Glossary & Acronyms
Glossary
Global Environmental Change (GEC) includes changes in the physical and biogeochemical environment, either caused naturally or influenced by human activities such as deforestation, fossil fuel consumption, urbanisation, land reclamation, agricultural intensification, freshwater extraction, fisheries over-exploitation and waste production.
Working within this broad definition of GEC, it is clear that GECAFS is concerned with more than just climate change. GECAFS, then, is set within the contexts of Earth System science and the Earth System Science Partnership, ESSP.
| Global Environmental Change (GEC) encompasses changes in biophysical environment caused naturally or caused (or strongly influenced) by human activities. These may either manifest at the global scale (e.g. increasing atmospheric CO2) or be occuring on a local scale but so widespread as to be a global phenomenon (e.g. soil degradation). GEC includes, for example, changes in: |
|
|
|
Food Systems encompass (i) activities related to the production, processing, distribution, preparation and consumption of food; and (ii) the outcomes of these activities contributing to food security (food availability, with elements related to production, distribution and exchange; food access, with elements related to affordability, allocation and preference; and food use, with elements related to nutritional value, social value and food safety). The outcomes also contribute to environmental and other securities (e.g. income). Interactions between and within biogeophysical and human environments influence both the activities and the outcomes (see figure).
Food security is underpinned by food systems. Food security is the state achieved when food systems operate such that ‘all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’ (FAO, 1996). Food security is diminished when food systems are stressed. This can be caused by a range of factors in addition to GEC (eg conflict, changes in international trade agreements and policies, HIV/AIDS) and may be particularly severe when these factors act in combination.
Acronyms
Acronym |
Expansion |
ADB |
Asian Development Bank |
AIMES |
Analysis, Integration and modelling of the Earth Systems |
APN |
Asia Pacific Network |
CARICOM |
Caribbean Community and Common Market |
CGIAR |
Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research |
CLiC |
Climate and Cryosphere |
CLIMAG |
Climate Prediction and Agriculture (of START) |
CLIVAR |
International Research Programme on Climate Variability and Predictability |
COST |
European Cooperation |
COTED |
CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development |
CPWF |
CGIAR Challenge Programme on Water and Food |
DEFRA |
UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
DFID |
UK Department for International Development |
DIVERSITAS |
Integrated Programme of Biodiversity Science |
DSS |
Decision Support System |
EEA |
European Environment Agency |
EEZ |
Exclusive Economic Zone |
EMBRAPA |
The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation |
ENSO |
El Niño Southern Oscillation |
ESF |
European Science Foundation |
ESRC |
UK Economic and Social Research Council |
ESSP |
Earth System Science Partnership (of IGBP, IHDP, WCRP & Diversitas) |
FAO |
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN |
FORMAS |
Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning |
GCP |
Global Carbon Project |
GEC |
Global Environmental Change |
GECAFS |
Global Environmental Change and Food Systems |
GECHH |
Global Environmental Change and Human Health |
GECHS |
Global Environmental Change and Human Security |
GEO |
Global Environment Outlook |
GEWEX |
Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment |
GIS |
Geographic Information Systems |
GLP |
Global Land Project |
GLOBEC |
Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics |
GWSP |
Global Water Systems Project |
IAHS |
International Association of Hydrological Sciences |
IAI |
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |
ICSECA |
International Contributions for Scientific, Educational and Cultural Activities |
ICSU |
International Council for Science |
IDF |
World Bank Institutional Development Fund |
IDGEC |
Institutional Dimensions of Global Environmental Change |
IFAD |
International Fund for Agricultural Development |
IFPRI |
International Food Policy Research Institute |
IGAC |
International Global Atmospheric Chemistry |
IGBP |
International Geosphere - Biosphere Programme |
IGFA |
International Group of Funding Agencies |
IGP |
Indo-Gangetic Plain |
IHDP |
International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change |
IIASA |
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis |
IIED |
International Institute for Environment and Development |
IISD |
International Institute for Sustainable Development |
IMBER |
Integrated Marine Biogeochemisty and Ecosystems Research |
IPCC |
Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change |
IPO |
International Project Office |
IRS |
Integrated Regional Studies (of ESSP) |
IT |
Industrial Transformation |
IWMI |
International Water Management Institute |
JSC |
Joint Scientific Committee (of WCRP) |
LESC |
ESF Standing Committee for Life and Environmental Sciences |
LOICZ II |
Land-Ocean Interactions in the Costal Zone |
LUCC |
Land Use / Cover Change (IGBP / IHDP) |
MA |
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment |
NAS |
National Academy of Sciences |
NCAR |
National Center for Atmospheric Research of the USA |
NEPAD |
New Partnership for Africa's Development |
NERC |
Natural Environment Research Council |
NGO |
Non-Governmental Organisation |
OECD |
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
PAGES |
Past Global Changes |
SAC |
Scientific Advisory Committee |
SADC |
Southern African Development Community |
SAVI |
Southern African Vulnerability Initiative |
SC |
Scientific Committee (of IGBP or IHDP) |
SEI |
Stockholm Environment Institute |
SOLAS |
Surface Ocean-Lower Atmosphere Study |
SPARC |
Stratospheric Processes And their Role in Climate |
SRES |
Special Report on Emissions Scenarios |
START |
SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training |
UNDP |
United Nations Development Programme |
UNEP |
United Nations Environment Programme |
UNESCO |
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
UNFCCC |
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
UNU |
United Nations University |
USAID |
US Agency for International Development |
USNAS |
US National Academy of Sciences |
WCRP |
World Climate Research Programme |
WMO |
World Meteorological Organisation of the UN |