UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library

Basel Convention Graphics (1999 version)

Graphics prepared for the Basel Convention on Hazardous Waste, trade in waste, recycling and related topics. More recent information is to be found in "Vital Waste Graphics"

General archive

UNEP/GRID-Arendal maps and graphics database up to approximately 1998

Nordområdena (Norwegian Arctic)

A collection of graphics prepared for the Norwegian Mapping Authorities and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on issues related to sustainable development and resource extractions in the Barents Sea. This set has been further edited to confirm to UNEP/GRID-Arendal best practices, rather than the Norwegian government graphics profile.

Water stress in Europe

10 figures for the report "Water stress in Europe, can the challenge be met?" published in 1997. Water resources, pesticides pollution, life expectancy...

Worldwatch collection

Maps and graphics on renewable energy and grain production in the world

Arctic Biodiversity Trends 2010

A component of the comprehensive Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) of the Arctic Council, this report provides a snapshot of the trends being observed in Arctic biodiversity today. Twenty-two indicators examine the current state of the environment. Issues include sea birds, fisheries, climate change, polar bears and traditional knowledge.

Arctic conservation collection

A collection of graphics, prepared together with the WWF Arctic programme and the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) programme of the Arctic Council. Graphics cover the state and threats to conservation and biodiversity in the circum-polar Arcitc, as well as regional case studies.

Assorted illustrations for the Arctic Council

Maps and graphics prepared primarily for assessments and reports for working groups such as Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) and Arctic Monitoring and Assement Programme (AMAP).

CAFF and CPAN Archive

Maps prepared for a report - Circumpolar Protected Areas Network (CPAN) Strategy and Action Plan - on protected areas in the Arctic, for the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group and the Circumpolar Protected Areas Network (CPAN).

Indigenous knowledge about disasters in the Russian north

Maps for a project on collecting local stories and surveys related to natural disasters among the Russian Arctic indigenous peoples (throught the RAIPON organization).

COP 5 Emission graphics

This set of graphics was produced for the 5th Conference of the Parties (COP-5) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Bonn, Germany 25th October to 6th November 1999. They were created in co-operation with IPCC, UNFCCC, and CICERO. Please note that these graphics are outdated, and have since been updated in new collections, see http://www.grida.no/climate for full information

COP 7 Emission graphics

This set of graphics has been produced by GRID-Arendal in co-operation with the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP-7) to the Convention, held in Marrakesh, Morocco 29th October to 9th November 2001. Please note that this set of graphics are outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information, please see http://www.grida.no/climate/ for more information.

Biodiversity in Central and Eastern Europe

A sample with national biodiversity status information from 22 Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Newly Independent States (NIS) countries.

Caucasus ecoregion - environment and human development issues

This collection of maps is prepared to support and enhance the transboundary and sub-regional cooperation in the mountain eco-region of the Caucasus in the field of conservation, management and sustainable development. The maps present a number of concerns related to conservation and development in the ecoregion. The Caucasus eco-region includes six countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russian and Turkey - and follows the eco-region definition prepared by WWF in their action plan for Caucasus.

Central Asia: Environment and development graphics

This collection focuses on the Aral Sea region and was published as a calendar. It demonstrates the bleak outlook of the region based on several key categories including: food production, nutrition, Land use, economy, development, health, poverty, energy and biodiversity.

ENRIN Archive

Assorted maps and graphics prepared in UNEP/GRID-Arendal projects.

Environment and Security (EnvSec) archive

Assorted maps and charts from the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative - Transforming risks into cooperation of UNDP, UNEP, OSCE, NATO, UNECE and REC.

Environment and Security: Southern Caucausus

Peacefully resolving the overriding political, economic and social concerns of our time requires a multifaceted approach, including mechanisms to address the links between the natural environment and human security. UNDP, UNEP, OSCE and NATO have joined forces in the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative to offer countries their combined pool of expertise and resources towards that aim. ENVSEC assessment of environment and security linkages in the South Caucasus was completed in 2004 and presented at the Ministerial meeting of EECCA countries in Tbilisi. The assessment as well as already on-going initiatives form a basis for an ENVSEC work programme in the region.

Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation - the case of Eastern Europe

This collection highlights the importance of recognising the region’s geopolitical positioning between the EU and the Russian Federation, improving energy security without jeopardising the environment, cleaning up obsolete military infrastructure and chemicals stocks, addressing the Trasnistrian conflict in Moldova and strengthening cooperation over shared rivers and ecosystems.

GIWA Black Sea graphics

Illustration in a set of graphics prepared for a pilot assessment report on the Black Sea drainage basin, for the UNEP Global Impact on Waters Assessment (GIWA). All data and information were prepared in close collaboration with the GIWA Black Sea team and the GIWA secretariat. The graphics were never not used in this form in the final report on the Black Sea, published in 2005.

Environment and Security Issues in the Southern Mediterranean Region

This report aims to describe how environmental deg- radation will affect human security in the Mediterra- nean space, paying particular attention to the Middle East and North Africa. The report looks at possible risks and degradation, and how they may impact on conflicts, but also at the potential for collaboration to solve environmental risks and build closer inter-state cooperation for the overall peace and stability of the Mediterranean region.

Environment and Security: Southern Caucausus

Environment and Security: Transforming risks into cooperation - the case of Eastern Europe

Environment and Poverty Times #1: WSSD issue

The Environment & Poverty Times aims to explain the complex links between poverty and the environment. It shows, through short texts, maps and other illustrations, some of the manifestations of poverty and environmental conditions. It explains how environmental degradation contributes to poverty and how poor people are trapped in such a cycle. And it provides references to key publications and initiatives on sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

Environment and Poverty Times #2: GMEF 2000 issue

This edition of the Poverty and Environment Times was prepared for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. The issues is focusing on the complex, and often misunderstood links between the environment and poverty. Catchy titles such as "Poverty is pollution" and "Healthy environment, prosperous people" are misleading: they generalize the intricate interrelationships between poverty and resource mismanagement.

Environment and Poverty Times #3: Disaster issue

This edition of the Environment Times illustrates the problems and challenges before us, showing many practical examples on how useful preventive action can be taken. It lays out why we must think “environment” at every stage of disaster management, be it in preparing, preventing, mitigating or reacting. As for the structure of the paper, the intention was to present the material in the order of the stages of disasters: from prevention early warning and preparedness to relief and reconstruction. This proved to be difficult, as we all know that ‘reconstruction starts with prevention’, but we nevertheless kept this basic roster, although certain articles could fit in different categories. The four stages are each preceded by an example of a natural event and an industrial accident, where the authors show the linkages between environmental management, risk reduction and effect on livelihoods. The end of the paper gives the floor to different industrial sectors and features the role of the local level in disaster management. Another double page is dedicated to more general refl ections on the role of environmental management in disaster risk reduction. The central pages feature a set of maps displaying issues related to disasters that possibly are not necessarily perceived as such. (Special Edition for the World Conference on Disaster Reduction January 18-22, 2005, Kobe, Japan)

Environment and Poverty Times #4: MDG issue

This edition focuses on the linkages between the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and our common environment. Regions of the world facing the most serious decline in the services provided by ecosystems are the same areas showing the slowest progress in achieving the MDGs. In sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia and parts of Latin America, the burden of poverty, hunger and disease coincides with acute deterioration of natural services such as the provision of fresh water, the formation of soils to grow corps and the availiability of natural resources such as fish, fuel-wood and medicine derived from plants. We believe that certain things in life cannot be mentioned enough, and a paper shedding light on the linkages between our environment and the MDGs still stands out as highly relevant. Even though the world has made signifi cant progress in achieving many of the goals, progress has been far from uniform across the worldor across the Goals. There are huge disparities across and within countries. One can ask if the goals merely are targets set but never met? The environment might just be the pillar upon which all the goals anf hence a more sustainable development may well fall or stand. And the environment is not a luxury only affordable when all other issues have been resolved. It is, as stated, the red ribbon running around.

Environment and Poverty Times #5: Pro-poor growth issue

This issue of Environment & Poverty Times was released at the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in Yokohama, Japan in May 2008. The paper features a collection of short articles, maps, graphics and other illustrations that focuses on the complex links between environment and poverty reduction. The articles describe how natural resources can contribute to economic growth that also benefits the poor. With the right mixture of entrepreneurship, investments and enabling policies at the national and international levels we can create economic opportunities for people to move beyond subsistence levels. Environment and Poverty Times is a series of publications in newspaper format, presenting current issues related to development and environment.

Environment and Poverty Times #6: Green Economy issue

Polar Times #3

The Polar Environment Times No 3 was launched at the Arctic Marine Strategic Plan workshop in Reykjavik, Iceland. This issue features articles from several of the ministers that went to Svalbard in August, views on Antarctica and a story on NATO bombing Saami ranges in northern Norway

African Environment Outlook 2

The report underscores the concept of sustainable livelihoods, and the importance of the environmental initiatives in supporting them. It places in essence the human being at the center of sustainable development. The structure and design of the report strives to bring out this message as clearly as possible. The emphasis is put on what should and can be done with existing (remaining) environmental assets, in the context of identified constraints (issues), rather than focusing on what has been (already) lost.

GEO Yearbook

The GEO Year Book is an annual report on the changing environment produced by the United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with many world environment experts. As a compliment to the Global Environment Outlook assessment series, this represents a more agile format with timely reports on the relevant events from the pervious year and the outlook for the upcoming years ahead.

Global Deserts Outlook

Global Deserts Outlook examines the historical context, location and extent of the world’s deserts, as well as the fragile ecologies and unique biota of deserts. The report also aims to highlight the importance of desert ecosystem services, such as crops, oil and mineral deposits and tourism, and the challenges faced by countries with desert areas face and by their populations, and provide an outlook for the future.

Global Environment Outlook 3 (GEO-3)

The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) series are the flagship publications of the world's leading environmental organization. They present comprehensive and authoritative reviews and analyses of worldwide environmental conditions and trends and the policies and policy instruments available to address them. GEO-3 is published 10 years after the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 and in time for its successor, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. It sets an action-oriented environmental agenda for the future. Continuing the global and regional focus of the series, it complements the detailed assessment of the state of the global environment set out in GEO-2000. GEO-3 examines environmental trends over the past 30 years to provide an integrated explanation of the developments that have occurred. It not only examines the state of the environment over that period, but also the full range of social, economic, political and cultural drivers that have brought about change. Highlighting human vulnerability to environmental deterioration, it assesses effects of the spectrum of policy measures adopted. From this retrospective analysis, GEO-3 then projects future outcomes. It develops a range of scenarios for the next 30 years, from 2002-2032, with detailed exploration of the policies and instruments available at all levels for improving environmental conditions. Clearly organized and in accessible non-technical language, in full colour with extensive graphics, statistics, boxes and quick highlights, GEO-3 will be an essential tool for teaching and research as well as a vital guide for policy-makers and stimulus to future action.

Global Environment Outlook 4 (GEO-4)

The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) flagship assessment process and report series. The fourth report in the series, GEO-4, provides an overview of the global and regional environmental, social and economic state-and-trends over the past two decades. It highlights the interlinkages, challenges and opportunities which the environment provides for developmen and human well-being. The report also presents an outlook, using four scenarios to explore plausible futures to the year 2050, as well as policy options to address present and emerging environmental issues.

Global Outlook for Ice and Snow

Global outlook for ice & snow provides an up-to-date, concise review of the state of the environment and the trends in ice and snow-covered regions (cryosphere) of the world. It features case studies, illustrations, graphics and maps and serves as an educational and reference publication. With a broad target audience that includes decision-makers at many levels, the report looks at the significance of changes in the cryosphere to human well-being and the implications for policy.

GLOBIO GEO-3

Regional human impact/wilderness models and scenarios for the UNEP publication Global Environment Outlook 3 (2002) on the current and future state of biodiversity, wilderness and human impact.

GLOBIO assorted maps

Assorted maps that has been produced within the GLOBIO project from 2001 and on. Most of these maps have been prepared using the GEO-3 analyses and with regional and re-projected views.

