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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

«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 --0200

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 --0200

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

A multifunctional perspective of agriculture

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

No data

A World of Salt

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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

Access to sanitation in urban Africa

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:30:51 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

A table about Accounting units

Accounting units

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

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 --0200

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

Acid rain in Europe

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Projected growth in energy demand in coming decades.

Administration

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Environment and Security in the Mediterranean: Agriculture and Fisheries

Agriculture and manufacturing waste generation

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 21:59:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Albedo of basic thick sea ice surface types

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

About All actors towards a climate neutral society

All recipient and contributor countries of the Multilateral Fund

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:53:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Average surface temperature anomaly (oC)

Annual world nuclear reactor construction / Spent fuel generation

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:37:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

No data

Antarctic References

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:53:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Arable land in the Baltic Sea region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Aral Sea: trends and scenarios

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

Arctic delta pond ecosystems, seasonal flooding and adaptation

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Arctic, topography and bathymetry

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 12:03:00 --0200

(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 --0200

Arctic, topography and bathymetry (topographic map)

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:24:10 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

No data.

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

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:52:57 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

No data

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

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:00:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Sea-level rise is accelerating.

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

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:32:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Belgium, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:22:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Thousand million litres per year

Biofuel production

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Global map about Biofuel production

Biofuel versus fossil fuel

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

About Biofuel versus fossil fuel

Biofuel versus fossil fuel

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

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 --0200

Black Sea water indicators

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:22 --0200

Blue Carbon Sink Burial Rates a)

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0200

The capacity of ocean's blue carbon sinks (tons of carbon per hectare per year).

Blue Carbon Sink Burial Rates b)

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0200

The capacity of ocean's blue carbon sinks (total annual blue carbon sink burial rates).

Blue Carbon Sinks

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:04:00 --0200

The carbon captured by living organisms in oceans is stored in the form of sediments from mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses. Benefiting from the excellent conditions available to support plant growth, vegetated coastal habitats rank amongst the most productive habitats in the world, comparable in production to the most productive agricultural crops. Blue carbon sinks are strongly autotrophic, which means that these ecosystems fix CO2 as organic matter photosyntheticaly in excess of the CO2 respired back by biota, thus removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Some of this excess carbon is exported and subsidises adjacent ecosystems, including open ocean and beach ecosystems. The remaining excess production of mangrove forests, salt-marshes and seagrass meadows is buried in the sediments, where it can remain stored over millenary time scales, thereby representing a strong natural carbon sink.

Bor river/Timok river Watershed

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 10:13:00 --0200

The graphic shows the watershed area of the Bor and Timok rivers, and the areas potentially affected by pollution.The southeast Serbian municipality of Bor is paying a high price for the century-old industrial exploitation of its copper resources. The citizens and the municipality of Bor have recently embarked on a participatory process in order to identify and tackle their most threatening environmental problems.

Boreal forest

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 --0200

The boreal forest biome holds the second largest stock of carbon; most of this is stored in the soil and litter. The draining of boreal forest peatlands, inappropriate forestry practices and poor fire management may all cause significant losses of the carbon stored in this ecosystem.

Boreal Forest Extent

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:41:15 --0200

No data

Botswana Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:55:08 --0200

No data

Bovanenkovo gas field and impacts on reindeer herding (Yamal, Russia)

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

A false color Quickbird-2 satellite image of a portion of the Bovanenkovo Gas Field on the Yamal Peninsula in West Siberia. Image acquired 4 July 2004. The construction phase began in the late 1980s. From that period onward there remain visible signs of extensive off-road vehicle traffic across the terrain. Many of those tracks have naturally revegetated and now appear as bright red, indicating dense grass- and sedge-dominated vegetation. The road network was built in the mid-1990s, which has reduced off-road traffic significantly. However, infrastructure blocks segments of migration routes for Nenets and their reindeer herds, and pasture quality can be negatively affected by road dust, petrochemicals, trash left on the tundra, and even feral dogs abandoned by workers.

Brazilian alcohol transport fleet and regional climate benefits

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

In Brazil there are noticeable benefits for using alcohol as a fuel over traditional gasoline. This graphic illustrates the reduction in use of fossil fuels (gasoline) in favor of ethanol/alcohol. This has lead to a reduction in emissions of CO2 emissions, as illustrated by the bottom chart.

Breakdown of Carbon Storage by Region

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:31:00 --0200

Forests absorb carbon through photosynthesis and sequester it as biomass, thus creating a natural storage of carbon. Carbon stocks in forest areas comprise carbon in living and dead organic matter both above and below ground including trees, the understorey, dead wood, litter and soil.

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Bulgaria, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Bulgaria. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Bulgaria, topographic map

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 08:15:34 --0200

Bulgaria, a country in Eastern Europe, is inhabited by 7.5 million people. The capital is Sofia. Current environmental issues are, according to the CIA factbook: air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and resulting acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes.

Bushmeat trade in Tshuapa-Lomami-Lualaba Region

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:10:00 --0200

Hunting inside protected areas to supply bush- meat is extensive in many regions, and much is transported by bicycle to i.e. larger towns like Kindu. The great apes, sometimes smoked, constitute up to several percent of the total bushmeat, but with devastating impacts on the great ape populations with their slow reproductive rates and complex social structure.

Calcium levels in major rivers

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the average calcium levels, 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 calcium levels between these two time periods.

Calorie consumption in selected regions of the world (1975-1995)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Most of the world has increased in daily calorie intake expcet for Europe and Central Asia. This graph is comparing per-capita calorie consumption in North America, Europe and Central Asia, Africa, and the world average from 1975-1995.

Can the Aral Sea produce enough food?

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 17:34:00 --0200

The Aral Sea is facing a challenge in producing enough food for the surrounding area. In all predictive models of climate change rate the region will be in for hard times when it comes to producing food by the year 2020.

Can the Aral Sea produce enough food? [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:57:00 --0200

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Canada, Arctic indigenous population

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:07:00 --0200

Canada, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Canada. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Carbon cycle

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 --0200

Living systems play a vital role in the carbon cycle. Photosynthesising organisms – mostly plants on land and various kinds of algae and bacteria in the sea – use either atmospheric carbon dioxide or that dissolved in sea water as the basis for the complex organic carbon compounds that are essential for life.

