Rio de Janeiro’s favelas house over 20% of the city’s population in just 5% of its territory, with Rio das Pedras emerging as a critical case study: ranking as Brazil’s fifth most populous favela and its most vertically intensified. This study quantifies how uncontrolled vertical growth in informal settlements disrupts microclimate dynamics, directly impacting thermal comfort. Using high-resolution geospatial analytics, we integrated digital surface models (DSMs) derived from LiDAR and photogrammetric data (2013, 2019, and 2024) with microclimatic simulations to assess urban morphology changes and their thermal effects. A spatiotemporal cadastral analysis tracked vertical expansion (new floors) and demolition patterns, while ENVI-met simulations mapped air temperature anomalies across decadal scenarios. Results reveal two key findings: (1) rapid, unregulated construction has significantly altered local airflow and surface energy balance, exacerbating the urban heat island (UHI) effect; (2) microclimatic simulations consistently recorded elevated temperatures, with the most pronounced impacts in densely built zones. These findings underscore the need for public policies to mitigate such negative effects observed in informal settlement areas.

This study presents an initial evaluation of the heuristic landslide susceptibility map for the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro by comparing it with the official landslide inventory. The objective is to provide a first analysis of the accuracy of the current map (Reference Map), which was developed using heuristic methods, in contrast with a basic predictive model based on Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). The study includes a critical review of the existing inventory and examines landslide records from 2010 to 2016, using georeferenced data provided by the GeoRio Foundation. Data from 2017 and 2018 are used for a preliminary test of the model. Rather than proposing a replacement, this study suggests that even simple data-driven models can offer useful insights into potential improvements in the reference susceptibility map. The results are exploratory and intended to inform future, more detailed analyses. While limited in scope, this work illustrates how quantitative approaches may complement existing methods in landslide prediction assessment.

In Brazil, approximately 16.4 million people (8.1% of the population) live in informal settlements (favelas), with Rio de Janeiro among the most heavily affected. This situation results from rapid rural–urban migration and unplanned urbanization, leading to persistent land tenure conflicts, exemplified by the decades-long struggle in the Santa Luzia favela. This study demonstrates how participatory geospatial methodologies can support land regularization while preventing displacement. Unlike conventional participatory mapping studies that often prioritize community empowerment over technical precision or, conversely, state-led cadastres that prioritize accuracy over local participation, this study integrates two complementary frameworks: counter-cartographies (to redress power asymmetries) and fit-for-purpose land administration (to ensure minimal technical standards for tenure security). Through a university–community collaboration, a low-cost cadastral survey of Santa Luzia was conducted using remotely piloted aircraft photogrammetry to generate high-resolution orthoimagery (2 cm ground sample distance), GIS vectorization integrated with resident interviews and local knowledge, and spatial analysis compliant with local technical standards. The findings demonstrate three specific innovations: (1) methodological: volunteer students and community residents co-produced cartography achieving 2 cm precision, meeting legal requirements for land regularization without expensive professional surveys; (2) participatory: unlike purely community-led mapping that may lack legal enforceability or top-down systems that exclude local knowledge, this model embeds participatory data collection within Brazil’s Social Interest Regularization (REURB-S) framework, ensuring both grassroots legitimacy and state recognition; and (3) policy-making: the project operationalizes counter-cartographies not as symbolic resistance but as a legally compliant pathway to tenure security, offering a transferable model for democratizing land administration in informal settlements while challenging exclusionary urban planning.

À medida que a geoinformação se digitaliza e a atuação estatal na produção de dados geoespaciais diminui, a responsabilidade pela geração de mapas e de sistemas de informação geográfica recai majoritariamente sobre a iniciativa privada, mediante contratos. Tal cenário impõe grandes desafios à fiscalização e aos órgãos de controle. Este artigo tem como objetivo central analisar as principais normas brasileiras de controle de qualidade referentes à aquisição e à disponibilização de dados geoespaciais, para delas extrair critérios objetivos que possam ser utilizados na fiscalização de contratos e na aplicação da geoinformação na gestão pública. Como objetivo secundário, busca-se apresentar casos práticos de aplicação dessas normas e orientações para auditores e fiscais, por meio de experimentos de fácil replicação por servidores públicos. A pesquisa adotou metodologia documental e aplicada, com propósito explicativo e abordagem qualitativa. Os resultados demonstraram variações relevantes na adequação dos produtos geoespaciais adquiridos pelo poder público e reforçaram a necessidade de observância das normas, para melhorar a qualidade dos dados geoespaciais utilizados na tomada de decisão, na elaboração de contrato e na fiscalização de serviço especializado que gera e dissemina geoinformação. Portanto, a contribuição do estudo não se destina a especialistas, mas dirige-se, sobretudo, a usuários e gestores públicos envolvidos em atividades de fiscalização e auditoria.