Fighting the climate crisis in Rio's favelas

DW (English)

Solar energy is unaffordable for many in Rio's low-income neighborhoods. A local cooperative is changing that — with solar panels and community power.

Transcript

00:00Rio de Janeiro. On average, the sun shines six hours a day in this Brazilian metropolis.

00:06Perfect conditions for a clean energy transition, including in the city's favelas or Comunidades.

00:13But the green transformation is slow to arrive.

00:16Valjine Medina, known as Jine, wants to change that.

00:20He runs Brazil's first solar cooperative in the Babylonia Comunidade.

00:25Jine grew up here. Everyone knows him.

00:28Hey buddy, you're a great kid. You're definitely going to be a surfer one day.

00:35The first solar panels were installed on the cooperative's rooftops in 2015.

00:40The electricity they generate is fed into the public grid.

00:44In return, cooperative members get a discount on their electricity bills.

00:49The cooperative trains its own maintenance staff, creating jobs in the process.

00:54Solar energy in Brazil is usually for the wealthy.

01:00Our aim in launching Brazil's first solar cooperative in a favela was to bring solar power to the poor as well.

01:08Studies confirm that saving on electricity means more money for food.

01:13That's why we're fighting for a fair energy transition that benefits everyone.

01:1949 families in the favela are part of the cooperative, and the number keeps growing.

01:25Jine takes us to meet Vera Lúcia Ferreira.

01:31She spends nearly half her income on electricity.

01:34And yet the power often goes out for days, because utility workers refuse to enter the favela, fearing gun violence.

01:46I joined the cooperative because I hope it will lower my electricity bill.

01:56That the sunlight we get will make power cheaper.

02:02And cleaner too.

02:05The project is funded by the non-profit Revolu Solar, based in central Rio.

02:14The organization connects with investors and donors.

02:19For director Adriano Hasag, climate adaptation is also a matter of social justice.

02:26When it's rainy or stormy, the power in the favela goes out immediately.

02:33We're living through a climate crisis.

02:36The weather's turning wild.

02:38And it hits the poorest the hardest.

02:41Revolu Solar supports 12 solar projects across Brazil.

02:46Funding covers hardware, installation and training for technical staff.

02:51In the Marei Comunidade, 10 kilometers away, the Eco-Clima project faces different challenges.

03:03Project leader, Rian Viqueiros, visits people involved in the initiative.

03:09Hey, Sayo.

03:11How are you guys doing?

03:14I wanted to check out your green roof.

03:17Of course, come in.

03:20Together with residents, the Eco-Clima team developed a lightweight, heat-insulating green roof made from recycled materials.

03:32It's still a prototype, but it's meant to set an example.

03:36It was installed on the home of sisters Soraya and Sayonara Claudino.

03:41We wanted to create a green roof that's light and affordable,

03:47where you can grow edible plants or tea, and that's tailored to local needs.

03:53The most important feature is its ability to insulate against heat.

03:59Our roofs and the houses underneath get extremely hot.

04:05But I'm really hopeful that next summer will be much cooler,

04:11and that the green roof will really work, and give us some real relief.

04:23Compared to the neighboring house, we saw a temperature drop of one and a half degrees Celsius in the first few months after installation.

04:30Even the garbage collection avoids the favelas out of fears of violence.

04:40Trash piles up everywhere.

04:44And after every heavy rainfall, flooding occurs, because the drains are clogged.

04:51Waste management underpins many of the problems we face in the favela.

04:58Trash causes flooding and disease. Burning it pollutes the air.

05:04So waste disposal is key to solving bigger issues.

05:11Another initiative is wastewater treatment.

05:14So far, there's none for the 140,000 residents of this comunidade.

05:19So, together with university students, they built a small biotreatment plant, also a prototype.

05:26It treats wastewater in several stages.

05:30The pre-treated water flows through a bed of wetland plants,

05:35where roots and microbes filter out remaining pollutants.

05:39Environmental technician Ana Maria Herrera takes regular water samples.

05:46The impact of this small system is hard to measure.

05:51But the goal goes beyond that.

05:54The aim of the project is to get the attention of the government and authorities,

06:07to improve sanitation in the favela.

06:13Right now, less than 5% of wastewater from Rio's favelas is treated.

06:18The rest flows untreated straight into Guanabara Bay.

06:23The EcoClima project was funded by the semi-public oil company Petrobras.

06:28They're even planning to drill for oil in the Amazon soon.

06:32But with no public funding available, environmental NGOs can't afford to be picky about where the money comes from.

06:39It's a mistake to think there are more urgent problems in the favela than climate change.

06:48Rights like education and healthcare can only be secured if we always keep the climate issue in mind.

06:54We also have rights for climate change.

06:57Rian, Giné and others involved in the favela projects are hoping that things will finally change.

07:03Rian, Giné and others involved in the favela projects are hoping that things will change.

07:04Rian, Giné and others involved in the favela projects are hoping that things will change.

07:08Rian, Giné and others involved in the favela projects are abide by Schalee & others involved in the favela projects.

07:18Bryan accidents.

07:19Rian, Giné and others involved in the favela projects that are often found in the favela projects.

07:22Rian, Giné and others involved in the favela province.

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