Carbon cycle

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Carbon is the basis of all organic substances, from fossil fuels to human cells. On Earth, carbon is continually on the move – cycling through living things, the land, ocean, atmosphere. What happens when humans start driving the carbon cycle? We have seen that we can make a serious impact – rapidly raising the level of carbon in the atmosphere. But we really have no idea what we are doing. At the moment we don’t even know what happens to all the carbon we release from burning fossil fuel. Obviously a lot of it goes into the atmosphere, but every year we loose track of between 15 and 30% (NASA). Scientists speculate that it is taken up by land vegetation, but no one really knows. This sort of uncertainty makes it doubly difficult to predict the outcome of tampering with something as complex as the carbon cycle.

Carbon Cycle

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0200

Blue and green carbon process.Oceans are crucial in the global carbon cycle. It was here where life first evolved; they are the source of our wealth and development. The living oceans capture over half of all the Green carbon – the carbon bound by living organisms through photosynthesis.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions for selected African countries in 1997

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Africa is very vulnerable to climate change given its low capacity to respond and adapt, but Africa emits relatively low amounts of greenhouse gases in comparison to other regions. This graphic shows the amount of carbon dioxide emissions per capita, in metric tonnes, in 1997 for OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, for the world, for sub-Saharan Africa and for selected individual countries.

Carbon dioxide emissions globally and from annex 1 countries (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Carbon intensity of economy: Percentage growth from 1980

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

The ratio of emissions to GDP in Latin America and the Caribbean remained constant between 1980 and 2005. This is very much in contrast to the world as a whole, the OECD countries and in particular when compared to China. These figures clearly show the need to intensify efforts within the region to transition to less carbon-intensive economies.

Carbon intensity of energy use: Percentage growth from 1980

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

By comparing the emissions:energy ratio (carbon intensity) between regions, one finds different patterns over time. Thus, between 1980 and 1995, decarbonization in Latin America and the Caribbean was in line with the world average; in the first half of the 1980s, the region progressed even faster than the OECD countries. Later, between 1995 and 2003, the emissions-to-energy consumption ratio increased.

Carbon inventory

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Carbon stored by forests, Distribution of carbon inventory and Carbon inventory up to 2100.

Carbon inventory

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Carbon stored by forests graphic, Distribution of carbon inventory graphic and Carbon inventory up to 2100.

Carbon stock for different type of land uses, on mineral and peat soil

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

For a range of land uses that occur in Tripa (forests on peatland) and Batang Toru (forest on non-peatland) the profitability and carbon stocks were determined. Undisturbed forest clearly has the highest carbon stock while rice fields have the lowest.

Carbon Stocks Trends and Projections Compared to 1860

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:24:00 --0200

Carbon stocks in forest areas comprise carbon in living and dead organic matter both above and below ground including trees, the understorey, dead wood, litter and soil. According to the latest projections, changes in climate will mean that by 2050 the world’s ecosystems, including all its important forests, will be releasing more carbon than they are capable of absorbing.

Carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 --0200

Terrestrial ecosystems store about 2100 Gt C in living organisms, litter and soil organic matter, which is almost three times that currently present in the atmosphere.

Carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems vs. great ape distribution

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

All great ape species predominantly live in tropical rainforests, which are among the most carbon-rich areas in the world. This overlap between the areas where great apes occur and carbon indicates that more potential synergies between great apes and carbon conservation exist.

Carbon stored by biome

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 --0200

Dividing the world into seven biomes, we estimate that tropical and subtropical forests store the largest amount of carbon, almost 550 Gt.

Caribbean casualties due to hurricanes

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:57:00 --0200

From Trinidad to Tallahassee, Florida, tropical storms have ravaged the Caribbean basin, exacting a multibillion-dollar toll on housing, schools, hospitals, roads and sewage systems. Most of the casualties were in Haiti. But almost no community escaped unscathed. In Grenada, half of the population is now homeless, the famed nutmeg groves flattened, the power plants wrecked. The tourism industry that was the island’s lifeblood could take years to recover. Many other islands – including Tobago, Jamaica and Grand Cayman – also suffered.

Carte des couleurs de peau (peuples indigènes)

Wed, 26 May 2010 19:50:41 --0200

Décliné à partir de facteurs environnementaux multiples

Caspian Sea - salinity

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:38:00 --0200

The Caspian Sea has internal drainage, which means that it does not have an outlet to the World Ocean. All water entering the sea accumulates or evaporates. The sea surface salinity in the sea exhibits a gradient, with the semi-encludes bay of Kara-Bogaz-Gol having the most saline water. This bay was closed between 1980 and 1992.

Caspian Sea and the world: the stage and the actors

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0200

The Caspian Sea region presents a wealth of opportunities in various aspect, including bioresources, transport corridors, and not ecotourism. These new ventures may bring increased prosperity, but they also put pressure on traditional rural communities and the environment.

Caspian sea climate, mean annual temperature and precipitation

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:00:00 --0200

With the Caspian Sea's north-south alignment, stretching over a distance of approximately 10 degrees, the water body crosses several different climatic regions. The northernmost regions, with Russia and Kazakhstan are characterised by dry and cold temperate continental cliamte. The south part of the sea, with Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan is mountaineous and much warmer. The most precipitation is in the eastern parts, primarily in the southeast.

Catches in the Mauritania Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 1950-2002

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:01:13 --0200

Marine fisheries represent a significant, but finite, natural resource for coastal countries. The majority of the catches in some of the areas of the coast are not primarily by the coastal countries, but rather as in this example, where countries from Europe and Asia (Japan and South Korea are in the ‘others’ group) represent the majority. According to this estimation Mauritania only landed about 10% of the total catch in 2002, with Netherlands as the nation with the largest catch (23%) in this zone.

Catches in the Mauritania Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 1950-2002

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 10:08:00 --0200

Marine fisheries represent a significant, but finite, natural resource for coastal countries. For some countries like Mauritania, the majority of the catches belong to international fleets. This represents a significant income for the country in question, but at the same time oppurtunities for value-added services and domestic employment are lost.

