History, Theme and Significance
World Habitat Day is marked on the
first Monday of every October every year. The day is officially recognised by
the United Nations. The day is observed to acknowledge the state of our towns
and cities, and the basic right of all for adequate shelter. The day is meant
to remind the people about their power and responsibility to shape the future
of our cities.
The day was established in 1985 by the United
Nations and first time it was marked in 1986.
The theme for this year’s World Habitat Day is
Housing For All: A better Urban Future, and the global observance will be
hosted by Surabaya, in Indonesia. Themes
for previous World Habitat Days were "Shelter for the Homeless",
"Our Neighbourhood", "Safer Cities", "Women in Urban
Government", Cities without Slums" and "Water and Sanitation for
Cities".
Importance of a Safe Habitat
As the population of the world increases,
issues of space, climate change, and civic issues such as garbage management,
clean water availability, and public health have become pressing needs. Waste
management has become a headache for most cities. Most cities have a waste
management system, which is overworked and not adequate to manage the ever
growing population’s needs. A fully functional waste management system can have
a positive impact on climate change, public health, and the environment.
The Sustainable Development Goals
agenda prescribes inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities. Increase
in income inequality has also turned house buying into a luxury exercise in the
life of most people on earth. Every year thousands of people die because they
don’t have an adequate shelter to live. The news of homeless people in Delhi
dying because of the chilling cold in the winter season has become a routine
story for most of us.
Thus, it is important to address
the challenges facing the human population for a sustainable life.
Technology can play an important role in making our societies more inclusive. It has a great potential in changing how people live and work and accelerate efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.