The colorful community of Dona Marta is an example of Rio's true charm. Pedro Kirilos / Riotur

More than just a simple eyesore, the slums that house more than one-third of Rio de Janeiro's population pose a great challenge for city leaders as they prepare to host the next World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.

These favelas, as they are known in Brazil, are not only an unsightly legacy of the poverty that Rio has long struggled with, they are also potentially a public safety threat to visitors.

Rio may never fully escape the image of poverty and crime that has always existed side by side with the city's prosperity and natural beauty.

However, local authorities have been actively working to make these areas safe for all. Their names have even been changed to "communities" rather than favelas to reflect a real shift that is underway.

With the two upcoming events in mind, authorities have decided to widen what is called a security perimeter around the residential and tourist areas of the city.

This perimeter would allow special police units to move into the blighted areas and bring order when necessary.

These special units were formed in 2008, and more than 19 have been established since. With 21 more planned before the start of the 2014 World Cup, the authorities hope to have targeted and pacified at least 40 of the worst areas.

It has been a high-risk strategy, but the returns are equally high.

The crime rate has already dropped, with violent crime falling by more than 50 percent in recent years.

Once violent criminals are cleared out of the slums, the city government can clean up as well as provide basic health and sanitation services to improve the area.

(China Daily 04/30/2012 page12)