Cattle in the Caucasus ecoregion

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:15:15 --0200

Over the recent number of years, as the economy came to a standstill, individual farms have replaced collective farming and subsistence agriculture and livestock breeding (cattle, sheep and goat) have became common. Along with the increase in farming, more and more land has been used as pasture land. Despite their low productivity, high Mountain areas are increasingly used as pasture grounds for sheep - leading to soil erosion and evoking avalanches and mud-slides. The mountainous shrublands of the Araks basin are extensively irrigated and contribute to soil degradation and the loss of biodiversity. This map presents the distribution and density of cattle farming in the region.

Caucasus ice-rock avalanche in Russian Republic of North Ossetia

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

An ice-rock avalanche in the Kazbek region sheared off almost the entire Kolka Glacier and devastated the Genaldon valley. The satellite images show the region before (July 22, 2001) and after (October 6, 2002) the ice-rock avalanche of September 20, 2002.

Causes of sea level rise from climate change

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

A significant sea level rise is one of the major anticipated consequences of climate change. This graphic explains the causes of sea level change according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It explains the IPCC's A1 scenario family, which consists of three scenarios on future use of fossil energy sources, including scenario A1F1, which involves the use of fossil-intensive energy sources. This resource also includes the graphic 'Components of Mean Sea Level Rise for the Scenario A1F1' which shows the projected sea level rise in metres by 2050 and by 2100 for Greenland, glaciers, expansion, the Antarctic, and the total sea level rise.

Causual pathway of conflict over resources

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 18:47:00 --0200

For violence to occur there should be someone able to extract economic profit from the situation. Access to specific natural resources is a factor that can motivate actors to use violence as means of control (diamonds, oil, timber wars) When looking at the process behind violence it is essential to identify players with an incentive for violence. They need to access resources that facilitate mobilization and expansion of violence. However, society is not powerless when confronted with conflict. Institutions, particularly political institutions and civil society can work to defuse situations, or they can fuel discontent through poor governance, corruption and inefficiency.

Caviar imports to Japan, European Union and United States

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:30:00 --0200

The Caspian area is the world’s main producer of wild caviar (83% in 2003) and supplies the three largest markets, the European Union, Japan and the USA. The construction of several hydroelectric power plants and dams along the Volga river significantly altered the flow of water into the delta and destroyed about 90% of the sturgeon’s spawning grounds, which can be as far as several hundreds of kilometres upstream. This graphic displays the reported figures for these three markets.

Cell phone composition

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0200

It is impossible to detail all the types of waste directly or indirectly involved in manufacturing mobile phones. In developed countries production processes manage to keep sensitive materials in a closed circuit, without any waste escaping to the outside world. Production – “Made in Elsewhere” – does not usually take place where the phones are most widespread. Degrees of efficiency in health and environmental protection vary. In some assembly facilities, workers can be exposed to a mixture of toxic chemicals, with waste finding its way into the atmosphere, ground and water supply, posing a serious risk to their health and that of the people living in the neighborhood.

Central Asia in peril

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:30 --0200

Communities face appalling health problems. In Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, drinking water is saline and polluted, with a high content of metals that causes a range of diseases. Over the past 15 years there has been a thirty-fold increase in chronic bronchitis and in kidney and liver diseases, especially cancer and arthritic diseases have increased sixty-fold. The infant mortality rate is one of the world's highest.

Central Asia: political transition and environmental risks

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:33:00 --0200

The Environment and Security consultations in Ashgabat in 2003 pinpointed the Ferghana valley as an area of significant concern in Central Asia (UNEP, UNDP, OSCE 2003) The graphic shows the priority geographic areas and thematic issues for possible ENVSEC action in this area

Centralized or decentralized? - Uganda. A study case

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Looking at the costs and benefits, centralized systems may not be the answer in terms of best result for the investment. The chart on the left shows that the financial NPV does not change with increasing population size for centralized sewage and wastewater connection, however the economic NPV (which includes benefits to health and the environment) shows a positive trend with increas- ing populations. Centralized systems therefore generate a greater benefit as population increases, but show a significant loss with small community size. The chart on the right shows the situation where decentralized latrines have been installed, and where the excreta is reused for food production, and hence the overall benefits returned will depend on the current market price for food. With a good market, the reuse benefits of low-cost latrines can be realized by the households into a positive NPV, however those requiring greater investment, do not offer a return on the investment (WSP, 2006).

Cereal productivity in sub-Saharan Africa under a projected Intergovernamental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenario

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

A majority of the population in sub-Saharan African lives in rural areas, where income and employment depend almost entirely on rain-fed agriculture. This population is today at high risk. Sub-Saharan Africa already has a highly variable and unpredictable climate and is acutely vulnerable to floods and droughts. A third of the people in the region live in drought-prone areas, and floods are a recurrent threat in several countries. With climate change, large parts of the region will become drier, increasing the number of people at risk of hunger and poverty by tens of millions. Climate change is already affecting the region. Reduced rainfall across the Sahel, an increase in the incidence of drought and greater volatility are among the current symptoms. But the future points to far more extreme changes: warming between 0.2°C and 0.5°C per decade, with 10% less rainfall in interior regions under intermediate global warming scenarios, and water losses increased by rising temperatures. The warming will be greatest over the semi-arid margins of the Sahara, along the Sahel and interior areas of southern Africa. Climate-induced changes to crop yields and ecosystem boundaries will dramatically affect some of the poorest people in sub-Saharan Africa partly because many of them live in areas most prone to extreme climate events and partly because they have little capacity to adapt by turning to irrigated agriculture, improved seeds or alternative livelihoods. Recent modeling has provided important insights that should serve as an early warning system. One illustration, shown on the map, is based on evidence of the relationship between water availability and productivity in the cereals sector. It highlights areas of acute threat, including a wide band across the Sahel region, stretching from Mauritania across Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Sudan. Large swathes of southern Africa face the prospect of steep declines in yields, along with chronically food-insecure countries such as Ethiopia and Somalia. (UNDP Human Development Report, 2006)

Certification Regional Breakdown

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:04:43 --0200

No data

Certified Emission Reductions

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

One certified emission reduction unit is equivalent to a one-tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (measured in CO2 equivalent). Circles have only been drawn for countries that have issued more than 50,000 CERs. Certified Emission Reduction units issued by host parties

Certified Emission Reductions

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

One certified emission reduction unit is equivalent to a one-tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (measured in CO2 equivalent).

