How Rio’s Favelas Use Environmental Memories to Build Climate Resilience
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📰 The quick summary: A new exhibition in Rio de Janeiro documents environmental memories from favela residents to help communities prepare for climate disasters by reconnecting them with their past relationship to nature and water.
📈 One key stat: In January last year, an unprecedented flood in Acari favela invaded the homes of 20,000 people, highlighting the increasing severity of climate impacts on informal settlements.
💬 One key quote: “It’s counterproductive to criminalise a huge portion of humanity because they are addressing their basic need for shelter by living informally,” says Williamson.
1️⃣ The big picture: A new exhibition called Favela Climate Memory is highlighting how Rio de Janeiro’s informal settlements relate to their environment through collected stories from over 400 residents across 10 favelas. The exhibition documents how these communities have transformed from areas with clean rivers and natural surroundings into densely populated neighborhoods facing increasing climate threats like flooding. By reviving memories of how favelas once interacted with nature, organizers hope to strengthen community resilience and push for climate justice. The exhibition also reveals how these communities, home to nearly 20% of Rio’s residents, have historically been marginalized by authorities who use environmental disasters as reasons to relocate them further from the city center.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The exhibition creates a valuable historical record that fills critical gaps in climate data from poor urban settlements, often overlooked in policies that focus on major biomes like the Amazon. By documenting environmental memories, communities gain tools to advocate for themselves and hold authorities accountable for neglect that has contributed to their vulnerability. The collective approach brings together residents from separate favelas who discover their shared experiences and build solidarity across Rio’s scattered communities. This project demonstrates how cultural memory serves as a form of resistance against systematic erasure, helping communities reconnect with their environmental heritage and develop more sustainable relationships with their surroundings.
3️⃣ What’s next: Organizers hope the historical data gathered will support climate adaptation efforts specifically tailored to favelas’ needs. Community leaders like Leonardo Souza are already taking action, such as planting 1,000 trees in Santa Cruz to combat extreme heat. As climate impacts intensify, preserving memories becomes increasingly important to prevent the loss of cultural heritage and maintain community identity during future disasters.
Read the full story here: The Guardian – How memories of clean water, frogs and fresh air could help save Rio’s favelas from future climate disaster