GLOBIO GEO-3

Regional human impact/wilderness models and scenarios for the UNEP publication Global Environment Outlook 3 (2002) on the current and future state of biodiversity, wilderness and human impact.

Last Stand of the Orangutan, Rapid Response Assessment

Assessment of the current status of Orangutan (Borneo and Sumatra) with a special focus on the national park system in Indonesia. The protected areas in Indonesia are underfunded, and the current park staff are not equipped to tackle the rampant illegal logging, hunting and burning that takes places in these areas. The assessment was prepared through a collaboration with UNEP-WCMC, UNEP/GRID-Arendal together with the UNEP/UNESCO Great Apes Survival Project (GRASP).

Baltic GIS

The Baltic Sea Region GIS, Maps and Statistical Database is a result of the Baltic Drainage Basin Project (BDBP), a multi-disciplinary research project under the EU 1991-1994 Environment Research Programme. It was developed as joint effort between the Beijer Institute, Stockholm, Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University and UNEP/GRID-Arendal.

Towards an environmentally sustainable Nordic Region

Maps and graphics for a presentation for a Nordic Council thematical conference in Gothenburg 1998.

Mapping indicators of poverty in West Africa

A pilot study to examine the relationship between the location of rural poor population and land use potential in West Africa, based on 'best available data', using Geographic Information Systems technology.

Poverty-biodiversity mapping applications

Discussion paper for the session "Decision-support systems - Their value in addressing health-poverty-conservation links" at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, November 17-25 2004, Bangkok, Thailand. This report was been written by Mathilde Snel for UNEP/GRID-Arendal. It includes some extracts from a recent summary on poverty mapping application in the health sector, written by Anna Ballance. Maps and graphics were prepared by Hugo Ahlenius. The report was reviewed by Hugo Ahlenius, Marianne Fernagut, and Otto Simonett.

Pro-poor growth and natural resources – the economics and politics

One of the keys to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty is the management of our shared natural resources. This collection of graphics were prepared for a publiction for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on economic growth, poverty and natural resources

Blue Carbon - The Role of Healthy Oceans in Binding Carbon

Very large cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases are needed if we are to avoid the worst effects of global climate change. This report describes the vital contribution that ecosystems can and must make to these efforts.

Green Hills, Blue Cities - an Ecosystems Approach to Water Resources Management for African Cities

Of the one billion people living on the African continent, about 40 per cent lives in urban areas. Between 1990 and 2010, the total urban population in Africa doubled from 205 million to 400 million, and by 2050, it is expected that this will triple to 1.23 billion. Of the total urban population, 60 per cent is living in slum conditions. In a time of rapid urban growth, Africa is likely to experience some of the most severe impacts of climate change, particularly when in terms of water and food security. This places huge pressures on the growing urban populations as well as the surrounding urban ecosystems on which they depend. This report, jointly produced by UNEP and UN-HABITAT in collaboration with the Africa Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and funded by Tongji University, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and Bayer Foundation, shows that there is a way forward for a more sustainable future where restoration of ecosystems, often in the green hills and watersheds surrounding cities, can provide cheaper, efficient and more resilient water supply systems in a rapidly changing Africa.

In Dead Water - Climate Change, Pollution, Over-harvest, and Invasive Species in the World's Fishing Grounds

UNEP rapid response assessment on the state of the world's seas. In this report, the locations of the most productive fishing grounds in the World – from shallow, coastal waters to the deep and high seas- are compared to projected scenarios of climate change, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, intensity of fisheries, land-based pollution, increase of invasive species infestations and growth in coastal development.

Last Stand of the Orangutan, Rapid Response Assessment

Living Planet: Connected Planet, Rapid Response Assessment

Preventing the end of the world's wildlife migrations through ecological networks

Sick Water - The Central Role of Wastewater Management in Sustainable Development

The statistics are stark: Globally, two million tons of sewage, industrial and agricultural waste is discharged into the world’s waterways and at least 1.8 million children under five years-old die every year from water related disease, or one every 20 seconds.

The Environmental Food Crisis - The Environment's Role in Averting Future Food Crises

A new rapid response assessment report released by UNEP warns that up to 25% of the world’s food production may become lost due to environmental breakdown by 2050 unless action is taken. Prepared by the Rapid Response Assessment Team at UNEP/GRID-Arendal and UNEP-WCMC, the report provides the first summary by the UN of how climate change, water stress, invasive pests and land degradation may impact world food security, food prices and life on the planet and how we may be able to feed the world in a more sustainable manner. The report concludes that we need to get smart and more creative about recycling food wastes and fish discards into animal feed. While major efforts have gone into increasing efficiency in the traditional energy sector, food energy efficiency has received too little attention.

The Environmental Food Crisis - The Environment's Role in Averting Future Food Crises [French]

Après une tendance à la baisse qui a duré une bonne centaine d'années, les prix des produits alimentaires ont connu ces dernières années une envolée sans précédent au cours du siècle écoulé, tant par son ampleur et sa durée que par le nombre de groupes de produits dont les prix ont augmenté.

The Last Stand of the Gorilla - Environmental Crime and Conflict in the Congo Basin

The fate of the great apes is closely tied to ours as they inhabit some of the last remaining tropical rainforests – ecosystems that not only assist in supplying water, food and medicine but also play a global role in carbon sequestration and thus combating climate change.

The Natural Fix? - The Role of Ecosystems in Climate Mitigation

Women at the Frontline of Climate Change - Gender Risks and Hopes

Women are often in the frontline in respect to the impacts of a changing climate. Globally the world is seeing increasingly frequent droughts and floods which are having economic but also profound social consequences. The women and people of Asia are currently at greatest risk with over 100 million people affected in this region annually.

State of the Environment Norway 98

1998 edition of the Norway state of the environment report. Please note that this publication has since been replaced by http://www.environment.no/

Balkan Vital Graphics

Environmental protection is one of the areas where the Balkan countries still face a big challenge to catch up with their western neighbours. After the 1990s conflicts and the breakup of Yugoslavia, six new Balkan states emerged. Apart from integrating environmental concerns into the new policies, a major challenge is environmental management across new borders. What used to be six international river basins in the Balkans have now evolved into 13 internationally shared river basins and four trans-boundary lake basins.

Kick the Habit: A UN Guide to Climate Neutrality

A new UNEP publication, written and produced by UNEP/GRID-Arendal for World Environment Day 2008, shows how various levels of society can work towards climate neutrality. Written and reviewed by experts from many disciplines and various countries, the book is aimed at a broad audience, with solutions for individuals, small and large businesses, NGOs, international organizations, cities and countries.

Vital Arctic Graphics

Vital Arctic Graphics is a compilation of illustrations and case studies intended to describe the Arctic, the livelihoods of Arctic indigenous peoples and the future well-being of this region. It summarizes some of the key threats to the future sustainability of the Arctic including the rapid pace of climate change, worrying levels of persistent organic and heavy metal pollutants, and increasing natural resource exploration. The coastal regions are particularly important to the peoples of the Arctic and their current protection status is therefore given particular focus.

Vital Arctic Graphics (2004 edition)

Vital Caspian Graphics

In recent years the Caspian Sea has been the focus of increased global attention. The world-wide decline in oil and gas reserves and the corresponding rise in the price of hydrocarbon derivatives have heightened interest in an area where there is still growth potential in oil and gas exploration. In addition, the region presents a wealth of opportunities in other areas, including bioresources, transport corridors, and not least ecotourism. These new ventures may bring increased prosperity, but they also put pressure on traditional rural communities and the environment.

Vital Climate Change Graphics for Latin America and the Caribbean (2010)

Climate change – its causes, its global consequences and the magnitude of its expected effects on both ecosystems and human activities – will be one of the greatest challenges of this century. It will significantly alter current patterns of production, distribution and consumption, as well as the overall lifestyles of modern societies. During the present century, countries will be compelled to deal with two simultaneous challenges: adapting to the new climate conditions and working to mitigate them. This will require an international agreement that recognizes historical, but differentiated, responsibilities. The Latin American and the Caribbean region is not immune to this challenge – one of the most difficult confronting modern economies – and will have to transition to a sustainable development strategy that pursues a low-carbon path and promotes equity and social inclusion. The United Nations Development Programme (UNEP), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) – through its Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division – and GRID-Arendal hereby present Vital Climate Change Graphics for Latin America and the Caribbean. The objective of this work is to show, in a clear and articulate way, through charts, maps and detailed analyses, the status of climate change and its implications for the region. This document, in addition to contributing to the study and debate on the phenomenon of global climate change and its effects on the region, also provides a reference source for decision makers in both the public and private spheres.

Vital Climate Change Graphics Update

Vital Climate Change Graphics was first published in 2000 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal ( Based on the ?ndings of the Second Assessment Report (SAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it presented a collection of graphics focussing on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change This updated edition, launched in February 2005, is based on the Third Assessment Report (TAR) of the IPCC that was published in 2001. The publication of this second edition was prompted by the popularity of the first edition and the obvious need for providing updated information to our readers. The contents of this publication are accessible on this web site where all the graphics are reproduced in data formats that could be downloaded for further use.

Vital Climate Graphics

UNEP has been active in disseminating information for decision-making and promoting awareness of climate change. In cooperation with the Convention's secretariat, UNEP is taking action to promote the implementation of Article 6 of the Convention, which addresses public awareness, education and training. As part of this effort, UNEP's Global Resources Information Database (GRID) office in Arendal conceived an idea to develop an information package called Vital Climate Graphics. This first set of graphics focuses on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change. The graphics are based primarily on the IPCC's Second Assessment Report (SAR), especially the contribution of Working Group II on Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation of Climate Change and on the IPCC Special Report on Regional Impacts of Climate Change. It is our hope that these Vital Climate Graphics find a wide and receptive audience.

Vital Climate Graphics Africa

This set of 25 graphics focuses on the special challenges that Africa faces due to expected long term changes in climate. The graphics indicate that temperature rise in Africa corresponds to global temperature rise, and that adverse impacts including extremes, are spread across the diverse environments of Africa, putting a huge proportion of African continent at great risk.

Vital Climate Graphics Latin America and the Caribbean

Vital Climate Graphics Latin America and the Caribbean is a collection of graphics that highlight greenhouse gas emission trends, observational evidence, and projected impacts of warming and adverse weather events in the region. Despite the relatively small contribution of Latin America and the Caribbean to global warming, the fragile natural environments, livelihoods and resource-dependent economies of the region could be threatened by the impacts of global climate change. This collection of graphics is designed to present the complex subject of climate change into material that can be useful to a broad range of readers.

Vital Forest Graphics

Forests are not only important for the 1.6 billion people who depend on them for their livelihoods, but for the world's population at large. Forests play a critical role in the Earth's life support system, including global carbon and hydrological cycles. To help communicate the value of forests to policy/makers and the wider public, three United Nations organizations / entities UNEP, FAO and UNFF joined efforts to analyse, synthsize and illustrate tropical forest issues. The Vital Forest Graphics provides an overview of the global trends in forest cover and looks specifically at the four largest forest ecosystems and analyses the trends and challenges in their conservation and management. It scrutinizes some of the key drivers behind forest loss, including the increasing demand for commodities and energy. Finally, it reviews some of the best practices for sustainable management of forest, including management of forest, including regulatory regimes, participatory management and economic incentives.

Vital Ozone Graphics

Vital ozone Graphics is a compilation of illustrations and case studies intended to describe the issues dealing with the depletion and condition of the Ozone layer encasing earth. the ozone layer filters out dangerous ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, thus protecting life on Earth. Scientists believe that the ozone layer was formed about 400 million years ago, essentially remaining undisturbed for most of that time. In 1974, two chemists from the University of California startled the world community with the discovery that emissions of man-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a widely used group of industrial chemicals, might be threatening the ozone layer.