Cesium 137 from nuclear weapon testing fallout (1995 figures)

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:56:05 --0200

Nuclear explosions - especially the atmospheric tests in the Arctic and from US, UK and Chinese tests at other sites in the world - are the primary source of radioactive contamination in the Arctic. With the times needed for decomposition of nuclear fallout, these higher radiation levels subsists for longer times.

CFC end uses in the us in 1987

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:42:14 --0200

Ozone depleting solvents were used in dry cleaning, and to clean metal parts in almost all electronic devices, refrigerating equipment and cars. They also played a part in tasks such as laminating wood for desks, bookshelves and cupboards.

CFC production and consumption in 2005

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:12:33 --0200

It was once quoted in the US as being second in value only to cocaine. A 2006 estimate indicated that CFCs alone accounted for 7,000 to 14,000 tonnes of this trade, valued at US$ 25 to US$ 60 million. The disparity in production and consumption has created problems around the world.

CH4 emissions in 2000; Latin America and selected countries

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Since pre-industrial times, the atmospheric concentration of methane (CH4) has increased by 150%. Methane is a greenhouse gas that has a global warming potential that is 23 times stronger than CO2. (IPCC 2001) In 2000 the total world CH4 emissions was estimated at 6,000 million tonnes of CO2equivalents. In South America the emissions of CH4 per capita is almost twice the world average, while the per capita emissions in Central America and Caribbean is similar to the world average. CH4 comes from burning fossil fuels, rice paddies, waste dumps and livestock.

Chacaltaya glacier

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

The retreat of glaciers is a clear indication of climate change in Latin America. Since the mid-1990s, the Chacaltaya glacier in the Plurinational State of Bolivia has lost half of its surface area and two thirds of its volume, endangering the long-term sustainability of the glacier (Francou et. al. 2003).

Change Forest Cover Costa Rica

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:43:00 --0200

Decreases and increases in forest area, 1940-2005. Costa rica has recently recorded a change from having a net loss of forests to having a net gain in forest area.

Change in forest cover, 1985-2007

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Between 1985 and 2007, 49.3% of all forests on the island were lost. In the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra the figures were 22.7% and 43.4%, respectively. Most forest loss has occurred in the lowlands, the very areas where orangutan density is highest.

Change in permafrost temperature in Fairbanks (Alaska)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

With a doubling of atmospheric CO2, it is likely that there will be increases in the thickness of the active layer permafrost and the disappearance of most of the ice-rich discontinous permafrost over a century-long time span. This figure provides a good example of changes already observed in Alaska. Widespread loss of discontinous permafrost will trigger erosion or subsidence of ice-rich landscapes, change hydrologic processes, and release CO2 and methane to the atmosphere. Changes in the cryosphere will reduce slope stability and increase incidence of natural hazards for people, structures and communication links. Buildings, roads, pipelines and communication links will be threatened.

Change in precipitation for scenarios A2 and B2; Tropical America

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

When global surface temperatures increase, changes in precipitation and atmospheric moisture are very likely to increase: the hydrological cycle will be more active, and the atmosphere will increase its water holding capacity. Atmospheric water vapour is a climatically critical greenhouse gas, and more of it leads to a stronger greenhouse effect through natural feedback systems. As a rule of thumb, precipitation will increase in areas that already have much precipitation, while it might decrease in already dry areas. 'Precipitation during the 20th century has on average increased over continents outside the tropics but decreased in the desert regions of Africa and South America”. Scenarios: The IPCC scenarios projects the impacts of various projected concentrations of CO2 in the year 2100, fluctuating between 540 and 970 ppm, compared to about 280 ppm in the pre-industrial era, and 375 in the year 2003. The A2 scenario implies focus on economic growth and increasing population, while the B2 scenario focuses on environmental sustainability.

Change in sea level as a result of changes in ocean density and circulation

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Changes in sea levels resulting exclusively from changes in ocean density and circulation patterns, results of atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCM) for climate change scenario A1B (this scenario assumes future rapid demographic and economic growth, introduction of new and more efficient technologies, accompanied by a balanced use of all types of energy sources) show that there will be significant spatial variability, i.e., changes in sea levels will not be uniform. Thus, it is expected that by the end of the century (2090-2099) there will be major rises in sea levels in the Caribbean and the Atlantic compared to 1980-1999 levels – attributable to the change in density and ocean circulation patterns – which, with the exception of the southeastern coast of Argentina and the eastern coast of Brazil, are expected to be as much as 5 cm greater than the projected world average of between 0.21 meters and 0.48 meters. These same models predict that increases in Pacific sea levels will be less than the world average of 5 cm.

Change in the age of ice on the Arctic Ocean, comparing September ice ages in 1988, 1990, 2001 and 2005

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

The age of sea ice in the Arctic is changing, and not only the extent and concentrations. Studies show that in recent years there is a higher proportion of younger ice to older ice than was observed in the late 1980s. This analysis is based on results from a simulation using drifting buoy data and satellite-derived ice-concentration data. The darker the colour, the older the ice.

Changes in agricultural land (pasture and cropland)

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:56:00 --0200

For all developing countries over the period 1961–99, expansion of harvested land contributed only 29% to growth in crop production versus the contribution of increases in yields, which amounted to 71%; in sub-Saharan Africa, however, yield increases accounted for only 34% of growth in production.

Changes in Area of Productive Forest Plantations

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:37 --0200

No data

Changes in available water in Africa: end of 20th and 21st centuries

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

Salinization affects about 10% of the world’s irrigated land, while the loss of biodiversity and its associated agroecological functions (estimated to provide economic benefits of US$ 1,542 billion per year) adversely affect productivity especially in environmentally sensitive lands in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Changes in biodiversity and ecosystems based on human impact 1990-2050

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 08:10:04 --0200

Modelling, using the GLOBIO1 model, over the Arctic, assessing the impacts on the environment based on infrastructure development between 1990 and 2050 in three different scenarios. The development of roads, pipelines and powerlines fragments the natural habitats and reduces the wilderness qualities.

