World Habitat Day
- Sanduni Dissanayake
- Oct 11, 2022
- 2 min read
Each year the first Monday of October is declared as World Habitat Day, to reflect the state of our habitats and the right to adequate shelter. This day reminds us that we, "The People" have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns. The first celebration of World Habitat day was held in 1986 in Nairobi with the theme of "Shelter is My Right" by going through a critical path of achieving safer habitat for everyone. This year's theme decided as "Mind the Gap, Leave No One Behind".
"Mind the Gap, Leave No One Behind"
Today around 1.77 million people are living without shelter. The prevailing pandemic situation (COVID-19), climate change and conflict around the world (triple C' Crises) make this worse. As World Bank reports there are 56% (4.4 billion) of the global population live in cities and it is estimated that 2.5 billion more people will live in cities by 2050. With the rapid urbanization of the countries, more and more land will convert to industrial land use while raising the scarcity of houses in urban areas. Most cities around the world increasingly experience housing as one of the highest critical urban challenges. Many people are attracted to the cities to obtain jobs, education and higher living standers. But with the scarcity and higher price of housing, most of the middle class and lower class population compacted to the unauthorized, underserved settlements. The overcrowding leads to the massive growth of slums followed by misery, poverty, unemployment, exploitation and inequalities. Housing is a basic need and it has a clear interrelation with nature, man, society, and networks. Without this basic need of shelter- a house; it's difficult to create perfect links with other basic needs such as Food, Water, Sanitary and Education. Housing has to ensure access to a safe, secure, habitable and affordable home with freedom. Each government of countries are obliged to protect this right.
The Strategic Plan 2020-2023
UN-Habitat published the Strategic Plan for the period 2020 - 2023 with the vision of creating " a Better Quality of Life for All in Urbanizing World". The report discussed four main parts, respectively;
Reduced spatial inequality and poverty in communities across the urban - rural continuum;
Enhanced shared prosperity of cities and regions;
Strengthened climate action and improved urban environment; and
Effective urban crisis prevention and response.
For more information please refer: The Strategic Plan 2020-2023
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