Vital Ozone Graphics 2.0 - Climate Link [French]

The efforts of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol have, over more than 20 years, translated scientific realities into political decisions leading to concrete action on the ground. The experience of this Protocol can act as both guide and inspiring example of the multilateral system at its best, and should help build confidence for future multilateral environmental agreements. This second, revised edition of “Vital Ozone Graphics” sheds a light onto the latest decisions taken by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol to accelerate the phase out of HCFCs and the implications this has on the use of replacement chemicals. It also focuses on the links to climate both physically up in the air and on the institutional ground of international treaty negotiations and discusses the remaining challenges posed by the large amounts of ozone killer banks still present in equipment in use and stocked away, only safe for the atmosphere once entirely destroyed.

Vital Ozone Graphics 2.0 - Climate Link [Russian]

Предпринятые за прошедшие 20 лет усилия государств – участников Монреальского протокола способствовали трансформации научных реалий в политические решения, которые привели к конкретным действиям на местах. Накопленный в рамках Протокола опыт может служить как путеводителем, так и вдохновляющим примером эффективной многосторонней системы и должен способствовать процессу укрепления доверия к будущим многосторонним соглашениям в области охраны окружающей среды. Во втором, исправленном издании «Озоновый слой. Основные диаграммы» освещаются недавно принятые сторонами Монреальского протокола решения по ускорению процесса искоренения ГХФУ, и описываются последствия данного процесса в сфере использования альтернативных химикатов. В докладе также акцентируется внимание на физической и юридической связях между климатом и международными соглашениями по охране окружающей среды. В нем также изложены проблемы, связанные со все еще сохраняющимся значительным количеством разрушающих озоновый слой веществ, которые содержатся в используемых и складированных приборах и которые станут безопастными для атмосферы только после их полного уничтожения.

Vital Waste Graphics

The publication “Vital Waste Graphics” was initiated by the Basel Convention Secretariat and produced in partnership with the Division of Environmental Conventions (DEC) of UNEP, Grid-Arendal and the Division of Early Warning Assessment-Europe of UNEP. It is being published for the seventh meeting of the Conference to the Parties of the Basel Convention (COP7).

Vital Waste Graphics 2

The second edition of Vital Waste Graphics looks at the lifecycle of products and provides a wealth of data, text and graphics that shed a light on types of waste that are usually hidden to the consumers. Vital Waste Graphics II was produced by UNEP/GRID-Arendal in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Wastes and their Disposal on the occasion of the 8th Conference of Parties held in Nairobi 27 November until 1 December, 2006. It was co-financed by The Basel Convention Secretariat and UNEP's Division of Environmental Law and Conventions (DELC).

Vital Water Graphics

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been at the forefront of assessing and monitoring global water resources and presenting information on their use and management for 30 years. UNEP has compiled this report in order to provide an easily accessible resource on the state of the world's waters. The goal of this publication is to produce a clear overview, through a set of graphics, maps and other illustrations, of the state of the world's fresh and marine waters. It also illustrates the causes, effects, trends and threats facing our water sources, with examples of areas of major concern and future scenarios for the use and management of fresh, coastal and marine waters.

Vital Water Graphics 2

World Resources 2008: Roots of Resilience - Growing the Wealth of the Poor

The principles presented in the World Resources 2008 repor offers a way to screen development initiatives to ensure they best serve the poor by including investments in long-term conservation of the planet's natural wealth. Using community based natural resources management and support to rural enterprises ensures a new direction for the future.

African environment collection

Assorted graphics, on issues related to environment and livelihoods in Africa

Barentswatch Atlas

This set of maps and graphics shows physical geography, population and urban areas, forests and protected areas, fauna (wildlife) distribution and threats to the environment in the Barents Sea region (north of the Russian Federation and northern Scandinavia).

Continental Shelf - The Last Maritime Zone

During the past decade, many coastal States have been engaged in peacefully establishing the limits of their maritime jurisdiction. This represents an historical milestone towards the defnition of maritime sovereignty, and presents enormous economic opportunities forcoastal States, but also brings new environmental challenges and responsibilities.

EEA reports

Graphics prepared by UNEP/GRID-Arendal for European Environment Agency (EEA) reports in 2007, primarily for the UNECE Sixth Ministerial Conference 'Environment for Europe' in October 2007.

Environment and Security: Central Asia - Ferghana/Osh/Khujand Area

This is part of an in-depth assessment report of the environmental and security situation in the Ferghana valley that was released on the occasion of the conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 27 May 2005. The report is part of a one-year process carried out in close collaboration with the three countries, has identified several clusters of issues on the environment-security interface.

High mountain glaciers and climate change

Challenges to human livelihoods and adaptation Climate change is causing signifcant mass loss of glaciers in high mountains worldwide. Although glacier systems show a great amount of inherent complexity and variation, there are clear overall trends indicating global glacier recession, which is likely to accelerate in coming decades. Large gaps remain in our understanding and ability to model accurately the key processes and cause-effect relationships driving glacier response to climate change. In addition, a lot of data on glacier mass changes are not available to the public due to national interests concerning water supply.

International Polar Year (IPY) educational posters

There have been five posters prepared, with high-school age students as the main target groups. Each poster stands on its own but is recognizable as part of the series through the common design template. All the posters includes illustrations and text highlighting the human dimension of the poster theme - photos with people and text showing how people are affected and why they should care. The lifespan of these products is not limited to the IPY period (March 2007 - March 2009) and the ambition is that these will be useful beyond this period.

IAASTD - International assessment of agricultural science and technology for development

The International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) coincides with the widespread realization that despite significant scientific and technological achievements in our ability to increase agricultural productivity, we have been less attentive to some of the unintended social and ecological consequences of our achievements. We are now in a good position to reflect on these consequences and to outline various policy options to meet the challenges ahead, perhaps best characterized as the need for food and livelihood security under increasingly constrained environmental conditions from within and outside the realm of agriculture and globalized economic systems.

Kick the Habit: A UN Guide to Carbon Neutrality

A UN Guide to Climate Neutrality

Many Strong Voices - Turning Vulnerability into Strength

Climate change presents the human race with profound choices that go beyond the current debate over new technologies, economic, and social costs and even concerns over environmental impacts. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called climate change the “moral imperative and the defning issue of our era.”

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

Since the inception of global assessments on ozone depletion and climate change, the global policy process has been better informed, and decision-makers are able to take more effective and timely decisions. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment followed in the footsteps of these assessments and was designed to meet the need for information about the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. It sought in particular to strengthen the link between scientific knowledge and decision-making.

Orangutans and the Economics of Sustainable Forest Management in Sumatra

Deforestation is responsible for approximately 17% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is therefore a major contributor to climate change, but also to the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services and a direct threat to Asia’s great ape – the orangutan. Between 2005-2010, Indonesia had accelerating forest loss compared to 2000-2005 and is within the highest five countries for percentage of primary forest loss globally. This acceleration in forest loss not only negatively impacts forests and biodiversity, but also local and global ecosystem services such as water supply, human health and food security in addition to climate change mitigation. Much of the deforestation is caused by both illegal and short-term economic gains, often ndermining long-term development goals.

Planet in Peril

Political maps

Assorted political maps presenting regions covered in projects by UNEP/GRID-Arendal. The presentation of material on these maps does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNEP or the UN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or areas of its authorities, or concerning the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Protecting Arctic Biodiversity

The Arctic region is characterized by some of the largest continuous intact ecosystems on the planet, but is facing increasingly larger threats. Protecting Arctic Biodiversity: Limitations and strengths of environmental agreements allows governing and scientific bodies of MEAs, as well as national decision-makers, to better direct their programmes of work and other activities to address the needs of Arctic biodiversity and the region's local and Indigenous Peoples.

Reference maps

Locational maps, greatly simplified to just communicate the locations of points of interest, such as cities or regions.

Satellite and aerial image based maps and graphics

Graphics that are based on high and low resolution from satellite imagery, taken from aerial surveys or photography from an elevated vantage points. These set of graphics have been prepared in other collections and publications by UNEP/GRID-Arendal and partners.

Species distribution maps

Assorted maps from projects, displaying the distribution of flora and fauna, both species and higher taxonomic groups.

Topographic maps

A collection of topographic maps (base maps) for overview of countries and regions, with relevant infrastructure, such as major cities and roads, providing a mini-atlas. Please note that some of these maps may not be up to date.

Working for the Environment, South Africa

Working for the Environment is a publication launched by the Department of Environmental Affairs (former Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism). It aims to inform and educate the general public in South Africa on the vital work currently being done by the government to protect the environment and alleviate poverty. This publication covers five ongoing programmes under the umbrella of the government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP): the Social Responsibility Programme and its Working for the Coast sub-programme, Working for Wetlands, Working for Water, and Working on Fire.

WWF Arctic Feedbacks Report

The encroachment of road networks in Northern Norway, 1940-2000

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:15:20 --0100

The development of human settlements and the road network linking them together are fragmenting natural habitats especially for larger mammals, such as bears, wolves or reindeer. The nature loses its status as wilderness.

133 Parties to the Basel Convention (11 November 1999)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

This graphic shows the locations of parties and signatories to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, as of November 11, 1999. Explanatory note from the full report: 'There were 133 Parties to the Basel Convention as of 11 November 1999. Out of these there were 28 African countries, 32 countries in Asia and the Pacific, 18 countries in Central and Eastern Europe, 27 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, 27 Western European and other countries, and the European Union. Afghanistan, Haiti and the United States were Convention signatories but had not yet ratified the treaty as of November 11, 1999.'

162 Parties to the Basel Convention in October 2004

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is the most comprehensive global environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes. It aims to protect human health and the environmentagainst the adverse effects resulting from the generation, management, transboundary movementsand disposal of hazardous and other wastes. The Basel Convention regulates the transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes and obliges its Parties to ensure that such wastes are managed and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. The Convention covers toxic, poisonous, explosive, corrosive, flammable, ecotoxic and infectious wastes. Parties are also expected to minimize the quantitiesthat are transported, to treat and dispose of wastes as close as possible to their place of generation and to prevent or minimize the generation of wastes at source.

168 Parties to the Basel Convention in 2006

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0100

By the 1980s, the international community launched treaty negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme. In March 1989, they adopted the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. The treaty entered into force in 1992.

28 октября 2004 года

Thu, 27 May 2010 17:45:05 --0100

«Глобальный УФ-индекс — измерение уровня УФ-излучения на поверхности Земли. Целью разработки этого индекса стало информирование населения о возможных вредных последствиях для здоровья УФ-излучения и призыва к защите от чрезмерного воздействия солнца.. Чем выше показатель индекса, тем выше риск вреда коже и глазам, тем меньше времени нужно излучению для причинения такого вреда.

A history of waste management

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:00 --0100

A visual timeline of historical waste manaement. From the first recorded landfill created in Knossos in 3000 B.C. to the English parliament banning waste disposal in public waterways and ditches in 1388 to the establishment of The Basel Convention in 1992.

A look inside - Concentrations of micro-organisms excreted in one litre of wastewater

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0100

What one litre of wastewater might contain in terms of pathogens.

A multifunctional perspective of agriculture

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0100

In IAASTD, multifunctionality is used solely to express the inescapable interconnectedness of agriculture’s different roles and functions. The concept of multifunctionality recognizes agriculture as a multi-output activity producing not only commodities (food, fodder, fibers and biofuels), but also non-commodity outputs such as ecosystem services, landscape amenities and cultural heritages.

A photographic impression of the gradual changes in two ecosystem types

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0100

Globally, over 1,000 (87%) of a total of 1,226 threatened bird species are impacted by agriculture. More than 70 species are affected by agricultural pollution, 27 of them seriously. Europe’s farmland birds have declined by 48% in the past 26 years (European Bird Census Council, 2008). Pesticides and herbicides pose a threat to 37 threatened bird species globally (BirdLife, 2008), in addition to deleterious effects of agricultural chemicals on ground water.