Changes in economic structure for selected countries

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:04:00 --0200

While traditional natural resource sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are still important in industrial-country economies, the relative economic and political significance of other sectors has grown as a result of the ongoing transition from agricultural to industrial and service economies.

Changes in forest area

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:06:00 --0200

Timber is harvested from forests and plantations and used for a variety of building, manufacturing, fuel, and other needs. Forests (providing fuelwood and charcoal), agricultural crops, and manure all serve as sources of biomass energy.

Changes in global water use by sector

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:49:44 --0200

No data.

Changes in the spawning grounds of anchovy

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:00 --0200

Changes to Coconut Beach (Dominica) after the 1995 hurricane season

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

During a period between May 1994 to September 1995 the profile of the beach dramatically changed. A rising sea level combined with more storms, washed away vulnerable beaches. With the sand gone, the coast is more vulnerable to waves going further inland, threatening fresh water wells with salinisation, leading to land erosion, and making the areas less attractive for tourism. When a beach starts to deteriorate, the process can be amazingly quick. It is very likely that the 20th century warming has contributed significantly to the observed rise in global average sea level and the increase in ocean heat content. Warming drives sea level rise through thermal expansion of seawater and widespread loss of land ice. Based on tide gauge records, after correcting for land movements, the average annual rise was between 1 and 2 mm during the 20th century.

Changing Biomes in South Africa

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Predictions of the effects of climate change on natural ecosystems in South Africa, over the medium to long term, have included reduced spatial extent of the Grassland biome (Ellery et al. 1991) and an increase in the extent of the Desert biome (Macdonald & Midgley 1996). This graphic shows how the Grassland Biome is expected to shrink as surrounding biomes expand their ranges. It also shows how increasingly arid conditions in the Northern Cape region may change the geographic distribution of the Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo biomes.

Changing Global Forest Cover

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:24:00 --0200

Forests can undergo changes in various ways. Forest areas can be reduced either by deforestation or by natural disasters, which can result in the forest being unable to naturally regenerate. Conversely, forest areas can be increased – through afforestation or by the natural expansion of forests.

Changing percentages of selected municipal wastes

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 19:38:00 --0200

Municipal waste is everything collected and treated by municipalities. Only part of it is comes from households, the rest is generated by small businesses, commercial and other municipal activities. A typical trend: as countries get richer, the organic share decreases whereas the paper and plastic ones increase.

Characteristic time and space scales related to ecosystems and their services

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:43:00 --0200

The time scale of change refers to the time required for the effects of a perturbation of a process to be expressed. Inertia refers to the delay or slowness in the response of a system to factors altering their rate of change, including continuation of change in the system after the cause of that change has been removed.

Charcoal business in Virunga area

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Charcoal business in the Virunga area.

Charcoal illegal trade

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

As valuable timber becomes rare outside of parks, militias enter parks and illegally cut and produce charcoal inside parks – even the best protected park of the Virungas housing large shares of the Worlds remaining mountain gorilla popula- tion. Rangers here destroyed over a thousand kilns for charcoal inside the park in 2009.

Cheetah and Wildebeest in East Africa

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:54:00 --0200

Protecting the Cheetah’s range also benefits other migratory wildlife, including those not currently protected by international agreements such as Appendix I of the CMS. The Serengeti- Mara-Tsavo landscape, for example, is home not only to a globally important population of Cheetahs, but also to vast numbers of migratory Wildebeest, Zebra, Eland and Thomson’s Gazelle. In 2011, the Tanzanian government ensured that the proposed commercial road network would not bisect the Serengeti and all roads inside the park remain under the park management. This will help to maintain the integrity of the ecosystem and safeguard all of these populations.

Child Mortality and Accessibility Index (Burkina Faso and Mali)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Burkina Faso and Mali have among the highest rates of child mortality in West Africa and the world. This map shows the decrease in child mortality when the levels of access to markets and infrastructure based on road quality and town size increase.

Child Mortality and Agroclimatic Zones

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This map shows the correlation between the types of agricultural zones levels of child mortality. In West Africa there are a lower levels of child mortality in the humid zones along coastal areas than the arid zones of the interior.

Child Mortality and Land Degradation

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This map shows the correlation between the types of level of land degredation and child mortality. In West Africa there are a higher percentage of child mortality around areas that have higher levels of land degradation.

Child mortality rates

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Child mortality rates by cause and region, 2004. Source: WHO, 2008.

Children Stunted and Accessibility Index (Burkina Faso and Mali)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Burkina Faso and Mali have among the highest rates of malnutrition in West Africa and the world. This map shows the levels of stunted growth in children in comparison to the levels of access to markets and infrastructure based on road quality and town size.

Children Stunted and Agroclimatic Zones

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Malnutrition in West Africa is a major concern. This map shows the levels of stunted growth in children in comparison to the type of agroclimate. The more arid the zone the higher the growth in children is stunted.

Children Stunted and Land Degradation

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Malnutrition in West Africa is a major concern as is environmental damage. This map shows the levels of stunted growth in children of West Africa in comparison to the level of land degradation. There does not seem to be a high correlation between the two.

Clearing invasive alien plant species

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:55:39 --0200

Despite the widespread distribution and extent of alien invasive species in South Africa, actions to control such plants have had some good results. In the fight against invasive alien plant species, the Working for Water programme has used various methods including mechanical methods, chemical methods, biological control, and integrated control.

Climate change - ice and snow and the albedo effect

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:20:00 --0200

Changes in the polar regions can cause more warming in the entire planet earth system through feedback effects. One such effect is the reduction of ice and snow due to warmer temperatures. When the white and gray snow and ice disappears, less sun rays are reflected out and instead the heat is absorbed by land and sea - which causes further increase in the warming.

Climate change and malaria, scenario for 2050

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

With climate conditions changing in the future, due to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, conditions for pests also change. The primary Malaria agent, the falciparum malaria parasite, will be able to spread into new areas, as displayed in this map, by 2050 using the Hadley CM2 high scenario. Other areas, not displayed in the map, will be uninhabitable by the parasite, and thus free of the pest.

