Srilanka, Oct. 3 -- At first glance, the answer seems straightforward. A home is a place with walls, a roof, a door and a space where a family can live. But in today's rapidly changing world, that definition is no longer sufficient.

A house may provide shelter, but is it really an adequate home if the family cannot afford to maintain it? Can we call a house adequate if it is located in a flood-prone area, far from schools and hospitals, without reliable public transport or safe roads? These questions are becoming increasingly important as countries struggle with rising housing costs, rapid urbanisation, population change, environmental degradation and the growing impacts of climate change.

It is against this background that World Habit...