A Planet in Ecological Debt

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:38:00 --0100

No data

A World of Salt

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0100

Global water type by percentage. Estimates of global water resources based on several different calculation methods have produced varied estimates. Shiklomanov in Gleick (1993) estimated that: - The total volume of water on earth is 1.4 billion km3. - The volume of freshwater resources is 35 million km3, or about 2.5% of the total volume. Of these, 24 million km3 or 68.9% is in the form of ice and permanent snow cover in mountainous regions, and in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. - Some 8 million km3 or 30.8% is stored underground in the form of groundwater (shallow and deep groundwater basins up to 2,000 metres, soil moisture, swamp water and permafrost). This constitutes about 97% of all the freshwater potentially available for human use. - Freshwater lakes and rivers contain an estimated 105,000 km3 or 0.3% of the world’s freshwater. - The total usable freshwater supply for ecosystems and humans is 200,000 km3 of water, which is less than 1% of all freshwater resources, and only 0.01% of all the water on earth (Gleick, 1993; Shiklomanov, 1999).

Abatement costs for transition from undisturbed forest to other land uses

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

Opportunity costs for the transition from forest to other land uses between 1994-2009 in Tripa and 1990-2009 in Batang Toru are shown. For the transition to the most profitable land-use a price of slightly more than USD 10 per tCO2 would have been sufficient to offset opportunity costs in Batang Toru. For Tripa this value is lower because of the below ground carbon stocks in the peatlands.

Ability of countries to support their citizens from their own environment

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 18:21:34 --0100

The Ecological Footprint measures the amount of productive land area needed to support a nation’s consumption and waste. This indicator shows that in many countries, as well as for the planet as a whole, the demand for natural resources, or the 'ecological capacity', exceeds the amount available. Countries that are not able to support their national consumption with their own natural resources are running at an 'ecological deficit'. Therefore these countries have to either import ecological capacity from other places, or take it from future generations.

Abkhazia - environmental headlines (topographic and political map)

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 --0100

Abkhazia - environmental headlines (topographic and political map). The basemap is complemented with textual information on 'environmental headlines' which are the preliminary results of a desk assessment conducted by GRID-Arendal under the ENVSEC initiative (UNEP; OSCE; NATO; UNDP; UNECE; REC)

About the difficulties of classifying waste (and counting it)

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0100

A multitude of approaches exists to classify the various categories of waste. Waste can be sorted either by its origin (what activity has created it?), by its composition (what is it made of?), by the level of danger it poses to humans and the environment, or by the way it is managed and treated. Each of these approaches will lead to a list of wastes, and often those definitions are overlapping – yet another fact that complicates the collection and interpretation of data about waste.

Above-ground carbon stocks

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

Some of the richest above-ground carbon stocks are found in forests occupied by Sumatran orangutans. The total carbon stored in the above-ground woody biomass of a tropical forest varies between 170 and 250 tonnes of carbon per hectare.

Above-ground carbon-stock density changes

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

In Batang Toru, land use changes and deforestation led to an overall loss of around 10 tonnes of carbon per hectare between 1994 and 2009. Due to its exploitation for the cultivation of oil palm, the peat area of Tripa had to face a much more important decrease of 66 tonnes of carbon per hectare in the time period 1990-2009. In terms of CO2 emissions, it corresponds to an overall emission per year of 634,903 tCO2.

Access to safe drinking water

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:42:00 --0100

There are currently more than 1000 million people in the world that lacks access to an easily accessible and safe water source, such as a connection to water mains or a protected well. Instead, water access is limited or available through unprotected sources. The target, under the Millennium Development Goals, is to halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Access to sanitation facilities

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0100

Access to improved sanitation remains a pressing issue in many regions.

Access to sanitation in urban Africa

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:30:51 --0100

The number of people in Africa with access to improved sanitation, defined as “one that hygienically separates human excreta from human contact” (WHO/UNICEF 2010), has increased over the last two decades. Still, because of the rapid urbanisation, the proportion of the urban population with access to improved sanitation is on the decrease.

Access to sanitation in Yaoundè

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:30:51 --0100

Proper disposal of sewage is essential for urban water quality, and in Yaoundè the treatment of wastewater, excreta, and sewage can be classified into two categories – individual wastewater systems (septic tanks and latrines) and collective wastewater systems (sewer and treatment plants). About half of the residents of Yaoundè are connected to the sewer system, while the rest depend on either septic tanks, latrines, or a combination of the two.

Access to water in urban Africa

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:30:51 --0100

Improved water sources, defined as “one that is protected from outside contamination” (WHO/UNICEF 2010), is essential for ensuring the health of Africa’s urban dwellers. Although an increasing number of people have access to improved water, rapid urban population growth in the African region has equally increased the number of people without proper access.

Accounting units

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0100

A table about Accounting units

Accounting units

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0100

Countries that are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol have a tool for helping them in the Emissions Trading Scheme. In the Kyoto scheme each allowance is called an Assigned Amount Unit (AAU). Each entity equals one tonne of CO2 equivalent.

Accroissement de la population humaine dans les pays développés et les pays en développement

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:05:00 --0100

Population mondiale : estimations et projections (en milliards d’habitants)

Acid rain in Europe

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Acid rain become a major transboundary enviromental issue in the late twentieth century. In Europe there were varying levels of the threat from acid rain. Poland were almost entire covered by medium to high risk of acid rain.

Acidification due to climate change - impacts for oceans and coral reefs

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0100

As carbon concentrations in the atmosphere increase from land use changes and emissions from fossil fuels - so do concentrations in the ocean, with resultant acidification as a natural chemical process. The skeletons of coldwater coral reefs may dissolve, perhaps already within a few decades. The impacts will be greatest at high latitudes. This will have an impact on all marine organisms with calcerous shells and body parts, in addition to coral reefs this includes shellfish and plankton.

Actual and Projected Energy Demand

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0100

Projected growth in energy demand in coming decades.

Administration

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

Sumatran orangutan habitat overlaps 2 Provinces and 21 Districts, presenting many challenges for integrated development policies. 78% of the species’ present range lies within Aceh, and the remaining 22% in North Sumatra. A total of 13 districts in Aceh, and eight in North Sumatra, contain forests where wild Sumatran orangutans still occur.

Adult female literacy and agroclimatic zones

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

This map shows the possible relation between the agricultural zones and levels of adult female literacy. In West Africa there seems to be a higher percentage of adult female literacy in the humid zones along coastal areas than the arid zones of the interior.

Adult female literacy and land degradation in West Africa

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

This map shows the possible spatial relation between the types of level of land degradation and adult female literacy. In West Africa there are a higher percentage of adult female illiteracy around areas that have higher levels of land degradation. Though in some areas this is not the case.

Advancement of phenological events in high-arctic Greenland

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

It is clear from lower latitudes that phenological trends are linked to temperature changes and experimental warming also results in earlier plant phenology. Yet, in Arctic and alpine ecosystems, the melting of the winter snow pack rather than temperature per se determines the onset of biological activity like the timing of flowering in plants and emergence in invertebrates. As such, the phenology of these groups of organisms, or taxa, could be advancing considerably in response to earlier snowmelt. In fact, in a study covering a range of taxa carried out at Zackenberg Research Station in Northeast Greenland, it was found that not only is reproductive phenology showing stronger trends in the Arctic than elsewhere, trends were also stronger the later, on average, that an event (e.g., flowering in plants, emergence in arthropods, and egg-laying in birds) took place during the season. There are clearly limits to such phenological flexibility. In a situation with extreme changes to the physical environment, the timing of reproductive phenology may be more influenced by other cues like day length.

Africa: policy on genetically modified organisms (GMO) and genetically engineered (GE) foods

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:00 --0100

The Cartagena protocol on biosafety, a supplement to the convention on biological diversity, has strong support in Africa, with a majority of the countries as signatories. In addition, several countries have, in the past, rejected aid (especially unmilled grains) in food imports with concerns for national biosafety. South Africa is so far the only country that is seeing wide-spread use of genetically modified crops.

Africa: Stockholm convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:57 --0100

The process initiated by UNEP in 1995, materialised as the Stockholm convention in May 2001. The convention bans chemicals such as chlordane, DDT and PCB and other organic pesticides and industrial chemicals, as well as establishing precautionary approaches for the future. Most African countries are using agents, such as DDT, for control of disease vectors and pests under exemptions.

Africa’s rivers and lake basins cross many borders

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0100

The below shows the locations of 13 major river basins in Africa.

African wildlife under threat from climate change

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Climate change poses a threat to wildlife because as climatic conditions change, many species may be unable to tolerate the changes. This graphic shows the numbers of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish species that are critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable in various regions of Africa and in Africa as a whole, as of 1998.

Agricultural labor as share of total labor

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0100

As the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increases the percentage of agricultural labour as the entire labour of a country. East Africa has the highest levels of agricultural labour as Japan and the U.S.A. have the lowest levels of agricultural labour.

Agricultural land in the Caucasus ecoregion

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:15:15 --0100

About 54% of a total of 44,019,400 ha of land is used for agriculture in the Caucasus. Most agricultural land is located in the plains, the Kuban-Azov plain, the Stavropol plateau, the Kura-Araks lowland and the Ararat valley while there is a shortage of farm land in mountain regions. The main crops of the Caucasus area are cereals, fodder, fruit, tea and tobacco.

Agricultural liberalization: Developing country winners and losers under Doha Scenario for agriculture (scenario 1)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0100

Under various new scenarios for world agricultural trade and development many of the world's regions will be negatively affected. Under the Doha Scenario China would fair the worst with many developing nations running into a negative scenario.

Agricultural production increases, per commodity 1965-2008

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0100

The use of fertilizers accounts for approximately 50% of the yield increase, and greater irrigation for another substantial part (FAO, 2003). Current FAO projections in food demand suggest that cereal demand will increase by almost 50% towards 2050 (FAO, 2003; 2006). This can either be obtained by increasing yields, continued expansion of cropland by conversion of natural habitats, or by optimizing food or feed energy efficiency from production to consumption.

Agricultural trends, production, fertilisers, irrigation and pesticides

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0100

Figure 8: Global trends (1960–2005) in cereal and meat production, use of fertilizer, irrigation and pesticides. (Source: Tilman, 2002; FAO, 2003; International Fertilizer Association, 2008; FAOSTAT, 2009).

Agricultural water withdrawals as proportion of total water withdrawals

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:00 --0100

Agriculture already consumes 70% of all global freshwater withdrawn worldwide and has depleted soil nutrients, resulting in N, P and K deficiencies covering 59%, 85%, and 90% of harvested area respectively in the year 2000 coupled with a 1,136 million Mg yr loss of total global production.

Agriculture and Fisheries

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:00 --0100

Environment and Security in the Mediterranean: Agriculture and Fisheries

Agriculture and manufacturing waste generation

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 21:59:00 --0100

Agricultural waste consists of things like pesticide waste, discarded pesticide containers, plastics such as silage wrap, bags and sheets, packaging waste, old machinery, oil and waste veterinary medicines. In a comparison between selected European countries, Hungary and Ireland have a greater share of waste from agriculture and forestry.

Agriculture in Africa, value added out of GDP

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:00 --0100

For the future of Africa, agriculture remains one of the most important issues. A majority of the population, especially outside urban areas, are involved in agriculture, and food security is one of the most important issues to solve in the short term in some parts of the region. The current financial importance varies, as presented in this map, with agriculture representing up to 50-60% of the total economy in some countries (Guinea-Bissau, Central Africa, Ethiopia) and representing 20-40% in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Agriculture land use distribution - croplands and pasture land

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:30:00 --0100

The World's agricultural land is used in different ways, depending on climatic and soil factors, but also related to cultural and social issues. The majority of croplands, where rice, wheat, legumes and corn - among other crops - are spread out in the Northern Hemisphere, in the temperate zone, and in South and Eastern Asia. Areas where primarily livestock is held for agricultural are dominant in Africa, South America and Australia.