Climate change and natural disaster impacts in the Ferghana Valley

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 20:49:00 --0200

Central Asia is a disaster-prone area, exposed to various natural hazards such as floods, droughts, avalanches, rockslide and earthquakes. It is also vulnerable to man-made disasters related to industrial activity and the radioactive and chemical dumps inherited from the Soviet period. Several factors - population density in disaster-prone areas, high overall population growth, poverty, land and water use, failure to comply with building codes and global climate change – make the region particularly vulnerable to natural as well as man made disasters.

Climate change and tropical coral reefs, scenarios for bleaching events

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0200

Projected areas of above normal sea temperature where coral bleaching is likely to occur for the SRES A2 scenario (continuing current trends) by two different models, the PCM (1.7°C increase in 100 years) and the HadCM3 (3°C increase in 100 years) by approximately 2035 (left) and by 2055 (right). Both models project severe annual bleaching in more than 80% of the Worlds coral reefs by 2080.

Climate change and vector-borne diseases

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Climate change and altered weather patters would affect the range (both altitude and latitude), intensity, and seasonality of many major tropical vector-borne and other infectious diseases - such as malaria and dengue fever.

Climate change global processes and effects

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Greenhouse gases emissions, HUMAN ACTIVITIES, CLIMATE CHANGE PROCESSES, MAIN CLIMATE FEATURES, MAJOR THREATS.

Climate change global processes and effects

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Climate change global processes and effects involving human activities, main climate features and major threats.

Climate change impact on mountain vegetation zones

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The figure shows a comparison of current vegetation zones at a hypothetical dry temperate mountain site with simulated vegetation zones under a climate-warming scenario. Mountains cover about 20% of the Earth's continents and serve as an important water source for most major rivers. Paleologic records indicate that climate warming in the past has caused vegetation zones to shift to higher elevations, resulting in the loss of some species and ecosystems. Simulated scenarios for temperate-climate mountain sites suggest that continued warming could have similar consequences. Species and ecosystems with limited climatic ranges could disappear and, in most mountain regions, the extent and volume of glaciers and the extent of permafrost and seasonal snow cover will be reduced. Along with possible changes in precipitation this would affect soil stability and socio-economic activities such as agriculture, tourism, hydropower and logging. Resources for indigenous populations and recreational activities would also be disrupted.

Climate change impacts that could affect attainment of the Millennium Development Goals

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Sustainability in the Latin American and Caribbean countries may be affected by climate change impacts. Costs associated with climate change can intensify budget constraints as countries attempt to reduce poverty and work towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals. Food security will be affected because of a decline in the productivity of staple grains, natural disasters and drought may reduce the time available for children’s education. It is also expected that climate change will exacerbate current gender inequities, reduce the quantity and quality of drinking water and the number of diseases and mortality related to rising temperatures.

Climate change in Zimbabwe: trends in temperature and rainfall

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Zimbabwe is experiencing more hot days and fewer cold days, and the amount of precipitation it receives is deviating from the mean more frequently. This resource includes two graphics. The first shows the number of days with a minimum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius and the number of days with a minimum temperature of 30 degrees Celsius from 1950 to 1990. The second graphic shows the amount of precipitation in millimetres that was a departure from the long-term mean amount for the time period 1910 to 2000.

Climate Change Performance Index 2008

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Developed by Germanwatch and using three weighted indexes: Emission trends, emission level and climate policy.

Climate Change Performance Index 2008

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

The Climate Change Performance Index developed by Germanwatch is calculated using three weighted indexes: *Emissions trends for energy, transport, industry and residential account for 50 % of total rating; *A country’s current emissions level (CO2 emitted per primary energy unit, primary energy unit per GDP, primary energy unit per capita) is given a 30 % weight in the overall evaluation; *Climate policy (national and international) weighs 20 %.

Climate change scenarios for desert areas

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 10:29:10 --0200

SRES scenarios show the period 2071 to 2100 relative to the period 1961 to 1990, and were performed by AOGCMs. Scenarios A2 and B2 are shown as no AOGCM runs were available for the other SRES scenarios.

Climate change vulnerability

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:45:00 --0200

Vulnerability of human populations to extreme climate related events and changes in major climate parameters over the next 30 years.

Climate change vulnerability in Africa

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Multiple stresses make most of Africa highly vulnerable to environmental changes, and climate change is likely to increase this vulnerability. This graphic shows which of the regions of Africa (North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean Islands) are most vulnerable to specific impacts of climate change. These impacts include desertification, sea level rise, reduced freshwater availability, cyclones, coastal erosion, deforestation, loss of forest quality, woodland degradation, coral bleaching, the spread of malaria and impacts on food security.

Climate change vulnerability in Africa

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 20:39:00 --0200

Climate change: processes, characteristics and threats

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 09:55:00 --0200

Most people have heard about climate change, they might even express a real concern about it, but how many would actually consider it a threat? Because the changes can be slow and sometimes difficult to identify within the normal variation of climatic conditions, many of us think they will not affect our lives. However, some parts of the world are already being severely affected by climatic change – both the people and the environment. And unfortunately, it appears that many developing countries bear the brunt of global warming, when the problem is mostly due to the actions of developed countries.

Climate feedbacks - the connectivity of the positive ice/snow albedo feedback, terrestrial snow and vegetation feedbacks and the negative cloud/radiation feedback

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

Feedback refers to the modification of a process by changes resulting from the process itself. Positive feedbacks accelerate the process, while negative feedbacks slow it down. Part of the uncertainty around future climates relates to important feedbacks between different parts of the climate system: air temperatures, ice and snow albedo (reflection of the sun’s rays), and clouds. An important positive feedback is the ice and snow albedo feedback. Sea ice and snow have high albedo. This means that they reflect most of the solar radiation. With warmer polar temperatures, the area of sea ice and snow cover decreases, exposing new expanses of ocean and land surfaces that absorb an increased amount of solar radiation. This increase of total absorbed solar radiation contributes to continued and accelerated warming. Many IPCC climate models suggest a major loss in sea ice cover by the mid 21st century caused by albedo feedback from shrinking snow cover and increased open water areas in summer. A second feedback is negative: the cloud-radiative feedback. Its future impact is important but uncertain. Increased cloud cover, an expected result of global warming, increases the reflection of solar radiation away from the Earth’s surface, but it also increases the net long-wave radiation emitted downward from the same clouds back to the surface. The net effect of increased cloudiness is expected to be a small decrease in radiation received by the Earth’s surface. One of the great challenges of climate change science is to understand the net effect of these rather complex interactions. This is not just a question of understanding the physics of climate systems – many of these interactions and feedbacks also involve the living world. For example, the increase in shrub growth in tundra regions due to high-latitude warming leads to a decrease in albedo in summer, but an increase in snow retention in winter over large areas of land. Another feedback comes from melting permafrost that releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, which then amplifies the greenhouse effect.

