Hi friends, I am sharing my first article in this new term. I am sorry friends, due to my engagement in the research I could not come up with another article so sharing one of the interesting fact that I have come across while doing my research. What I used to think is cluster of people living in a land but this definition proved me wrong, please go through it, may be it is also new for you.

Human settlements are the important component of the urban environment, without the settlement any area cannot be regarded as urban. Since all the countries have taken human population as integral part of the urban definition it is also vital to address the settlement where this population reside. Hence it is important to understand the concept of human settlement in order to understand the urban processes and functions moreover understanding the issues of informal settlements. 

Vancouver declaration on Human settlement (1976) defined,

Human settlements means the totality of the human community - whether city, town or village - with all the social, material, organizational, spiritual and cultural elements that sustain it. The fabric of human settlements consists of physical elements and services to which these elements provide the material support. The physical components comprise,

Shelter, i.e. the superstructures of different shapes, size, type and materials erected by mankind for security, privacy and protection from the elements and for his singularity within a community

Infrastructure, i.e. the complex networks designed to deliver to or remove from the shelter people, goods, energy or information

Services cover those required by a community for the fulfilment of its functions as a social body, such as education, health, culture, welfare, recreation and nutrition. As cited in What is ?Human settlements??, 2013)

From the definition it is comprehendible that any human settlement must have enough shelter, services and infrastructure to support the life system of the population living in the area. However it is also important to understand that only adequate amount of these services and infrastructures will help in supporting life system of human otherwise the population will be bound to live in vulnerable condition without enjoying access to basic needs of human beings which is the exiting scenario in the squatters and slums of the world. ( ).

Vancouver declaration has also identified human settlement as an indicator, in that they are the most visible expression of a society's ability to satisfy some of the fundamental needs of its members. The efficient settlements are also the fundamental requirement of sustainable economy and social progress. (What is ?Human Settlements??, 2013).