Kenya and the Global Community Celebrate World Habitat Day
On Monday October 3rd, United Nations member states from around the globe celebrated World Habitat Day. Officially organized by the UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), the annual event creates a forum for countries to celebrate and share their successful initiatives in providing shelter, basic services and facilities to their populations.
This year’s theme, ‘Cities and Climate Change,’ focused on the link between the growing global population, urbanization and climate change. Currently, populations in many large cities worldwide have been increasing more quickly than the expansion of infrastructure and services. As a result, natural resources are overused leading to adverse effects on the environment. In his written address for the event, UN General-Secretary Ban Ki-moon explained that experts predict the world’s population in the year 2050 will have increased by 50 percent from what it was in 1999. He urged that efforts be made to protect the environment during the creation of settlements. 
For Kenya, the celebrations took place at the Kenyatta Sports Grounds in Kisumu at an event hosted by the Ministry of Housing. The Ministry organized several events including: tree planting, exhibitions, sports tournaments, clean up exercises, processional bands, entertainment and speeches. Similar events were also held in Nairobi. Speeches during the Kisumu programs raised the issue of using environmentally sound building materials while constructing homes. NACHU staff joined the informal settlement clean-up exercise and set up a booth for the exhibition.
Also included in the Kisumu ceremony was a moment of silence for the late Professor Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist and Nobel Laureate who passed away September 26 at the age of 71. Maathai was a Kenyan heroine due to her promotion of forest conservation and was subsequently awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2004. Her message echoes the focus of this year’s World Habitat Day theme: By working towards environmental protection, the future of human settlements will be safer and more sustainable. 
The Kenyan population is projected to reach 38.8 million in 2012, with 12.3 million people living in urban centers. Lack of adequate shelter has been increasing in Kenya, resulting in the development of informal settlements, environmental degradation, and insecurity. The aim of UN-HABITAT, along with its partners, is to address the lack of housing through an environmentally sustainable approach. To learn more about World Habitat Day, the issues surrounding housing and the projects to address climate change, information can be found at:
United Nations Habitat www.unhabitat.org
Ministry of Housing www.housing.go.ke