Climate impacts and tropical diseases in Colombia

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Shows comparative trend between air temperature in Colombia and levels of malaria and dengue fever. When temperatures increase, especially in combination with more precipitation, vector borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever increase in frequency and distribution. In particular, areas where the minimum night temperatures increase provide the best conditions for the growth and spread of Anopheline spp. and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. (McCarthy et al 2001) Extreme weather variability may also lead to heat stress among vulnerable populations, especially in poor areas. Prolonged heat can also enhance production of smog and dispersal of allergens.

Climate impacts of El Niño Phenomenon in Latin America and the Caribbean

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a natural phenomenon that has occurred for centuries. Ocean and atmospheric conditions in the Pacific tend to fluctuate between El Niño (warming) and a drop in temperature in the tropical Pacific known as La Niña. The fluctuations are rather irregular, but tend to appear every three to six years. A more intensive phase of each event may last for about a year. A warming climate may contribute to an increase in frequency and intensity of the El Niño phenomenon. The impacts may be significant at regional levels. In Central America, El Niño leads to excessive rainfall along the Caribbean coasts, while the Pacific coasts will remain dry. Rainfall increases on the coasts of Ecuador, the northern part of Peru, and southern zones of Chile. In Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia there will be drought in the mountainous and Andean zones, implying retreat of glaciers with subsequent changes in the availability of water and in local biodiversity. In Colombia, Venezuela and Guyana precipitation will tend to be reduced, leading to drought in the Brazilian northeast. In Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay rainfall will increase and there will be a rise in temperatures in the southern part of Brazil.

Climate scenarios for cereal production

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The figure shows change in cereals production under three different GCM equilibrium scenarios (percent from base estimated in 2060). While there are still uncertainties about whether climate change will cause global agricultural production to increase or decrease, changes in the aggregate level of production are expected to be small or moderate. The result of the studies that have been conducted so far vary depending on such variables as the trade models and market assumptions that are used.For example, the difference between agricultural impacts in developed and developing countries can be reinforced by markets and depending on the trade model used, agricultural exporters may gain even though their supplies fall as a result of higher world prices. The figure also illustrates how trade and adaptation capability can interact. Developing country production levels fell more as compared with those of developed countries under adaptation level 1 because their estimated capability to adapt was less than in developed countries. The situation reverses under adaptation level 2.

Climate zones of the Caucasus ecoregion

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:15:00 --0200

The Caucasus ecoregion covers an area of 580,000 km2, and includes six countries. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range with its lofty peaks forms a formidable barrier between the northern and southern parts of the ecoregion. The Lesser Caucasus mountain chain extends across Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and into Iran. The climates in the regions mountaineous and temperature.

CO2 air emissions by sources in 1995

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows CO2 air emissions from selected countries by various sources in 1995. Among the anthropogenic sources of CO2 air emissions are fossil fuel combustion, cement production and land-use conversion.

CO2 concentration in the atmosphere (1959-1998)

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:00 --0200

CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere have been measured at an altitude of about 4,000 meters on the peak of Mauna Loa mountain in Hawaii since 1958. The measurements at this location, remote from local sources of pollution, have clearly shown that atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are increasing. The mean concentration of approximately 316 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in 1958 rose to approximately 369 ppmv in 1998. The annual variation is due to CO2 uptake by growing plants. The uptake is highest in the northern hemisphere springtime.

CO2 emissions from coal, gas and oil for selected regions

Mon, 08 May 2006 11:13:09 --0200

Graph showing the amount (in millions of metric tonnes) of CO2 emissions from coal, gas and oil. Covers the years from 1990-2000 and predicts the trend to 2020. Information on the United States, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and Africa is included.

CO2 emissions from consumption and flaring of fossil fuels

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

A line graph showing the progress of CO2 emissions created from consumption and flaring of fossil fuels from 1980 to 2002. Indicates that Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union is the only region to have a reduction. Emissions are not usually monitored directly, but are generally estimated using models. Some emissions can be calculated with only limited accuracy. Emissions from energy and industrial processes are the most reliable (using energy consumption statistics and industrial point sources).

CO2 emissions from fossil fuels by region

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:20:28 --0200

No data.

CO2 emissions from industrial processes and land use change

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

2 thematical maps: (1) CO2 emissions from industrial processes (http://www.grida.no/climate/vital/09.htm): This map depicts the unequal distribution of industry in the world. The significant part of carbon dioxide emissions comes from energy production, industrial processes and transport. The industrialised countries consequently must bear the main responsibility of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. (2): CO2 emissions from land use change.(http://www.grida.no/climate/vital/10.htm): Emissions of carbon dioxide due to changes in land use mainly come from the cutting down of forests and instead using the land for agriculture or built-up areas, urbanisation, roads etc. When large areas of rain forests are cut down, the land often turns into less productive grasslands with considerably less capacity of storing CO2

CO2 emissions from industrial processes and land use changes

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Shows the different levels of CO2 emissions from industrial processes and land use changes from different regions. The major greenhouse gases are included within six sectors: Energy; Industrial Processes; Solvent and Other Product Use; Agriculture; Land Use Change and Forestry; and Waste. Contributing to emissions Historically the developed countries of the world have emitted most of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases. The U.S. emits most in total, and is one of the countries with highest emissions per capita. China is the second largest emitter, but has very low emissions per capita. Over the last 20 years, industrial development has led to a rapid rise in the volume of emissions from Asia, but on a per capita basis, emissions in this region are still at the bottom of the global scale.

CO2 emissions from industry

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This map depicts the unequal distribution of industry in the world. The significant part of carbon dioxide emissions comes from energy production, industrial processes and transport. The industrialised countries consequently must bear the main responsibility of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide.

