Refers to reducing the degree or intensity of greenhouse-gas emissions.

The level of loss a society or community considers acceptable given existing social, economic, political, cultural, technical and environmental conditions. In engineering terms, acceptable risk is […]

A process under which entities have to demonstrate that they have the ability to manage the Green Climate Fund (GCF) resources in accordance with standards and […]

An institution accredited by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board to access funding from the GCF, these institutions will go through a process of accreditation, designed […]

A washout of an excessive concentration of acidic compounds in the atmosphere, resulting from chemical pollutants such as sulphur and nitrogen compounds. When deposited these increase […]

The AWG-KP was established in 2005 by Parties to the Kyoto Protocol in Montreal to consider further commitments of industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol for […]

The AWG-LCA was established in Bali in 2007 to conduct negotiations on a strengthened international deal on climate change.

Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

Adjustments to ecological, social and economic systems in such a manner as to build resilience of human communities and natural ecosystems so as to moderate or […]

The Adaptation Committee was established by the Conference of the Parties as part of the Cancun Agreements to promote the implementation of enhanced action on adaptation […]

The Adaptation Fund was established to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable and are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. […]

A collection of airborne particles. The term has also come to be associated, erroneously, with the propellant used in aerosol sprays.

Planting of new forests on lands that historically have not contained forests.

A group of countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975. The groupÕs main objectives are sustainable […]

The sector of an economy that includes crop production, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, and forestry.

A hazard that can be expected to have its primary impact on crops or livestock. (includes pests, diseases and some environmental and chemical hazards).

The movement of passengers and / or goods by aircraft.

Message that advises people and organisations when an event is expected to affect a community, area or facility in the near future and that they should […]

An ad hoc coalition of low-lying and island countries. These nations are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and share common positions on climate change. The […]

Annex I of the FCCC lists the countries who were members of the OECD in 1992, 11 countries undergoing the process of transition to a market […]

The industrialized countries listed in Annex I to the Convention, which committed to returning their greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000 as per […]

The countries listed in Annex II to the Convention which have a special obligation to provide financial resources and facilitate technology transfer to developing countries. Annex […]

Greenhouse-gas emissions resulting from human activities.

An article of the Convention stating the specific commitments of developed-country (Annex I) Parties only — notably that they would take measures aimed at returning greenhouse-gas […]

A committee providing international oversight of Òtrack-twoÓ joint implementation projects. Joint implementation projects are carried out by sponsoring and recipient developed countries under Article 6 of […]

A region-wide, Asia-Pacific multilateral forum for official consultations on peace and security issues. Its objectives are to foster constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security […]

A multilateral economic and trade forum for 21 member economies that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. APEC members jointly work towards the establishment of […]

A regional development bank founded in 1966 to facilitate economic development in Asia and the Pacific. ADB assists developing member countries to evolve into thriving modern […]

An independent non-governmental organization that works closely with local, national and regional governments, governmental and non-governmental organizations, donors and development partners, to deploy disaster risk management […]

The Center is based in Japan and comprises 30 member and 5 advisor countries. It aims to enhance disaster resilience of the member countries, to build […]

A political and economic organisation of 10 Southeast Asian member states. With a regional approach it aims to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution […]

Contamination of the atmosphere by large quantities of gases, solids and radiation produced by the burning of natural and artificial fuels, chemicals and other industrial processes […]

The central body responsible for representing fire, emergency services and land management agencies in the Australasian region. AFAC comprises of 34 full members and 13 affiliate […]

A senior officials group comprising representatives from the Australian Commonwealth, state and territory governments, the Australian Local Government Association and New Zealand. It works to strengthen […]

Prior to October 2013, was an executive Australian Government Agency responsible for managing AustraliaÕs overseas aid program. It is now integrated into the Department of Foreign […]

A professional association and industrial organisation for commercial pilots in Australia. It aims to represent and promote the interests of Australian professional flight crew and to […]

A statutory authority established under the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990.ÊIt is responsible, on behalf of the Commonwealth Government of Australia, for the regulation and […]

A centralised Rescue Coordination centre based in Canberra, Australia, which coordinates AustraliaÕs civil search and rescue activities.

APCEDI was previously a service of AFAP – the Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific and FSPI – the Foundation for the […]

The Australian/New Zealand Standard for risk management was prepared by the Joint Standards Australia/Standards New Zealand Committee OB/7 on Risk Management. It is from AS/NZS 4360:1990 […]

Included in the Bali Road Map, agreed at the Conference of the Parties in Bali, Indonesia in 2007 (COP13), introduced AWG-LCA.

The Bali Road Map was adopted at the 13th Conference of the Parties and the 3rd Meeting of the Parties in December 2007 in Bali. The […]

A programme specific to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that comprehensively addresses the economics, environmental, and social development vulnerabilities facing small islands as well as outlining […]

Adopted at COP-1, the mandate that launched negotiations leading to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol.

Business and industry non-governmental organisations.

The total weight or volume of organisms in a given area or volume.

A fuel produced from dry organic matter or combustible oils produced by plants. These fuels are considered renewable as long as the vegetation producing them is […]

Informal term for a political deal reached at COP-6 in Bonn, Germany, in 2001, by which governments agreed on the most politically controversial issues under the […]

A special UNFCCC fund for contributions from the Government of Germany to cover costs of UNFCCC events held in Bonn.

