

#HousingWatch

Portrait of a Centenary-Old Favela of Stilt Houses: Belém’s Vila da Barca Resists, Organizes and Fights for Sanitation and Adequate Housing

By Julio Santos Filho • Translation by Staff • December 4, 2025

Clique aqui para Português 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 […]

*Highlight

‘It’s a Right! Without Water, We’ll Die’: World Water Day Protest Demands the Right to Water in the Favelas of Greater Rio

By Amanda Baroni Lopes • Translation by Aaron Scott • March 27, 2025

Clique aqui para Português On March 20, just days before World Water Day, popular movements and members of civil society gathered in front of private water utility Águas do Rio to demand the right to […]

*Highlight

World Water Day 2024: Rio’s Favelas Report Worsening of Service Since Privatization [VIDEO]

By Luiza de Andrade • Translation by Staff • March 22, 2024

 Clique aqui para Português On this World Water Day, March 22, 2024, this video-report with English subtitles brings testimonials from residents of various communities, showing that access to and the quality of water have […]

Civil Society

This World Water Week, Discover Insights from Four Favelas Facing Growing Water and Electricity Challenges, at the Final Launch of the ‘Water and Energy Justice in Favelas’ Report

By Bárbara Dias • Translation by Aaron Scott • March 18, 2024

Clique aqui para Português March 18, 2024—Last month, communities affiliated with the Sustainable Favela Network (SFN)* and the Favelas Unified Dashboard (PUF)* held the final local data launch from the report “Water and Energy Justice […]

*Highlight

Meeting of the Waters in City of God: Local Project Strengthens Identity and Salvages Memory of the Community’s Rivers

By Gabrielle da Conceição, Lidiane Santos • Translation by Kay Alvito • January 22, 2024

Clique aqui para Português This is the final in a series of articles on water justice in the favelas resulting from the course “Climate Justice in Community Journalism: From Pitching to Writing.” The course, conducted by […]

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RioOnWatch’s anti-racist reporting series won silver in the 2022 inaugural The Anthem Awards, in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion category among Best Local Awareness Programs.
A Project of

About

In May 2010, Catalytic Communities launched what was originally Rio Olympics Neighborhood Watch (hence RioOnWatch), a program to bring visibility to favela community voices in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Olympics. This news site, RioOnWatch.org, grew into a much-needed and unique reference featuring favela perspectives on the urban transformation of Rio. With diverse and deeply interlinked articles by a mix of community reporters, resident opinions, solidarity reporters, international observers, and academic researchers, we work to engender a more accurate picture of favelas, their contributions to the city, and the potential of favela-led community development in Rio and around the world.

Contact & Support

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10 Years! Check Out Our Story:

Awards

Special Thanks

Fundação Heinrich Böll Brasil
World Habitat
Fideicomiso de la Tierra Caño Martín Peña
Pastoral de Favelas
Center for CLT Innovation
Global Land Alliance
Ecocity Builders
Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation
SDSU Behner Stiefel Center
The Rio Times
Forum Grita Baixada
Beto Paixão Graphic Design
Architecture Museum of Vienna
Yale School of Architecture

  • Home
    • Highlighted Stories
    • Understanding Rio
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  • Communities
    • Central
    • South Zone
    • North Zone
    • West Zone
    • Greater Rio
  • Policies
    • Public Security
    • Housing
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Health
    • Sanitation
  • Violations
    • Human Rights
    • Housing Rights
    • Police Violence
    • Government Neglect
  • Organizing
    • Community Organizing
    • Community Solution
    • Resistance
    • Sustainability
    • Participation
    • Protest
    • Culture
    • Responsible Tourism
  • Content Map
    • by Community Contributors
    • by Int’l Observers
    • Series
      • Anti-Racist Series
      • Energy Justice Series
    • Event Reports
    • Video Stories
    • Photo-Essays
    • Interviews/Profiles
    • Research & Analysis
    • Reviews
    • Listicles
    • Opinion
    • Reference
    • Podcasts
    • Translated Articles
  • About
    • Timeline
    • Our Reporting Policy
    • License
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