World Habitat Day 2019: Date, Significance and Theme of the Day to Reflect the State of Human Settlements

World Habitat Day 2019 (Photo Credits: Un.org)

Every year, first Monday of October is celebrated as World Habitat Day. The purpose of this day is to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to sufficient shelter. WHD also intends to remind the people that they are responsible to shape the future of cities and towns for the next generations. World Habitat Day 2019 will be celebrated on October 7. This day was first celebrated in 1986 with the theme “Shelter is My Right”. Unplanned Urbanisation, Migration Pose Serious Development Challenges.

The theme for World Habitat Day 2019 is “Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth.” The focus of this year’s theme is supporting the aiding of “innovative frontier technologies to sustainable waste management to achieve Sustainable Development Goal.” From Global Warming to Pollution: What Will Happen To This Beautiful Blue Planet?

“Solutions begin with small steps individuals can take to alter the way our cities function. We must reduce the amount of waste we produce, and, at the same time, start seeing it as a valuable resource that can be re-used and recycled, including for energy,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

World Habitat Day is celebrated in several countries including India, China, Mexico, Poland, Uganda, and the United States. On this day, many activities are organised to review the problems of speedy urbanisation and its impact on the environment.

One of the important highlights of this day is “Habitat Scroll of Honour” award, the most prestigious human settlements award. It aims to recognise outstanding contributions in fields such as highlighting the plight of the homeless, shelter provision, and developing and improving the settlements and quality of urban life.