The theme of this year’s World Habitat Day, Cities and Climate Change, is chosen because climate change is fast becoming the preeminent development challenge of the 21st century.  With most of humanity now living in towns and cities, the greatest impacts of disasters resulting from climate change begin and end in cities.  This is also the subject of UN-HABITAT’s 2011 Global Report of Human Settlements

Mexico has offered to host this year’s Global Observance of World Habitat Day on 3 October 2011.  The city where the celebrations will be held will be announced soon

The Scroll of Honour, the most prestigious United Nations Human Settlements award will this year be presented in Mexico on World Habitat Day. Nominate and submit your best practice before 31 July 2011. The Scroll, established in 1989, has so far awarded 173 best practices around the world

With your support, 2010 saw a record 240 World Habitat Day celebrations around the world - a two-fold increase from the previous year. We need to do more to increase awareness of urban issues – tell us how you plan to celebrate this October at whd@unhabitat.org so that we can support and publicize your event.