Air temperature in the Barents Region in summer

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. In order to better understand the trends in global warming accurate readings of temperature needs to be made. This map shows the average temperatures in the Barents region in July and is meant to show the difference in the January temperatures. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Air temperature in the Barents Region in winter

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. In order to better understand the trends in global warming accurate readings of temperature needs to be made. This map shows the average temperatures in the Barents region in January and is meant to show the difference between the July temperatures. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Alaska, indigenous population

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:06:00 --0100

Depending on the definition of the boundaries of the region, the Arctic is home to some 4 million inhabitants. Roughly one-third of this total population is indigenous peoples, spread over numerous communities around the Arctic. The indigenous proportion of each polar region varies significantly- from 88% of the regional population in Nunavut Territory in Canada (the Inuit), to 2.5% in the North of Scandanavia and the Kola Peninsulathat (the Saami). Despite tremendous social and political upheaval, increasing pressure from industrial development, climate change impacts and pollution, many of these communities still maintain vibrant traditional - and sustainable- lifestyles closely linked to the natural environment.

Albania, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Albania is located in Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro comprising of 28,748 sq km. It has an estimated population of 3,563,112 (2005). Major environmental concerns are deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and domestic effluents.

Albania, topographic map with railroad routes

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Albedo of basic thick sea ice surface types

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

The albedo for different surface conditions on the sea ice range widely, from roughly 85 per cent of radiation reflected for snow-covered ice to 7 per cent for open water. These two surfaces cover the range from the largest to the smallest albedo on earth. Melting snow, bare ice and ponded ice lie within this range. There is a general decrease in the albedo of the ice cover during the melt season as the snow-covered ice is replaced by a mix of melting snow, bare ice, and ponded ice. As the melt season progresses, the bare ice albedo remains fairly stable, but the pond albedo decreases. During summer the ice cover retreats, exposing more of the ocean, and the albedo of the remaining ice decreases as the snow cover melts and melt ponds form and evolve. These processes combine to form the ice–albedo feedback mechanism.

Aleutian and Pribilof Islands, reference map

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 13:13:28 --0100

This map locates two groups of islands, outside continental Alaska - the Pribiliof and Aleutian Islands. These islands are located in the Pacific Ocean and the south end of the Bering Sea in the Arctic, and are a part of the USA.

Alkalinity in major rivers

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

This graphic shows the average bicarbonate concentrations, in milligrams per litre, at major river mouths for the time periods 1976 to 1990 and 1991 to 2000. The graphic also shows the changes in average bicarbonate levels between these two time periods. Bicarbonate is an indication of the alkalinity in the rivers which reflects the geology (rock, minerals, sand) and increases the buffering capacity, but can also increase the risk of eutrophication (excess nutrients).

All actors towards a climate neutral society

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0100

Visualizing investments necessary and savings to be done by individuals as consumers, residents, travelers, citizens, parent and professionals.

All actors towards a climate neutral society

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0100

About All actors towards a climate neutral society

All recipient and contributor countries of the Multilateral Fund

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:53:00 --0100

Countries receive funds according to their compliance needs. That is, they receive funds to phase-out specific amounts of ozone depleting substances (ODS) production and consumption. Hence, ODS producer countries and high consumers receive more funds since they have greater needs.

Amazonian Deforestation in the Global Context

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:28:00 --0100

Growing global demand for land for the production of agricultural commodities has resulted in sometimes irreversible changes to the world’s forest cover. The Amazon is now part of a national and international economy which, through globalization, is responding to market demands, accelerating the rate at which agricultural crops and cattle ranching are replacing or impoverishing native forests (Nepstad et al. 2006).

An increasing number of countries are leasing land abroad to sustain and secure their food production

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0100

The world regions are sharply divided in terms of their capacity to use science in promoting agricultural productivity in order to achieve food security and reduce poverty and hunger. For every US$100 of agricultural output, developed countries spend US$2.16 on public agricultural research and development (R&D), whereas developing countries spend only US$0.55 (IFPRI, 2008). Total agricultural R&D spending in developing countries increased from US$3.7 billion (1991) to US$4.4 billion (2000), or by 1.6% annually (IFPRI, 2008). This spending was largely driven by Asia, where annual spending increased by 3.3 percent. Today, Asia accounts for 42% of total agricultural R&D spending in developing countries (with China and India accounting for 18 and 10%, respectively). In Africa, agricultural R&D expenditure declined slightly, by 0.4%/year. Although Africa is geographically large, its share in R&D spending is only 13%. Latin America accounts for 33% (with Brazil being responsible for 48% of the region’s spending).

Animal proteins: the good, the bad and the ugly

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0100

Kilograms of CO2 equivalents per 100 kilocalories of product

Animal proteins: the good, the bad and the ugly

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0100

Meat imports in 2005 and Meat consumption displayed as kilograms of CO2 equivalents per 100 kilocalories of product for major countries around the world.

Annual cycle of light in the Northern Arctic

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Arctic is often described as a place of utter darkness or white snow in winter and of midnight sun during the summertime. In fact, there are few places on Earth where the sun displays so much variation in colour due to the low angle of the sun reflected on the mountains, snow and sky over long periods of time. North of the Arctic Circle the sun disappears during winter for days to months, depending upon latitude, leaving the sky in a palette of blues, greys, reds, oranges and purples. The moon, snow, angle of the sun and the northern lights add to this diversity. This image illustrate the length of the at day Holman, Northwest Territories in the Canadian Arctic (70°44'N - 117°43'W).

Annual deforestation in the Amazon and resulting CO2 emissions

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

According to the World Resources Institute,Brazil had the highest carbon dioxide equivalent emissions in the region in 2001, primarily due to changes in land use.) Most of the region’s forests are in South America, particularly in Brazil and Peru, which comprise 92% of the total forest cover. These countries are among the 10 that hold two-thirds of the world’s forests and jungles. Because of its size, the greatest extent of deforestation is in Brazil, but the deforestation rates are higher in Mexico and Argentina. While the deforestation rate in Brazil in the 1990s was 0.4%, the rate in Mexico and Argentina was 1.1% and 0.8%, respectively. Tree-felling in the Brazilian Amazon basin during the last decade increased by 32%, from 14,000 to 18,000 square kilometres per year. The major sources of pressure in the forests include the expansion of farming and livestock activities and urban spread, which force a re-conversion of the land. More recently, there has also been the impact of plants in the Amazon and Cerrado regions that are involved in the production of beef and soybean substitutes, with a harmful impact on the forests.

Annual flow of benefits from forests in selected countries

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:19:12 --0100

In most countries, the marketed values of ecosystems associated with timber and fuelwood production are less than one third of the total economic value, including non-marketed values such as carbon sequestration, watershed protection, and recreation.

Annual flow of water to the Caspian Sea

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:00:00 --0100

Most of the water flowing into the sea comes from coastal rivers – currently supplying 300 to 310 cubic km a year. The Volga alone accounts for 80% of inflow. But it has dropped substantially during the 20th century, declining from about 400 cubic km in the 1920-30s to between 260 cubic km and 270 cubic km at present, due to various climatic factors and human activities such as dams built for hydroelectric energy production.

Annual rainfall

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

Sumatran orangutans live in lowland tropical rainforests, with precipitation normally between 1,680 mm and 4,070 mm annually. Western regions receive much more rain than those in the east, as prevailing winds from the Indonesian ocean are forced upwards, cooling rapidly and condensing water vapour, which then falls as precipitation.

Annual snowfall pattern for a typical mountain environment, Columbine Pass, Colorado 1971-2000

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

Mountain snow cover typically develops in the autumn and grows to a maximum depth in early spring. As day length and sun angles increase, so do air temperatures, causing snow cover to warm and begin to melt. Snow cover balances the availability of water in mountain environments. Where winter precipitation falls as rain, surface runoff occurs almost immediately. In contrast, snow stores water during the winter and then melts in the spring and early summer, creating peak stream flows in the afternoon and an overall seasonal peak flow. In many semi-arid mountain environments, snow melt buffers the transition into the dry summer season. Mountain snow is also a key source of groundwater, since a significant portion of the snow melt enters the soil and drains downhill into valley sediments. The timing, spatial distribution, and volume of snow melt are critical for determining how much water flows as surface runoff into rivers and lakes and how much becomes groundwater. This figure presents the annual snowfall distribution for a typical mountain environment, exemplified by Columbine Pass in Colorado, USA. Snow water equivalent is a typical measure of snowfall and snowpack, where snow is measured as the amount of water it represents, when melted.

Annual Temperatures Increases for 2001-2005 Relative to 1951-1980

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:34:00 --0100

Average surface temperature anomaly (oC)

Annual world nuclear reactor construction / Spent fuel generation

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:37:00 --0100

Both the volume and the level of radioactivity have to be considered – a large volume of waste with a low-level of radioactivity presents less danger than a smaller amount of waste with a high-level of radioactivity. For example, spent fuel (elements that have been removed from a reactor after use) makes up less than 1% of the volume of radioactive waste, but contains almost 95% of the total radioactivity.

Anomalies in Northern Hemisphere Snow Cover

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:54:24 --0100

Snow cover extent has continued to decline and is projected to decline further, despite the projected increase in winter snowfall in some areas.

Antarctic Greenland

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:11:54 --0100

No data

Antarctic References

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:53:00 --0100

Images of Antarctica (left) and Greenland (right) to scale. Antarctica is 50 per cent larger than the United States or Europe. Greenland is 7 times smaller than Antarctica. There is enough ice in Antarctica to raise global sea level by 60 metres and 7 metres in Greenland.

Antarctic Specially Protected Areas

Mon, 29 May 2006 09:13:00 --0100

The 1961 Antarctic treaty system, which governs the land and water south of 60 degrees latitude south, gives the environment an overall protection against human development. In addition, certain areas are specifically designated for protection, such as the Antarctic specially protected areas (ASPA), presented in this map.

Antarctica, overview

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 13:31:41 --0100

Antarctic is the fifth largest continent of the world at 14 million square kilometres and is covered in a permanent continental ice. The ice is distributed in two major ice sheets, the East Antarctic and the West Antarctic, and in addition there are shelf ice, extending over the sea water.

Antarctica, showing rates of surface-elevation change derived from satellite radar-altimeter measurements

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

The figure shows rates at which the ice-sheet mass was estimated to be changing based on radar-altimeter data (black), mass-budget calculations (red), and satellite gravity measurements (blue). Rectangles depict the time periods of observations (horizontal) and the upper and lower estimates of mass balance (vertical). Measurements by satellite techniques based on gravity indicate mass loss at a rate of 138 ± 73 billion tonnes per year during 2002–2005, mostly from the West Antarctica Ice Sheet. That is equivalent to a rise in global sea level of 0.4 ± 0.2 mm per year, or 10–30% of the global rate measured since the 1950s, and is in good agreement with recent massbudget estimates. However, two interpretations of satellite radar altimetry pointed to a much smaller loss of about 31 billion tonnes of ice per year or a net gain of about 27 billion tonnes per year. The difference between these estimates from totally independent techniques reflects the uncertainties in these difficult measurements; nevertheless, on balance, they indicate a recent shift to a net loss of Antarctic ice and suggest that losses may be accelerating. Similar conclusions result from studies of Antarctic Peninsula glaciers, indicating that they are melting much faster than previously predicted and are probably already contributing significantly to sea-level rise.

Antarctica, topographic map

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

Antarctic is the fifth largest continent of the world at 14 million square kilometres and is covered by a permanent continental ice sheet. The ice is distributed in two major ice sheets, the East Antarctic and the West Antarctic, and in addition there are shelf ice, extending over the sea water. Antarctic inland ice ranges in thickness up to 5000 m, with an average thickness of about 2400 m, making Antarctica by far the highest of the continents. Straddling the South Pole, Antarctica is cold even during summer. Much of the continent is a cold desert with very low precipitation rates. Thus, in contrast to Greenland, only a tiny proportion of the mass loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet occurs by melting from the surface – summertime melt from the margins of the ice sheet only occurs in the northern Antarctic Peninsula and the northernmost fringes of East Antarctica. Instead, most ice loss from Antarctica is from basal melting and iceberg calving from the vast floating ice shelves. The West Antarctica Ice Sheet drains mostly into the Ross Ice Shelf, at the head of the Ross Sea; but also into the Filchner/Ronne Ice Shelf (two connected ice shelves), at the head of the Weddell Sea; and into small ice shelves along the Amundsen Sea coast. The Ross and Filchner/Ronne ice shelves are each about the area of Spain.

