World Habitat Day is celebrated each year on the first Monday of October. It is celebrated every year to remind the world of its collective responsibility towards the habitat for future generations. This year will be no different. World Habitat Day 2011 will be held on 3rd October 2011 and the Global Celebration will be hosted by the Government of Mexico.  The theme for this year’s event is – Cities & Climate Change.
Over a period of six weeks, Habitat for Humanity will engage in a series of special activities to highlight the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter. The activities will begin on World Habitat Day, 3rd October and will conclude in November with the 28th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project in Haiti. The three primary events for this year’s event include:

• World Habitat Day: Habitat organizations of more than 40 countries around the world will organise local World Habitat Day events throughout October.
• Build Hope, An Evening Honoring Humanitarian Leadership: An evening event with dinner, entertainment and remarks from special guests will be held on Thursday. October 6th in Washington, D.C. Build Hope will focus attention on World Habitat Day and will emphasize Habitat’s post disaster recovery work in Haiti. The event will also launch Habitat’s flagship annual event, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
• Habitat’s 28th Annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project: The event will be held in Haiti, during November 5-12, as the culmination of Habitat’s observance of World Habitat Day. Carter Work Project volunteers will build 100 earthquake-resistant homes in the city of Léogâne - considered to be the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake.

The Government of India will celebrate the World Habitat Day 2011 by organizing a day-long seminar. Other organizations involved are: The Housing and Urban Development Corporation, The National Housing Bank, The National Buildings Construction Corporation and The Buildings Materials Technology Promotion Council of India. The main event will be celebrated by the Government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty alleviation by organizing seminars. In addition, an essay competition is being organised on this year’s World Habitat Day, theme which ‘Cities and Climate Change’. A quiz contest is also organized by National Housing Bank. Several painting competitions are also being organised on the theme of the Day in schools all over the capital city, Delhi.
Along with the Government of India, many Indian Institutions and Organizations will also be proactive participants in the World Habitat 2011 celebrations. They are:

• The Centre for Built Environment, a centre for nonprofit society which holds an observer status in Climate Change Convention granted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change plans to observe World Habitat Day by organizing a seminar on Cities and Climate Change in Kolkata.
• The Institution of Engineers are organising a two day long Technical Seminar on the theme Cities and Climate Change in West Bengal State Centre. A cultural programme will also be arranged to give the celebration a colourful aspect. Among the invited guests is the Honorable Mayor of Kolkata. Different orphanages of Kolkata have also been invited to participate in the programme.
• The Institute for Regional Development Studies at Kanpur has planned to organise a seminar on the theme of World Habitat Day, Cities and Climate Change. The participants will be from various educational institutions, technical colleges, social workers, urban planners and policy architects. The main focus will be on multidimensional urban growth facing the grave challenges from climate change.
• As a part of Space Eco Literacy Campaign 2011, the State Institute of Urban Development will celebrate World Habitat Day at Mysore through awareness raising activities and campaigns.

All over the world Central Governments, Local Governments, Civil Society, the private sector and the media take part in organising activities to raise awareness and stimulate debate on sustainable urbanization, and this year’s theme – Cities and Climate Change.
Raise awareness in your community - organise a World Habitat Day event 2011