The first Monday of October is World Habitat Day, established by the United Nations in 1985.
This day invites us to reflect on the state of cities and towns globally and to promote the right of each person to decent housing.
By 2024, the theme “Engaging Youth to Create a Better Urban Future” focuses on the essential role youth play in designing and planning sustainable and resilient communities.
More than 85% of the world’s youth population resides in developing countries, according to UN data, so it is essential to involve this new generation in the planning of sustainable cities.
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this figure is expected to rise to 70% by 2050, with growth concentrated mainly in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Cities, which generate more than 80% of the world’s GDP, have enormous potential as engines of economic development.
However, this urban growth also presents significant challenges, particularly in the context of climate change and natural disasters, which disproportionately affect young populations.
In 2021, for example, 2.6 million people in Africa were affected by climate disasters, with young women bearing the brunt of it.
Events such as the recent floods in Kenya, which affected more than 60 schools and 15,000 young people, reinforce the urgent need to develop resilient cities, where young people can be part of the solutions and contribute to creating a safer and more sustainable urban environment for all.
Along these lines, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), through the Climate Generation initiative, seeks to promote the participation of Spanish youth in global climate action.
This third edition aims to make visible the voice of the new generations at international climate summits, such as the upcoming Climate Summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The selected young people will contribute innovative proposals on topics such as biodiversity, eco-anxiety, traditional agricultural practices and the inclusion of rural youth in climate policies.
In this way, Generation Climate COP29 aligns with the theme of World Habitat Day and highlights the crucial role of young people in creating a more just, equitable and resilient future in the face of climate change.