World Habitat Day is marked on the first Monday of October each year, and is recognized by the
United Nations to reflect on the state of
towns and
cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate
shelter. The day is also intended to remind the world that everyone has the power and the responsibility to shape the future of towns and cities. World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 in
Nairobi,
Kenya, and the theme chosen for that year was "Shelter is My Right".
The United Nations General Assembly decided that this should be an annual event and the first Monday of October was chosen. The day is celebrated in many countries around the world and various activities are organized to examine the problems of rapid
urbanisation and its impact on the environment and human
poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
.
Annual themes for World Habitat Day have been diverse and have included "Shelter for the Homeless", "Our Neighbourhood", "Safer Cities," "Women in Urban Government," Cities without Slums" and "Water and Sanitation for Cities."
UN Habitat makes plain the need to plan cities in order to avoid the chaotic development of
urban sprawl and all the associated problems that are created as a result.
Cities are engines of growth. Many people from
rural areas globally long to move to cities to realize their dreams of a better life. Often this dream is not realized, but people continue to flock to cities for no other reason than a vague promise of a better future and prosperity.
A well-planned city can bring just that. Cities can be centres for economic activities and urban challenges can be addressed and opportunities can continue to be afforded to both current and future residents. Those who are successful succeed in getting jobs or starting their own businesses, which in turn creates more
employment
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...
opportunities.
On the other hand, cities can also become a setting in which
marginalisation,
inequality and
social exclusion can abound. Access to adequate housing is an important factor in ensuring this is avoided.
Another major issue is the ever-increasing risk posed by natural disasters as the climate crisis continues to develop. This risk is particularly significant in the
Caribbean Region and
Central America, where countries such as
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
,
Nicaragua,
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
and
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
have higher levels of poverty and where their cities are exceptionally vulnerable due to their population density and diversity.
High levels of population density, coupled with poor building techniques have given rise to
shanty towns that have no proper infrastructure, community organization or
security of tenure
Security of tenure is a term used in political science to describe a constitutional or legal guarantee that a political office-holder cannot be removed from office except in exceptional and specified circumstances.
Without security of tenure, an ...
. In the event of a disaster of any kind, a complete breakdown can result in a chaotic situation and enormous loss of life.
Habitat Scroll of Honour
The
UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award was launched by the
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) in 1989.
It is currently the most prestigious human settlements award in the world. Its aim is to acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction and developing and improving human settlements and the quality of urban life.
The award, a plaque engraved with the name of the winner and their achievement, is presented to the winners during the Global Observance of the World Habitat Day.
Previous World Habitat Days
See also
*
World Habitat Awards
References
{{Reflist
External links
UN-Habitat Urban October websiteIndonesian city of Surabaya to host the Global Observance of World Habitat Day 2020
Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)
Human habitats
Human settlement
Monday observances
October observances
United Nations days
United Nations Human Settlements Programme