Glossary


Following is a selection of frequently used terms, acronyms, and initials used in international environmental affairs.

 

A useful multilingual glossary of environmental terms is on the Web site of the  European Environment Agency. The Environmental Terminology Discovery Service is at http://glossary.eea.europa.eu

 


Agenda 21:  Program of action adopted by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

Agroforestry:  An ecologically based natural resource management system in which trees are integrated in farmland and rangeland

ASEAN:  Association of Southeast Asian Nations

CGIAR: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

CI: Conservation International

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (UNEP)

Commonwealth: An association of the United Kingdom and other sovereign countries that are former British territories or protectorates (see Commonwealth Secretariat, listed in Part 3)

Convention: a formal agreement among governments

CSD: Commission on Sustainable Development (UN)

Development: In an international context, refers to improving the economic and social conditions of poorer countries; see also Sustainable development

ECA: Economic Commission for Africa (UN)

ECE: Economic Commission for Europe (UN)

ESCAP:  Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN)

ESCWA: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN)

EU: European Union

FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations

GIS: geographic information system

Habitat: United Nations Centre for Human Settlements

IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency (UN)

ICSU: International Council for Science

IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development
(UN)

IIED: International Institute for Environment and
Development

ILO: International Labour Organization (UN)

IMO: International Maritime Organization (UN)

INTECOL: International Association for Ecology

IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
(Unesco)

IUBS: International Union of Biological Sciences

IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature (legally International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). For a number of years, ending on 10 March 2008, it used the awkward names "IUCN – The World Conservation Union," and then "The World Conservation Union (IUCN)."

MAB: Man and the Biosphere Programme (of Unesco)

NGO: Non-governmental organization

North:  In an international context, refers to the richer, industrialized countries of the world

OAS: Organization of American States

OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development

Ramsar Convention: Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat

Sahel: Region of Africa, a semiarid band south of the Sahara Desert stretching from Senegal to Egypt 

SCOPE: Scientific Committee on Problems of the
Environment (of ICSU)

South: In an international context, refers to the less-developed countries of the world

Sustainable development: "Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems" (Caring for the Earth, IUCN/WWF/UNEP, 1991)

TNC: The Nature Conservancy

TRAFFIC:  A wildlife trade monitoring group sponsored by IUCN and WWF

UN:  United Nations

UNCED:  United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ("Earth Summit"), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992

UNCTAD:  United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development

UNDP: United Nations Development Programme

UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme

Unesco: United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization

UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund

UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development
Organization

UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training and
Research

UNU: United Nations University

USAID: United States Agency for International
Development

WCED: World Commission on Environment and
Development ("Brundtland Commission")

WCMC: World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP)

WFP: World Food Programme (UN)

WHO:  World Health Organization (UN)

WMO: World Meteorological Organization (UN)

WSSD: World Summit on Sustainable Development (UN), Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002

WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF - The Conservation Organization (known as World Wildlife Fund in certain countries)

 


 

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