Antarctica, topography and bathymetry (topographic map)

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:23:00 --0100

Arable land in the Baltic Sea region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Ratio of arable land out of total land use in the Baltic Sea drainage basin. Agriculture is one of the main contributors to the nutrient (in this case, primarily nitrogen) influx into the Baltic Sea, and thus a main driver for the eutrophication problems in the sea. The displays the situation at approximately 1990.

Aral Sea: Chances of Survival

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:17:00 --0100

The Aral Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate and the amount of consumption of water in the Aral Sea Basin has greatly affected current conditions. This shows predicted models of water problems in the Aral Sea.

Aral Sea: Chances of Survival [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:51:00 --0100

Aral Sea: trends and scenarios

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The demise of the Aral Sea was caused primarily by the diversion of the inflowing Amu Dar'ya and Syr Dar'ya rivers to provide irrigation water for local croplands. This graphic shows the disappearance of the Aral Sea from 1957 to 2000 and three possible scenarios showing the relationship between future demand (and thus water abstraction) and future available runoff in cubic kilometres per year. The scenarios cover the time period from 2000 to 2020. They show what may happen if water abstraction and the demand for water continue to increase, what may happen if they remain the same as they were in the year 2000, and what may happen if they decrease.

Arctic biodiversity - pressures and impacts

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:22:17 --0100

The Arctic plays host to a vast array of biodiversity, including many globally significant populations. Included among these are more than half of the world´s shorebird species, 80% of the global goose populations, several million reindeer and caribou, and many unique mammals, such as the polar bear. During the short summer breeding season, 279 species of birds arrive from as far away as South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America to take advantage of the long days and intense period of productivity. Several species of marine mammals, including grey and humpback whales, and harp and hooded seals, also migrate annually to the Arctic. Currently the environment in the circumpolar North represents one of the areas of the World with the least human impact. Pressures that exist and are on the increase are climate change, infrastructure development, the development of mineral resources - such as oil and gas and increased economic activity.

Arctic char species complex, distribution map

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

The Arctic char species complex, sensu stricto, represent a key component of the marine and freshwater ecosystems of the north. Chars are stressed by factors such as fisheries, climate change and pollutants. We are possibly altering char biodiversity without documenting it and understanding its relevance. Concerted pan-Arctic biodiversity assessments, sustained research, and coordinated monitoring of chars are required to outline the scope of diversity present and its significance, and the mechanisms responsible for maintaining it and documenting changes. This map displays the global distribution of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) inclusive of all nominate subspecies and closely related 'species' considered to belong to this group in the narrow sense. Taxonomic forms, relationships, species diversity and ecological variation are confused and poorly known for this species complex; other char taxa overlap and extend this range (e.g., forms of Dolly Varden – S. malma). Uncertain distributional limits are indicated by dashed boundaries. Presumptive distribution boundaries of anadromous forms in marine waters are indicated in nearshore areas; anadromy is thought to be restricted to areas south of 75°N. Introduced populations in Europe are indicated in red.

Arctic conservation area (CAFF), political map

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:32:00 --0100

The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna is a working group under the Arctic Council, for the countries of Russia, Denmark, USA, Canada, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Finland and indigenous peoples. Monitoring, assessment, protected areas and conservation strategies are all tasks under this working group. The area that the working group primarily addresses is presented in this map.

Arctic conservation area (CAFF), topographic map

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:32:00 --0100

Arctic conservation area (CAFF), topographic map, ABA version (2010)

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

Arctic delta pond ecosystems, seasonal flooding and adaptation

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

The physical development and ecosystem health of river deltas in cold regions are strongly controlled by ice processes and thus are highly susceptible to the effects of climate change. As an example, the photograph shows a typical lake/pond and river network in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Canada), one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world. The water budget and sediment-nutrient supply for the multitude of lakes and ponds that dot the riparian zones of such deltas depend strongly on the supply of floodwaters produced by river-ice jams during the spring. These spring floods usually exceed those from open-water flow events, as illustrated in the top figure. Studies of future climate conditions for the Peace-Athabasca Delta indicate that a combination of thinner river ice and reduced spring runoff, due to smaller winter snowpack, will lead to decreased ice-jam flooding. This, combined with greater summer evaporation from warmer temperatures, will cause a decline in delta- pond water levels. An adaptation strategy that has been successfully used to counteract the effects of climatic drying of delta ponds involves the use of flow enhancement through water releases from reservoirs. This increases the probability of ice-jam formation and related flooding of the delta ponds (see bottom figure).

Arctic development hotspots

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:56:00 --0100

Projects in developing extraction of fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas are underway in several places in the Arctic - both on land and in the sea. The fuels are to be transported by both land and sea pipelines, as well as shipped on water. The development of these activities threaten natural habitats, in hotspots for conservation and wildlife. This map displays some of the latest hotspots with current or proposed development, together with a human impacta analysis, from the GLOBIO programme. Hotspots highlighted on this graphic are the Mackenzie Valley, Prudhoe Bay and the Kuparuk oilfeeld (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR), Northern Norway (Barents Sea) and the Pechora oilfields and the Yamal.

Arctic development scenarios, human impact in 2050

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:22:33 --0100

Human activities influence the environment and reduce the value of forests, tundra and plains in terms of original biodiversity and habitat. Primarily larger mammals are hit by the fragmentation caused by roads and pipelines. The GLOBIO methdology has modeled the future impact of human activities in the Arctic, as seen in this map. Infrastructure and settlements are used as proxies for human activities, using the GLOBIO model from the Global Environment Outlook 3.

Arctic genetic trends - lemming in Arctic Russia

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

Nucleotide diversity estimates based on the complete sequences of mitochondrial genome in the collared lemming indicate how past climate has structured the genetic component of biodiversity. Lower diversity in regions (green) affected by the northward forest expansion during the Holocene warm climatic events compared to Western Beringia, where there was no forest expansion, suggests a reduction of effective size due to regional range contractions during warming events in the Holocene.

Arctic ice cover extent

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:51:00 --0100

The greatest reduction in Arctic summer sea ice extent since satellite observations began occurred in 2007, with the following two years experiencing the second and third biggest reductions. The Greenland ice sheet is currently losing more than 250 cubic km a year – faster than can be explained by natural melting.

Arctic map, political

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:14:00 --0100

The Arctic is extremely diverse in terms of landscapes, varying from pack and drift ice to rugged shores, flat coastal plains, rolling hills and mountains surpassing 6000 metres above sea level (Denali, 6,194 m asl, in sub-arctic and boreal Alaska). The region has rivers and lakes, tundra and the largest forests in the world (the Russian Taiga). This is a simple grayscale political map.

Arctic Ocean

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:21:00 --0100

Left panel: Schematic of the Arctic Ocean, central basin (Canada and Eurasian basins) and arctic continental shelves (with approximate boundaries for each Arctic Ocean coastal sea), and major rivers draining into the region. Right panel: The three generic types of continental shelves (i.e., inflow, interior and outflow) are shown

Arctic Ocean surface Temperatures

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:49:00 --0100

Consistent with the rapid retreat of sea ice, the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean have been warming in recent years, because declining sea-ice cover allows the water to absorb more heat from the sun.

Arctic ozone depletion and stratospheric temperature

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:49:12 --0100

Changes in ozone amounts closely follow temperature, with colder temperatures resulting in more polar stratospheric clouds that intensify ozone destruction. The results are compared from 1979 to 2006.

Arctic pelagic food web

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The marine animal food chain is very complex and multilayered as are most food chains. This is a quick reference to represent the complete food chain in regards to pelagic crustaceans and invertebrates.

Arctic protected areas and biomes

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Using the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) definition of the Arctic, the majority of the current protected area (pie cheart to the left) is in the Arctic desert biome (45%), followed by the tundra biomes (29%). When looking at the total area that is currently protected in each biome, this shows that almost a third of the desert biome is protected (right figure).

Arctic sea ice food web - schematic illustration

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

Sea ice represents a unique ecosystem in the Arctic, providing habitat to specialized iceassociated species that include microorganisms, fish, birds, and marine mammals. Individual species use sea ice in different ways depending on their biological needs. Ice algae form the base of the food web. Some algae stay attached to the bottom of the ice, some fall into the water column, and some fall to the bottom of the sea, and so provide food for species that feed at different depths. Protists (single-celled organisms) and zooplankton eat the algae which are then eaten by, for instance, Arctic cod, Boreogadus saida and sea birds (e.g. dovekie, Alle alle), which in turn act as the major link to other fish and birds, seals, and whales. Polar bears, Ursus maritimus, prey upon seals from the ice and walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, forage on clams from drifting pack ice.

Arctic sea ice minimum extent in September 1982 and 2005

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

The red line indicates the median minimum extent of the ice cover for the period 1979–2000. This figure compares the Arctic sea-ice extent in September for the years 1982 (the record maximum since 1979) and 2005 (the record minimum). The ice extent was 7.5 million km2 in 1982 and only 5.6 million km2 in 2005, a difference of 25 per cent. As has been observed in other recent years, the retreat of the ice cover was particularly pronounced along the Eurasian coast. Indeed, the retreat was so pronounced that at the end of the summer of 2005 the Northern Sea Route across the top of Eurasia was completely ice-free. Please note that this has been updated with 2007 extent: http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/arctic-sea-ice-minimum-extent-in-september-1982-2005-and-2007

Arctic sea ice minimum extent in September 1982 and 2008

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:47:00 --0100

The red line indicates the median minimum extent of the ice cover for the period 1979–2000. This figure compares the Arctic sea ice extent in September for the years 1982 (the record maximum since 1979) and 2008. The ice extent was 7.5 million km2 in 1982 and only 5.6 million km2 in 2005 and down to 4.3 million km2 in 2007. As has been observed in other recent years, the retreat of the ice cover was particularly pronounced along the Eurasian coast. Indeed, the retreat was so pronounced that at the end of the summers of 2005 and 2007 the Northern Sea Route across the top of Eurasia was completely ice-free. Please note that this figure was not originally published in Global Outlook for Ice and Snow, but is updated from a figure in that publication.

Arctic sea routes - Northern sea route and Northwest passage

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:06:00 --0100

Sea routes along the edges of the Arctic ocean, or rather along the coasts of Northern Canada and Russia, holds potential for decreasing the number of days in shipping goods from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts in Europe and North America, and vice versa. In addition, this could provide a means to transport natural resources, such as oil and gas, extracted in the Arctic. Currently these routes have not been possible to use this, due to the ice conditions, but with decreases in ice - due to climate change - this could provide a new possibility. In addition, this would mean increased risk for the sensitive wilderness areas along these coasts, with oil spills and pollution. Please note that Northern Sea Route was previously known as Northeast passage.

Arctic Soil Organic Carbon Content

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:32:00 --0100

A new assessment has estimated that there are 1,650 gigatonnes of carbon stored in the northern circumpolar permafrost region4, more than twice the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

Arctic summer snow cover extent 1968-2008

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

The average snow cover extent during June, July and August across the Arctic (north of the polar circle) section of Eurasia and North America has decreased by 22,000 km2/year during 1968–2008.

Arctic temperature anomaly patterns

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

Natural climate variability is organized into spatial patterns of high and low pressure regions, represented by the Arctic Oscillation (also called the Northern Annular Mode) and North Pacific patterns in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Southern Annular Mode in the Southern Hemisphere. The patterns of surface temperature anomalies when the Arctic Oscillation and Northern Pacific patterns are in their positive extreme are shown in this figure - as anomalies averaged over periods with different types of dominating pattern of natural variability. When either of the patterns is in its positive extreme, the pattern contributes to an overall Arctic warm period. In recent years (2000–2005), however, the pattern of warm temperature anomalies is circumpolar in distribution and different from either of the two major 20th century climate patterns.

