Rio reinvents itself a year ahead of the Summer Olympics

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.com/en/rio-reinvents-itself-a-year-ahead-of-the-summer-olympics/a-18624308

More than 50 years after losing its status as Brazil's capital, Rio de Janeiro is getting a boost to its confidence thanks to the 2016 Summer Olympics. The city is busy putting on its new best face.

Rio reinvents itself a year ahead of the Summer Olympics
Astrid Prange
03.08.2015

More than 200 athletes were gathered at the Copacabana, Rio's famous beach, to quality for participation in the triathlon. 40 kilometers of biking, a 10-kilometer marathon and 1.5 kilometers of swimming - the test run on the first weekend in August drew more Brazilians to the Copa than usual.

~snip~

Sewer sailing

But Rio's facelift is limited to land. The beaches, lagoons and most of all Guanabara Bay have to make do with cosmetic touches. The Bay the Portuguese discoverers mistakenly called the Rio de Janeiro is still a sewer into which some 80 to 100 tons of garbage are dumped every day.

Efforts over the past 22 years by international sponsors, like the World Bank and the Japanese government, to have the bay cleaned up have been unsuccessful. By 2016, about 80 percent of the sewage that runs into the bay was to be treated, but Rio mayor Eduardo Paes has already admitted that no more than half of the sewage is purified.

"Cleaning the Bay was one the most important goals when the city made its bid for the Games," says Valter Caldana, Director of Architecture and Urban Studies at Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo. The slow progress in that area casts a shadow on what is otherwise a successful balance. Now the plan is to set up floating barriers to block the garbage from entering the Bay, and send out ships to pull out the worst debris. Most likely, the 324 Olympic sailors from 34 countries can expect to fight for medals between black streaks, plastic garbage and feces.

[northoftheborder]

1. These Olympic swimmers should boycott the ocean water competitions

Sewage water for the Olympics??? Totally Unacceptable.