{"id":80370,"date":"2025-01-22T15:55:45","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T18:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80370"},"modified":"2025-01-29T12:07:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T15:07:41","slug":"rio-de-janeiro-mainstream-media-stigmatizes-favelas-surrounding-tijuca-national-park-yet-remains-silent-on-rapidly-encroaching-luxury-condos-and-mansions-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80370","title":{"rendered":"Rio de Janeiro Mainstream Media Stigmatizes Favelas Surrounding Tijuca National Park, Yet Remains Silent on Rapidly Encroaching Luxury Condos and Mansions [OPINION]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Biased<\/a>
Biased article published in the O Globo <\/em>newspaper\u2019s print edition on December 14, 2024: \u2018Tijuca Forest, Surrounded by Favelas and Violence,\u2019 sparks reaction from environmental analyst at ICMBio, who shares her opinion below with RioOnWatch<\/em> readers. Image source: O Globo <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>This opinion piece written by Isaura Bredariol, an environmental analyst at ICMBio and socio-environmental team member of the Tijuca National Park, is part of a series<\/a>\u00a0created in partnership with the\u00a0Behner Stiefel Center for Brazilian Studies<\/a>\u00a0at San Diego State University, to produce articles for the\u00a0Digital Brazil Project<\/a>\u00a0on environmental justice in the favelas for\u00a0RioOnWatch.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Part of Brazil’s expansive Atlantic Forest<\/a>, the Tijuca Forest<\/a> is surrounded by luxury condos and mansions. This could well have been the threat highlighted by the article above, published in the O Globo<\/em> newspaper on Saturday, December 14, 2024. After all, human occupation poses a challenge to the conservation of urban forests across the world, regardless of whether or not favelas are present. How many mansions have been fined and embargoed by the administrative arm of Brazil’s Ministry of Environment\u2014the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio<\/a>)\u2014and previously by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA<\/a>)? How many apartment complexes have contributed to deforestation around Tijuca National Park<\/a>, shrinking the natural habitat of its species and intensifying the urban edge impact on the forest? What about the ongoing development along Rua Candido Ben\u00edcio in Jacarepagu\u00e1<\/a>, where asphalt is endlessly laid and relaid, perpetually ignoring a wildlife corridor<\/a> project that could otherwise maintain the flow of wildlife between Tijuca National Park and Pedra Branca State Park<\/a>\u2014essential for ensuring the genetic viability of native animal populations in the Tijuca Massif<\/a>? And what of the power lines cutting across the entire park, creating a wide corridor of highly combustible, invasive exotic plant species\u2014a growing threat in the face of climate change<\/a>? Urban infrastructure projects, housing for lower, middle, and upper classes, telecommunications towers, industrial and vehicular pollution: the list of threats to the Tijuca Forest is vast and diverse.<\/p>\n

Yet, as always, the news about threats points to favelas. Poverty, once again, is blamed for environmental and security threats. Yes, there is organized crime in favelas. Yes, there is organized crime in Copacabana penthouses<\/a> and Barra da Tijuca gated communities<\/a>. Yes, drug trafficking occurred in Bolsonaro\u2019s presidential entourage<\/a> aboard a Brazilian Air Force plane<\/a>. Drug trafficking also took place in a federal senator\u2019s helicopter<\/a>, which landed on Federal Deputy A\u00e9cio Neves’ family farm<\/a>. It\u2019s possible to buy drugs on the sandy beaches of Ipanema<\/a> and to honor militiamen in the National Congress<\/a>. And yet, on the crime belt map, favelas are the ones that stand out.<\/p>\n

