View of Rio from mountains.
Goldie Aronson."Mountain view of Rio."
Goldie Aronson."Mountain view of Rio."
Botanical garden in Rio.
"Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden."Wikimedia Commons.Web |
ZikaZika, a mosquito-borne virus, is spreading rapidly throughout the southern hemisphere and in particular Brazil. Declared by the World Health Organization, it is an international public health emergency. Zika could have been initiated by global warming which links it to the microcephaly in babies. There have been vaccines created to prevent the spread of Zika.
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Polluted waterwaysOne major environmental issue in Rio is the pollution of the waterways. This has been going on for almost two decades because there is a lack of modern sanitation programs all throughout the modernized city. Tons of sewage is pumped into Guanabara Bay which is used daily and especially during the time of the Olympics. The government created a plan that installs eight treatment plants on the polluted rivers but they only followed through with one plant. They also promised to treat 80% of the water but have only treated 50% instead.
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Health and Air Pollution |
Generally speaking, Rio has good air and a healthy climate but, air pollution is an ongoing health concern. This is especially a concern in favelas which lack sanitation, healthy diets, and adequate health facilities. But the city as a whole has good hospitals and doctors with the needed supplies.
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