Changing Populations, Global Climate Change, Global Resource Consumption and Security Vocabulary

Mandated Themes

North/South Divide

The increasing inequality in levels of development between the North and the South or between HICs and LICs

Development gap

Widening difference between development levels in more-developed and less-developed countries.

OPEC

An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum.

The G7/G8

A group of the world's wealthiest and most powerful countries. G7 stands for "Group of Seven" industrialized nations. It used to be known as the G8 (Group of Eight) until 2014 when Russia was excluded because of its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

The G10 or Paris Club

A group representing the wealthiest members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Adaptation

Initiatives and measures to reduce the vulnerability of human and natural systems to climate change.

Albedo

The amount of incoming solar energy reflected back into the atmosphere by the Earth's surface.

Anthropogenic

Human-induced changes on the natural environment

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Rising global temperatures due to greenhouse gases being put into the atmosphere because of human activities

Global warming

A gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.

Greenhouse effect

The trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface.

Mitigation

Attempts to reduce the causes of climate change.

Resilience

The ability of a population or a human or natural system to absorb change without having to make a fundamental change.

Vulnerability

The degree to which a human or natural system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change

Biocapacity

The land and water to provide resources for humanity.

Energy Security

Having access to enough reliable and affordable energy sources to meet one's needs.

Food security

People's ability to access sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

Nexus

The interrelationship, interdependence and interactions between water, food and energy.

Virtual Water

Water that is not directly consumed but is used to produce food and other products.

Water security

Continuing access to safe drinking water and sanitation