Arctic temperatures in the 20th century, modeled and observed

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

Observed Arctic winter land temperatures and IPCC model recreations for the 20th century. Note that although these model runs are able to capture the range of Arctic warm and cold periods, the timing of the peaks varies, suggesting that the early 20th century warming was due to random causes, while the increases at the end of the century shown by all the models supports CO2 as an external forcing of the Arctic climate system.

Arctic terrestrial species trends 1970-2005 (ASTI)

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0100

Dramatic changes, such as sea ice loss, are projected to occur in Arctic ecosystems over the next century. Understanding how the Arctic’s living resources, including its vertebrate species, are responding to these changes is essential in order to develop effective conservation and adaptation strategies. Arctic species that are adapted to these extreme environments are expected to be displaced, in part, by the encroachment of more southerly species and ecosystems. A total of 965 populations of 306 species (representing 35% of all known Arctic vertebrate species) were used to generate the Arctic Species Trend Index (ASTI). Presented in this figure is the terrestrial component of the ASTI. The moderate decline in the terrestrial index (–10%) is largely a reflection of declines (–28%) in terrestrial high Arctic populations (mostly herbivores, such as caribou, Rangifer tarandus, lemmings, and the High Arctic brent goose, Branta bernicla). Terrestrial low Arctic population increases (+7%) are driven, in part, by dramatically increasing goose populations, but may also reflect an ecological response to climatic changes whereby species with more southerly distributions are responding favorably to these climatic changes. This northward movement of southern species (e.g., red fox, Vulpes vulpes) coupled with increasing incidence of severe weather events in the high Arctic and changing tundra vegetation may explain, in part, the declines in terrestrial high Arctic populations and the possible negative impact on herbivorous species. This figure presents the index of terrestrial species disaggregated by Arctic boundary for the period 1970–2004 (high Arctic, n=25 species, 73 populations; low Arctic, n=66 species, 166 populations; sub-Arctic, n=102 species, 204 populations).

Arctic transportation routes - roads, shipping and pipelines

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:00:00 --0100

Land infrastructure represents a fragmentation of the natural ecosystems, splitting up expanses of tundra and taiga - and creates a disturbance in the form of traffic. In addition, it promotes development of side roads, houses and facilities. Shipping doesn't present a threat in the same way, but there are risks related to goods that could present a hazard for the environment, such as oil.

Arctic vegetation zones

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0100

Distribution of major vegetation zones and level of protection in the Arctic is shown based on the percentage of area covered. This is part of a report by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF).

Arctic, AMAP and CAFF area

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:41:00 --0100

Identifying and defining the Arctic is not necessarily obvious, as this map illustrates. The Arctic Council working groups on conservation and pollution operate with slightly different definitions due to both practical and political reasons.

Arctic, topography and bathymetry

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Arctic, topography and bathymetry

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:03:00 --0100

(See http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/arctic-topography-and-bathymetry1 for an updated version of this map) The Arctic is extremely diverse in terms of landscapes, varying from pack and drift ice to rugged shores, flat coastal plains, rolling hills and mountains surpassing 6000 metres above sea level (Denali, 6,194 m asl, in sub-arctic and boreal Alaska). The region has rivers and lakes, tundra and the largest forests in the world (the Russian Taiga).

Arctic, topography and bathymetry (topographic map)

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:44:00 --0100

Arctic, topography and bathymetry (topographic map)

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:24:10 --0100

The Arctic represents the northermost area of the World, the Arctic Ocean and the land areas that surrounds it. The region is characterized but cold temperatures, and ice and snow. The summers are short, but with long periods of daylight (midnight sun). The winters are long and cold and with periods with no sun (polar night). The Arctic Ocean is one basin that is mostly covered by sea ice, and is connected to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The countries in this region are Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland (Denmark), Canada and Alaska (USA).

Area of Biomes Protected

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:24:00 --0100

Rising temperatures force many living organisms to migrate to cooler areas, while new organisms arrive. Such movements involve all species, including plants. Some species will seek higher altitudes, others will move further polewards. In temperate regions, plant and tree species can migrate naturally by 25 to 40 kilometres a century. However if, for example, there was a 3°C increase in temperature over a hundred year period in a particular region, the conditions in that area would undergo dramatic change, equivalent in ecological terms to a shift of several hundred kilometres (Jouzel and Debroise 2007).

Area of outer continental shelf submitted per continent

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:25:00 --0100

No data.

Area with near-surface permafrost (North of 45°N)

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:52:57 --0100

Simulated a) permafrost area and active layer thickness (a) 1980- 1999 and (b) 2080-2099. (c) Observational estimates of permafrost (continuous, discontinuous, sporadic, and isolated). (d) Time series of simulated global permafrost area (excluding glacial Greenland and Antarctica).

Areas affected by deforestation

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:42:54 --0100

Deforestation is a key global environmental indicator. Many regions of the world are affected by deforestation: namely in South America (Brazil), Central Africa (Congo), Southeast Asia (Indonesia) and Eastern Europe.

Areas of physical and economic water scarcity

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0100

Under current water use practices, increases in population and changes in diet are projected to increase water consumption in food and fiber production by 70-90%. If demands for biomass energy increase, this may aggravate the problem. In addition, sectoral competition for water resources will intensify, further exacerbating the stress on developing country producers.

Areas that qualify for protection under Indonesian law

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

Under Indonesian law, areas that qualify for protection are based on slope (>40%), sensitive soil types, elevation (above 2000m), and peat land (>3m), thereby preventing any man-made development within most of the Sumatran orangutan’s habitat. Certain sensitive soil types, including deep peat, buffer zones along river banks and around other water sources, and the upper reaches of water catchment areas.

Aridity Zones

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Forty percent of Africa's population lives in arid, semi-arid, and dry subhumid areas. Climate change may lead to an increase in arid zones that are susceptible to drought. This graphic shows the locations of humid, moist subhumid, dry subhumid, semi-arid, arid and hyper-arid areas in Africa.

Armenia, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Armenia is located in Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey, comprising of 29,800 sq km. It has a population of 2,982,904 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone.

Atmospheric Circulation Patterns

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0100

Carbon cycling in the world’s oceans. The flow of carbon dioxide across the air-sea interface is a function of CO2 solubility in sea water (Solubility Pump). The amount of CO2 dissolved in sea water is mainly influenced by physico-chemical conditions (sea water temperature, salinity, total alkalinity) and biological processes, e.g. primary production. The solubility pump and the biological pump enhance the uptake of CO2 by the surface ocean influencing its values for dissolved CO2 and transferring carbon to deep waters. All these mechanisms are strongly connected, subtly balanced and influential to the ocean’s capacity to sink carbon. The net effect of the biological pump in itself is to keep the atmosphere concentration of CO2 around 30% of what it would be in its absence (Siegenthaler and Sarmiento, 1993).

Atmospheric concentration of CO2

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:42:20 --0100

No data

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) - Mauna Loa or Keeling curve

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:00:00 --0100

Atmospheric concentration of CO2 is steadily rising, and oceans directly assimilate CO2. As ocean concentration of CO2 increases, the oceans automatically become more acidic. This, in turn, may have severe impacts on coral reefs and other biocalcifying organisms. There is little debate on the effect as this is a straight-forward chemical process, but the implications for marine life, that may be severe due to many very pH-sensitive relationships in marine ecosystems, are still unknown.

Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 over the last 10 000 years

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:19:17 --0100

No data.

Augmentation de la production des principales cultures agricoles selon le rendement et la superficie cultivée (1965–2008)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:36:00 --0100

L’accroissement des rendements a été dans l’ensemble supérieur à celui des superficies.

Australia emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) 1990 and 2010 projection

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0100

Emissions from human activities, and primarily fossil fuels, contribute to climate change, global warming and the greenhouse effect. This is primarily from industry, energy, transportation and related sectors. Please note that this collection of graphics has since been updated, please see http://www.grida.no or http://unfccc.int/ for the latest information and graphics

Australia, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0100

This set of graphics has been produced by GRID-Arendal in co-operation with the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP-7) to the Convention, held in Marrakesh, Morocco 29th October to 9th November 2001. This graphic shows total greenhouse gas emissions from Australia. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Austria, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0100

This set of graphics has been produced by GRID-Arendal in co-operation with the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP-7) to the Convention, held in Marrakesh, Morocco 29th October to 9th November 2001. This Graphic shows total greenhouse gas emissions from Austria. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Average Annual Rate of Change

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:38:00 --0100

Changes in area covered by forest, 1990-2005.

Average Recurrence Interval for sea-level events of a given height at Sydney, Australia6c_sidney_level

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0100

For the second half of the 20th century (red line), the average recurrence interval for a sea-level height of a given value is less than half the value for the first half of the 20th century (blue line).

Average sea level 1900-2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:50:00 --0100

Sea-level rise is accelerating.

Awareness and preparedness for emergencies at local level (APELL) sites in India

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:32:00 --0100

Awareness and preparedness for emergencies at local level (APELL). APELL achieves its aims through community participation in emergency planning, via a structured dialogue between representatives of the source of the hazard (e.g. a land-owner), local authorities (the emergency services, e.g. fi re and /or police) and community leaders (who inform their constituencies). This dialogue is achieved through a ‘Co-ordinating Group’ which reviews the hazard situation and then proposes some measures to address the risks. The outcome is an emergency plan to which the community has provided substantial input and which is understood by ordinary citizens.

Azerbaijan, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Azerbaijan is located in Southwestern Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Russia, with a small European portion north of the Caucasus range, comprising of 86,600 sq km. It has a population of 7,911,974 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: local scientists consider the Abseron Yasaqligi (Apsheron Peninsula) (including Baku and Sumqayit) and the Caspian Sea to be the ecologically most devastated area in the world because of severe air, soil, and water pollution; soil pollution results from oil spills, from the use of DDT as a pesticide, and from toxic defoliants used in the production of cotton.

Back to the future: The science of building scenarios

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Diagram showing four scenarios for the future each with different influences between market orientation and environmental, and regional and global. Then predictive charts show the scenarios in terms of emissions, concentrations and impacts of CO2 levels.

Bad harvests in South Niger

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:38:17 --0100

In Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, people are far more concerned about the availability of food than its quality. In some areas, particularly in August and September when one crop runs out and the next is not ready to harvest, people eat very little – some days nothing at all.

Balkans: hazardous industrial sites, water pollution and mining hot spots

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:00:00 --0100

The environmental legacy associated with extraction industries is all too familiar. Badly operated or abandoned mining sites have already caused severe pollution, some with impacts spilling across national boundaries: heavy metal spills from Baia Borsa tailings in Romania; the cyanide spill from Baia Mare in Romania; heavy metal spills from Sasa tailings in Macedonia; and various releases at Majdanpek and Veliki Majdan in Serbia, and Mojkovac in Montenegro.

Balkans: topographic and political map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Balkans includes Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro (ex-Yugoslavia). The area is recovering from a long conflict and instability as a result of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia.

Baltic Sea drainage basin

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

This 'basemap' displays the extent of the drainage basin (the boundary for the water that ends up in the Baltic Sea), and the countries in the region. The drainage basin represents all water that drains into the sea, through rivers and ground water.

Barents Region and the surrounding seas

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Barent's Euro-Arctic Council was established in 1993 to promote inter-governmental cooperation in the northenmost parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland and north-west Russia. The cooperating region includes, in the Scandinavian countries, the counties of Nordland, Troms and Finnmark in Norway, Norrbotten and Västerbotten in Sweden, and Lapland and the province of Oulu in Finland. In Russia, it includes the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Oblasts, the Republic of Karelia, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the Republic of Komi. Historically in the Soviet era, contacts between the Western European and Russian parts of the region were restricted. Cooperation since the beginning of the 1990's has increased rapidly. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Barents Region, topography and bathmetry

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Barents Sea has an average depth 230 m, bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya (Russia) in the northeast and east. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Barents Region, topography and bathymetry

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:07:00 --0100

The Barents Region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Barents Sea has anaverage depth 230 m, bordered by the shelf edge towards the Norwegian Sea in the west, the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the northwest, and the islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya (Russia) in the northeast and east.

