Geoinformation in the formulation of public policies to reduce vulnerability: an analysis of Territórios Sociais Program in the Rocinha favela.

Abstract

Geoinformation plays a strategic role in the formulation and management of public policies, by favoring the territorialized analysis of the population’s living conditions. Within the scope of the Territórios Sociais Program, georeferenced data, obtained through active outreach, point to patterns of vulnerability that reveal internal inequalities in the mapped areas. Rocinha – the largest favela in Brazil, according to the latest demographic census of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) – is one of the 1,072 favelas in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, and, like the others, presents inadequate infrastructure conditions, housing standards, and limitations in access to basic social rights. However, each locality has specificities that need to be considered. Furthermore, the identified problems are not homogeneous across the territory, manifesting themselves in different ways in different areas of the same community. Knowledge of the spatial location of these vulnerabilities supports more assertive decision-making, guiding focused actions that promote social inclusion.