As required by the laws governing the National System of Conservation Units, Tijuca National Park operates under a participatory management model. Of the 45 representatives on its Advisory Board, only five are leaders from favelas. Considering that this participation is voluntary and that meetings align with the working hours of government agencies, it is remarkable that these leaders dedicate their time\u2014despite many challenges\u2014to managing the Conservation Unit. Even so, this is insufficient for managing a park embedded in Rio\u2019s urban fabric. For this reason, part of the small team assigned to the area at ICMBio focuses on fostering the relationship between the agency and neighboring favelas.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A sewage bio-system<\/a> built by residents of Vale Encantado, a favela nestled in the Tijuca Forest, in response to the century-long lack of public investment in sanitation. Photo: Douglas Dobby<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Favela-Park Program<\/a>, a contractual commitment between the Brazilian government and the private operator of the Corcovado Rack Railway<\/a> that takes tourists through the forest, past a number of favelas, up to Rio’s famous Christ the Redeemer Statue, supports socio-environmental initiatives in those favelas, including Guararapes<\/a>, Cerro Cor\u00e1<\/a>, and Morro dos Prazeres<\/a>. Every year, volunteers from their community projects participate in training sessions and receive funding to invest in educational, cultural, sports, and environmental activities, although there is no funding for paid staff positions. Applications for 2025 are currently open. The Social-Environmental Responsibility Program, funded by a contractual obligation of Paineiras-Corcovado, the private company responsible for managing the Christ the Redeemer Visitor Center and transportation services, serves as an incubator for socio-environmental initiatives and community-based tourism<\/a> in the Santa Marta, Guararapes, and Cerro Cor\u00e1 favelas. In 2024, 15 projects were developed by residents deeply committed to improving their communities, all without any personal compensation.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Guararapes and Cerro Cor\u00e1<\/a> favelas: neighbors of the Tijuca Forest and active participants of the Favela-Park Program in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Daniella Mendes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Isis Lopes is a student at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ<\/a>) and a participant in the Institutional Scientific Initiation Scholarship Program (PIBIC)-ICMBio. In 2023, under the supervision of an environmental analyst and researchers from Project Refauna<\/a>, which works to restore the Atlantic Forest\u2019s wildlife, Lopes conducted a survey of institutions and community initiatives in Greater Tijuca<\/a>\u2019s favelas, located near the park. With support from a few volunteers, she contacted 25 organizations in just two months\u2014some of which are registered charities with financial backing, while others are entirely volunteer-based and rely on community resources. Although the survey\u2019s sample size is small compared to the vast community networks of Rio\u2019s favelas<\/a>, it highlights the thriving social organization led by favela residents who work, study, care for their families\u2014and still find time to address what the government neglects in historically underserved areas. Lopes also conducted about a hundred structured interviews with favela residents. Most interviewees visit Tijuca Forest recreationally, with the vast majority identifying the benefits of living near the forest, including its positive impact on the city\u2019s climate and the opportunity to connect with nature.<\/p>\n

\"Community-based<\/a>
Community-based eco-tourism in Rocinha.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2024, a partnership between ICMBio, the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Paineiras-Corcovado, the Park Hosts Cooperative<\/a>, and the Santa Marta Tour Guides Collective<\/a> organized the Favela & Forest Expo Tour Seminar<\/a>. The event featured a day of discussions, a community-based tourism<\/a> fair, and a guided tourist visit. Representatives from eight favelas located near Rio\u2019s Conservation Units shared their experiences, leaving no doubt about the economic, cultural, and environmental value of tourism widely promoted by favelas. Although data on visitor numbers is not yet available, Rocinha<\/a> residents\u2019 associations and Rio\u2019s state tourism agency (TurisRio<\/a>) have recently launched an app to monitor tourism, highlighting the growing scale and impact of this activity in the community.<\/p>\n

With numerous examples of initiatives addressing a wide range of issues and engaging diverse audiences to build a fairer, greener, and safer city for all, we can only conclude that the daily reality of Tijuca National Park and its surrounding areas differs greatly from the violence splashed across newspaper pages. Yes, favelas do want to appear on maps and in the news\u2014but what they showcase is extraordinary initiative, strong community organization, dedication to the public good, commitment to sustainability, and a profound appreciation for nature.<\/p>\n

\n

Support\u00a0RioOnWatch\u2019s tireless, critical and cutting-edge hyperlocal journalism, online community organizing meetings, and direct support to favelas\u00a0by clicking here<\/a>.<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas This opinion piece written by Isaura Bredariol, an environmental analyst at ICMBio and socio-environmental team member of the Tijuca National Park, is part of a series\u00a0created in partnership with the\u00a0Behner Stiefel […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":80371,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1267,1288,3477,1331,452,328],"tags":[1361,225,1098,136,2128,390,2255,2791,2792,569,1900,1781,730,664,558,66,3011,1350,489,194,196],"writer":[3768],"translator":[3485],"illustrator":[],"photographer":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-80370","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gentrificationwatch","8":"category-highlight","9":"category-climate-justice","10":"category-opinion-2","11":"category-rio20","12":"category-understanding-rio","13":"tag-endfavelastigma","14":"tag-barra-da-tijuca","15":"tag-cerro-cora","16":"tag-copacabana","17":"tag-deforestation","18":"tag-globo","19":"tag-guararapes","20":"tag-ibama","21":"tag-icmbio","22":"tag-jacarepagua","23":"tag-media-narrative","24":"tag-opinion-2","25":"tag-pedra-branca-state-park","26":"tag-prazeres","27":"tag-prejudice","28":"tag-santa-marta","29":"tag-series-human-rights-with-support-from-the-behner-stiefel-center-at-sdsu","30":"tag-tijuca","31":"tag-tijuca-forest","32":"tag-tourism","33":"tag-planning","34":"writer-isaura-bredariol","35":"translator-ujwala-murthy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=80370"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80370\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80382,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80370\/revisions\/80382"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/80371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=80370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=80370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=80370"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fwriter&post=80370"},{"taxonomy":"translator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftranslator&post=80370"},{"taxonomy":"illustrator","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fillustrator&post=80370"},{"taxonomy":"photographer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fphotographer&post=80370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}