Barents Sea - Oil free zones

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:00:00 --0100

Proposal from the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) for permanent petroleum-free zones in the Barents Sea. Areas covered with ice for parts of the year are also included in the proposed zones. The map has been drawn up by WWF Norway and is based on vulnerability analyses from Det Norske Veritas (April 2005) and mapping of fish resources from the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (March 2005).

Barents Sea ecoregion conservation priority areas and oil and gas infrastructure

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 12:25:00 --0100

The Barents Sea ecoregion - the part of the World Ocean north of the Nordic countries and Northwest Russia, has a unique environment with major sea bird colonies, rich benthic and plankton fauna and many major sea mammal species. To identify priority areas for conservation, thirty experts delineated sea areas based on ecological criteria in a WWF study. One of the main threats to the region is the development associated with the expansion of fossil fuel extraction activities. Russia and Norway are expanding new fields, and traffic is expected to increase.

Barents Sea vulnerability index

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:54:00 --0100

Areas that are vulnerable to pollution from oil and chemical spills where identified using a multiple index in a geographical analysis. Factors, including shoreline sensitivity, corals, benthic conditions, sea birds, marine mammals, fish and fisheries and other sea resources where taken into account and weighed for their importance.

Barren Lands

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:51:00 --0100

Deforestation is well known for aggravating erosion. Bare soil has no protection against heavy rain, washing away immediately. On hillsides, it readily turns into mudslides leaving people very little time to seek refuge and cutting deep ravines into the earth. And where deforested land was turned into cultivated fields, the soil is likely to be overused and exploited through intensive use of fertiliser.

BedZED (Beddington Zero energy development), location

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:00 --0100

At Beddington, south of London, a housing development known as BedZED (Beddington Zero energy development) was designed from the start to produce little waste of any sort. It was built on a depolluted plot of land, previously used by industry, and recycled materials were used in its construction.

Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine: forest cover

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:20:00 --0100

There is not a lot of forest coverage in the area. Most of the region consists of plain and lowland, wooded as in Belarus and northern Ukraine, or open steppe as elsewhere. Forests are concentrated in the relatively small mountain regions on the edges of Eastern Europe: in the Carpathians and Crimea.

Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine: topography

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:11:00 --0100

Eastern Europe extends from the northern shore of the Black Sea in Ukraine up to the Baltic Sea basin in Belarus. It covers 845,000 square kilometers and is home to almost 60 million people. These nations share common borders, watersheds, and infrastructure and have many similarities in their geography, history, culture and economy.

Belarus, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0100

Belarus is located in Eastern Europe, east of Poland, comprising of 207,600 sq km. It has a population of 10,300,483 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl in northern Ukraine.

Belgium emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) 1990 and 2010 projections

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0100

Belgium, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0100

This set of graphics has been produced by GRID-Arendal in co-operation with the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for the 7th Conference of the Parties (COP-7) to the Convention, held in Marrakesh, Morocco 29th October to 9th November 2001. This graphic shows total greenhouse gas emissions from Belgium. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Below-ground carbon stocks

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0100

The three coastal peat swamps of Tripa, Kluet and Singkil together represent the most important habitat for Sumatran oran-gutan populations in terms of density (van Schaik et al. 1995). When considering that the depth of the peat exceeds more than five metres in many parts of Aceh’s peatlands, these coastal peat swamp forests represent by far the largest carbon stocks per unit area for the areas where Sumatran orangutans occur (Wahyunto et al. 2003; Agus and Wahdini 2008).

Benefits from marine and coastal ecosystems and activities

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:51:00 --0100

Besides the well-known economic value of fisheries, there are several other activities generating significant revenues in coastal and marine areas. This graphic discusses the economic benefits of coastal tourism, trade and shipping, offshore oil and gas, and fisheries. It also illustrates the estimated mean value of marine biomes such as estuaries and coastal reefs.

Benefits of marine and coastal ecosystems to human wellbeing

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0100

Besides the well-known economic value of fisheries, there are several other activities generating significant revenues in coastal and marine areas. Tourism has become one of the world’s fastest growing industries, providing a significant proportion of the GDPs of many developing countries. Small island states are particularly reliant on coastal and marine tourism. In the Caribbean, for example, the industry accounts for a quarter of the total economy, and a fifth of all jobs. However, the very areas that attract tourists are also coming under increasing pressure from the damage and pollution caused by tourist facilities and the supporting infrastructure (GESAMP, 2001a). The world’s oceans also provide for a global shipping industry, which has recorded significant growth in recent years. By 2020, the volume of international trade is expected to have tripled from pre-1995 levels, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with up to 90% of it travelling by sea (McGinn, 1999). Mining for sand, gravel, coral and minerals has been taking place in shallow waters and continental shelves for decades. Offshore drilling now supplies a substantial proportion of the world’s oil and natural gas, and the offshore industry is expected to grow significantly in the coming years (Stark & Chew, 2001). - Although marine products such as seafood, sand and oil have been valued for decades, it is only recently that we have begun to appreciate the oceans’ vital services in maintaining ecological diversity and regulating climate. - A recent calculation, based on more than 100 studies over the past two decades, suggests that ocean services are worth US$23 trillion a year - only slightly less than the world’s total GNP. - It is estimated that the seas and oceans supply two-thirds of the value of all the natural services provided by our natural environment (GESAMP, 2001a). - Damage caused by the introduction of non-indigenous organisms to coastal and marine environments totals hundreds of millions of US dollars (GESAMP, 2001b).

Besoin de ressources en eau pour la production alimentaire

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:53:00 --0100

Variations historiques et projetées de la consommation d’eau pour la production alimentaire, 1960-2050

Biodiveristy in Central Asia

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:45:00 --0100

Caspian and Balkhash endemic species are under threat of extinction. It is estimated that ten percent of total area needs to be protected in order to sustain development and the countries of the region are seriously behind that benchmark.

Biodiveristy in Central Asia [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:54:00 --0100

Biodiversité, par rapport à l’abondance des espèces avant les impacts anthropiques

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:22:00 --0100

Déperdition de la biodiversité du fait de l’expansion agricole continue, de la pollution, du changement climatique et du développement des infrastructures.

Biodiversity and protected areas in Macedonia

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 08:58:59 --0100

A map of Macedonia showing all the protected areas, national parks natural reserves. The industry sector is the main polluter in Macedonia. The primary reasons for industrial pollution are the old, inefficient technologies, inadequate control of waste, and insufficient equipment for environment protection. The most serious problems in the country are the quality of air in Veles, Bitola, and Skopje; the pollution of surface waters (as a result of discharging untreated waste waters), and the inadequate treatment of the solid and hazardous waste.

Biodiversity in the Caspian Sea (Approximate numbers)

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:53:56 --0100

The region presents a wealth of opportunities in other areas, including bioresources, transport corridors, and not least ecotourism. These new ventures may bring increased prosperity, but they also put pressure on traditional rural communities and the environment. This graphic presents the number of species in the groups: phytoplankton, zooplankton, zoobenthos, fishes, marine and land mammals and birds.

Biodiversity loss: state and scenarios 2006 and 2050

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:31:00 --0100

These projections of biodiversity loss from 2000 to 2050 were produced by the GLOBIO consortium for UNEP's Global Environment Outlook 4. Across the GEO scenarios and regions, global biodiversity continues to be threatened, with strong implications for ecosystem services and human well-being. All regions continue to experience declines in terrestrial biodiversity in each of the scenarios. The greatest losses are seen in Markets First, followed by Security First, Policy First and Sustainability First for most regions. Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean experience the greatest losses of terrestrial biodiversity by 2050 in all four scenarios, followed by Asia and the Pacific. The differences among the regions are largely a result of broad-scale land-use changes, especially increases in pastureland and areas dedicated to biofuel production. The overall changes in terrestrial biodiversity though, are influenced by a number of other factors, including infrastructure development, pollution and climate change, as well as public policy and conflict. For the full report, please see http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4

Biodiversity threats

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:55:39 --0100

South Africa is recognised as the third most megadiverse country in the world. The abundance of biodiversity found within its borders covers an estimated ten per cent of the world’s plant species, seven per cent of all bird, six per cent of all mammal, and five per cent of all reptile species found on the planet. Due to various causes ranging from unsustainable land use and farming practices, to invasion by alien species and climate change, South Africa’s ecosystems are under considerable pressure, much of which is directly or indirectly linked to poverty.

Biofuel production

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0100

Thousand million litres per year

Biofuel production

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0100

With a further surge in demand ahead of us it is worth looking at ways to ensure a sustainable production of energy corps.

Biofuel Production

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0100

The plants grown for biofuel production absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and combustion of the biofuel releases only the CO2 previously absorbed by the plant.

Biofuel production Map

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0100

Global map about Biofuel production

Biofuel versus fossil fuel

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0100

About Biofuel versus fossil fuel

Biofuel versus fossil fuel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0100

In green: virtuous initial equation in favour of biofuels, In red: main concerns related to biofuels, In blue: main concerns related to fossil fuels.

Biofuels production 1975-2005 (ethanol and biodiesel)

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0100

Biofuels have grown quickly in demand and production (Figure 14), fuelled by high oil prices and the initial perception of their role in reducing CO2 emissions (FAO, 2008). Biofuels, including biodiesel from palm oil and ethanol from sugarcane, corn and soybean, accounted for about 1% of the total road transport in 2005, and may reach 25% by 2050, with the EU having set targets as high as 10% by 2020 (World Bank, 2007; FAO, 2008). For many countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, biofuels are also seen as an opportunity to improve rural livelihoods and boost the economy through exports (Fitzherbert et al., 2008; UNEP, 2008). The US is the largest producer and consumer of bioethanol, followed by Brazil (Figure 15) (World Bank, 2007; FAO, 2008). Brazil has now used 2.7 million has of land area for this production (4.5% of the cropland area),mainly sugar cane.

Biofuels production 2005, by country (ethanol and biodiesel)

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0100

Production of crops for biofuels also competes with food production (Banse et al., 2008). Indeed, the corn equivalent of the energy used on a few minutes drive could feed a person for a day, while a full tank of ethanol in a large 4-wheel drive suburban utility vehicle could almost feed one person for a year. A recent OECD-FAO (2007) report expected food prices to rise by between 20% and 50% by 2016 partly as a result of biofuels. Already, drastically raised food prices have resulted in violent demonstrations and protests around the world in early 2008. Current OECD scenarios by the IMAGE model project a mean increase in the proportion of land allocated to crops for biofuel production equivalent to 0.5% of the cropland area in 2008, 2% by 2030 (range 1–3%) and 5% by 2050 (range 2–8%).

Biological oxygen demand - BOD: 1976-2008

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0100

The availability of oxygen is one of the most important indicators of the condition of a water body, because dissolved oxygen, or DO, (the amount of oxygen dissolved in water) is necessary for most aquatic organisms, including fish and invertebrates. Some species have very defined lower limits of DO that they can tolerate. Increases in DO can indicate improvements in water quality, such as has occurred in many parts of the world in the last 30 years. Over the two decades, rivers in Europe and Australasia have shown a significant statistical reduction in biological oxygen demand concentrations, (an indicator of the organic pollution of freshwater), suggesting positive trends. There was no change in the assessed results for North America, although there was a tighter data distribution, indicating the data available for 1991-2000 is less variable than for previous periods.

Biotechnology and modern biotechnology defined

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0100

Modern biotechnology is a term adopted by international convention to refer to biotechnological techniques for the manipulation of genetic material and the fusion of cells beyond normal breeding barriers. The most obvious example is genetic engineering to create genetically modified/engineered organisms (GMOs/GEOs) through “transgenic technology” involving the insertion or deletion of genes.

Black Carbon Emissions

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0100

Combustion sources of black carbon. Black carbon is thought to be the second largest contributor to global warming, next to brown carbon (the gases). Thus, reducing black carbon emission represents one of the most efficient ways for mitigating global warming that we know today.

Black Sea pipelines

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:20 --0100