A proposal by the delegation of Brazil made in May 1997 as part of the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol. It included a formula to set […]

Ordinances and regulations controlling the design, construction, materials, alteration and occupancy of any structure for safety, welfare and integrity. Building codes include both technical and functional […]

A term used to refer to fuels consumed for international marine and air transport.

Australia’s national weather, climate and water Executive Government Agency. It is responsible for providing services and expertise to assist the Australian region and Antarctic Territory in […]

A combination of all the strengths and resources available within a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or the effects of […]

In the context of climate change, the process of developing the technical skills and institutional capability in developing countries and economies in transition to enable them […]

Efforts aimed to develop human skills within a community or organization needed to reduce the level of risk. In extended understanding, capacity building also includes development […]

An inter-agency initiative of UNDP/BCPR,ÊOCHA and the UNISDR secretariat. CADRI’s mission is to advance knowledge of, and strengthen sustainable capacity development for, disaster risk reduction worldwide.

The term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere and geological deposits.

A popular (but misleading) term for a trading system through which countries may buy or sell units of greenhouse-gas emissions in an effort to meet their […]

The process of removing carbon from the atmosphere and depositing it in a reservoir.

An institution that coordinates the Caribbean regionÕs response to climate change. It is primarily concerned with maintaining a repository of climate change information and data and […]

An agency focused on disaster management organisation which serves the Caribbean Community. Its main function is to make an immediate and coordinated response to any disastrous […]

A capacity development programme launched by UNDP and designed to build capacity across the Caribbean region for the management of climate-related risk. It is a platform […]

A collection of 27 countries seeking ambitious outcomes from the UNFCCC process and low carbon domestic output. Founded in 2010. Participating countries include Antigua and Barbuda, […]

Convention on Biological Diversity.

A non-profit research institution of the UniversitŽ catholique de Louvain (UCL). CRED has been active for over thirty years in the fields of international disasterÊand conflict […]

A Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO2 equivalent. CERs are issued for emission reductions from CDM project activities. Two special types of […]

Chlorofluorocarbon.

See Methane.

A comprehensive hazard and risk management tool and/or process within the context of an integrated national development planning network/process.

Pollution of soil, water or air by chemical substances that may have an adverse effect on organic life or the environment.

A group of chemical compounds used in industry and in the household, of which the excessive and universal use is believed to be one of the […]

An emergency caused by the breakdown of normal law and order or the civil processes.

A New Zealand Ministry which provides policy advice to government, supports CDEM planning and operations, ensures there is coordination at local, regional and national levels, and […]

A riot, violent protest, demonstration or illegal assembly that may affect public safety.

An Australian Government department that develops and implements policies and programmes that ensure AustraliaÕs agricultural, fisheries, food and forestry industries remain competitive, profitable and sustainable. This […]

A mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol through which developed countries may finance greenhouse-gas emission reduction or removal projects in developing countries, and receive credits for doing […]

Climate is usually defined as the “average weather”, or more rigorously, as the statistical description of the weather in terms of the mean and variability of […]

The long-term significant change in the average weather for a region.

A change in an average weather condition in addition to natural climate variability observed over a comparable period, generally of 30 years, which is attributed directly […]

A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition […]

Climate change as referred to in the observational record of climate occurs because of internal changes within the climate system or in the interaction between its […]

In IPCC reports, climate sensitivity usually refers to the long-term (equilibrium) change in global mean surface temperature following a doubling of atmospheric CO2 (or equivalent CO2) […]

Carbon dioxide.

The enhancement of plant growth as a result of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration.

A voluntary grouping of largely developing nations with rainforests which addresses issues surrounding environmental sustainability specific to tropical rainforests. Participation does not necessarily imply that countries […]

The removal of earth from coasts by meteorological, hydrological or human action.

Standardized format for reporting estimates of greenhouse-gas emissions and removals and other relevant information by Annex I Parties.

A senior Australian interdepartmental committee which may be activated during the response and recovery phase of a disaster. It comprises representatives of Commonwealth Government departments and […]

The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium

áÊÊÊÊÊ The district or locality in which people live. áÊÊÊÊÊ A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government. áÊÊÊÊÊ A […]

The extent to which a defined group of people has been informed of, and has understood, information about a particular topic.

A methodology or approach that seeks to build on existing community coping mechanisms and adaptation capacities. It also aims to build local resilience.

Managing disaster risk by increasing local capacity and resilience and reducing vulnerability to natural hazards. The approach engages the local community in managing local disaster risk […]

A scientific programme of the International Social Science Council (ISSC) aiming to produce critical knowledge for understanding, eradicating and preventing poverty. It is structured as a […]

Complex emergencies combine internal conflict with large-scale displacements of people, mass famine or food shortage, and fragile or failing economic, political, and social institutions. Often, complex […]

Fulfilment by countries/businesses/individuals of emission reduction and reporting commitments under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.

A committee that helps faciitate, promote and enforce compliance with the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. It has 20 members with representation spread among various regions, […]

A comprehensive hazard and risk management tool for use within an integrated national development planning process. It aims to facilitate greater collaboration between risk reduction projects […]

The supreme body of the Convention. It currently meets once a year to review the Convention’s progress. The word “conference” is not used here in the […]