World Habitat Day 2022 – October 3

The United Nations (UN)’s World Habitat Day (WHD) is annually observed across the globe on the first Monday of October to highlight the importance of habitat for mankind and to remind people that they are responsible for the habitat of future generations.

• The WHD 2022 was observed on 3rd October 2022.
• Theme for World Habitat Day 2022 is ‘’Mind the Gap. Leave No One and No Place Behind’’.
• The WHD 2021 was observed on 4th October 2021.
• The WHD 2023 will be observed on 2nd October 2023.

The focus is on the growing inequalities and challenges in cities and human settlements.

i.World Habitat Day 2022  draws attention to the growing inequalities and vulnerabilities, exacerbated by the triple ‘C’ crises — COVID-19, Climate and Conflict.

ii.For WHD 2022, the global observance took place on 3 October 2022 in Balikesir, Republic of Turkiye (Turkey).

Background:

i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/40/202 on 17th December 1985 and decided to observe the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day.

• The first-ever World Habitat day was celebrated in 1986 under the theme ” Shelter is my right “. It was hosted by Nairobi, Kenya.

The Habitat Scroll of Honour award:

i.It was launched by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UNHSP) in 1989. It is considered as the most prestigious human settlements award in the world.

ii.It aims to acknowledge initiatives for outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction, and developing and improving the human settlements and the quality of urban life.

Winners of the 2022 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award:

• 15’min City Global Initiative
• Stanley Anigbogu, Nigeria
• Dipti Mahapatro, from Bhubaneswar (Odisha), India
• Programa Parceria, Recife, Brazil
• URBAN Intergroup of the European Parliament
• Special Citation: United Cities and Local Governments, UCLG

Significance:

i.According to the UN-Habitat’s World Cities Report, the number of people affected was between 119 and 124 million in 2020, and between 143 and 163 million in 2021.

• World Habitat Day is observed to advocate the basic right to shelter.

ii.The day also helps bring to light the need for keeping a check on the environment due to ongoing urbanization.

iii.It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of human habitat.