CO2 emissions from land use change

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Emissions of carbon dioxide due to changes in land use mainly come from the cutting down of forests and instead using the land for agriculture or built-up areas, urbanisation, roads etc. When large areas of rain forests are cut down, the land often turns into less productive grasslands with considerably less capacity of storing CO2.

CO2 emissions from selected German transportation means

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

The results depend a lot on the occupancy rates (in pink, the average German rates used here).

CO2 emissions from transportation in 2000; selected countries of Latin America and the Caribbean

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

A comparison of transportation CO2 emissions from selected Latin American and Caribbean countries. Increased transport is one of the main reasons for increased CO2 emissions, both in developed and developing countries. During the 1990s the increase in emissions from transport in South America was higher than the world average, while the increase in Central America and the Caribbean was similar to world average.

CO2 emissions in 1990 and 2000 Latin America and selected countries

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

A comparison of the total level of CO2 emissions from Latin America compared to selected countries. Emissions from Latin America and Caribbean increased more than the world average between 1990 and 2000. The increase inthis region was more than 35% while the total increase in the world's emission (excluding land use change) was almost 13%. In South America the increase came mainly from industry and transport, where emissions increased by more than 40% between 1990 and 1999. The increase in emissions from electricity and heat production was more than 70%, but these emissions are still lower than emissions from transport and industry.

CO2 emissions in the world and in Latin America and the Caribbean

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

A comparison between the amount of CO2 emissions of the world and latin America and the Caribbean. Since pre-industrial times, the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases has grown significantly. The present level of carbon dioxide concentration (around 375 parts per million) is the highest for 420,000 years, and probably the highest for the past 20 million years. CO2 is the greenhouse gas that contributes most to the enhanced greenhouse effect, because of the quantity of the emissions. CO2 comes from burning fossil fuels, cement production and land use change. In 2000, Latin America and the Caribbean contributed 5, 5% of the world’s total CO2 emissions (excluding land use change). The total global CO2 emissions were estimated at 24 000 million tonnes. CO2 emissions from land use change and forestry from the region comprised 30% of the world's total. This was attributed to the destruction of the rainforest

CO2 emissions per person in Latin America and the Caribbean compared to the world and OECD average emissions

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Emissions of greenhouse gases are on the increase around the world, contributing to man-made global warming and climate change. This graphic displays greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean compared to countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

CO2 emissions, energy use and economic development; Latin America and the Caribbean

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Economic growth and increased energy demand are closely linked to increased emissions of CO2. If there is a shock in the economy, the response as reduced emissions of CO2, can be almost without inertia if the shock is large. The 'oil crisis' in the early seventies-- during which energy prices rose substantially over a short period of time -- led to an almost immediate and sustained divergence of the formerly closely linked emissions and GDP in most developed countries. Stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentration at levels below 600 ppm (1, 6 times higher than today’s level) is only possible with reductions in carbon intensity and/or energy intensity greater than have been achieved historically. Low historical rates of improvement in energy intensity (energy use per unit GDP) reflect the relatively low priority placed on energy efficiency by most producers and users of technology.

Coastal and Marine Protected Areas

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:03:28 --0200

This graphic includes marine protected areas and protected areas with major or minor marine components. This was part of the the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), Habitat Conservation Report No. 2.

Coastal Arctic food web (drift ice)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The coastal Arctic food web is closely related to drift ice conditions and seasonal use of shorelines by both terrestrial and sea mammals. Numerous species depend upon each other and the transport of food to and from the marine areas to the coast and inland. Indigenous peoples use most of the food chain and traditionally use both environments for hunting, fishing and gathering.

Coastal issues in the islands of Comoros and Mayotte

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:57 --0200

With poverty and high population density this group of volcanic islands between Eastern Africa and Madagascar faces challenges in the management of the coastal environment. The islands are fringed by magnificent coral reefs, and the waters houses the rare coelacanth fish. Among the responses there have been initiatives to encourage ecotourism and the support in establishing the 400 km2 Mohéli Marine Park.

Coastal population and altered coastal zones

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Coastal areas with high population densities are those with the most shoreline degradation or alteration. Densely populated areas close to seas are also the most attractive for a lot of economic activity. The graphic shows the proportion of the population that lives within 100 km of the coast, for each of the world's nations and where there are coastal zones with high degree of human alteration (compared to 'natural' landcover). In addition, the locations of selected larger coastal cities are presented.

Coastal population and altered land cover in coastal zones (100 km of coastline)

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:30:00 --0200

Coastal population and shoreline degradation

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:26:55 --0200

No data

Coastal populations and shoreline degradation

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Unsurprisingly, the coastal areas with the greatest population densities are also those with the most shoreline degradation. The areas surrounding the Black Sea, the Mediterranean and southern Asia have the highest proportion of altered land, while the coastal zones of the Arctic, northeast Pacific, south Pacific, West and Central Africa, East Africa, the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden, and Kuwait have the highest proportions of least modified land. In order to better manage and protect the oceans and coasts using effective methods such as Integrated Coastal Management, we also need to continuously improve our understanding of the current state of biophysical, social, and economic relationships and formulate sustainable, ecosystem-based policies and measures that are supported by assessments at national, regional and global scales. Also needed is an overview of the global marine environment that encompasses socio-economic considerations and shows the linkages between the state of the marine environment and human well-being. In response to these needs, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has requested, through Resolution 60/30, that UNEP and UNESCO-IOC co-lead a process which aims to provide a better understanding of the marine assessment landscape to determine the ways in which on-going global, regional and national level assessment work and processes can contribute to the regular assessment and reporting of the state of the marine environment. Options, a framework and the feasibility of establishing such a process (referred to as a ‘Regular Process’) will be proposed to the United Nations General Assembly, in October 2009. Amongst other aims, it will identify linkages between human impacts on the marine environment, environmental change and human well-being and will explore ways to ensure linkages between regions so that issues of common concern can be tackled in a coordinated way, taking into account best practices and regional strengths and capacities. A Regular Process would thus provide a holistic picture that will improve informed decision-making of our global commons. See http://www.unga-regular-process.org

Coastal regions with observations of dense shelf water flushing

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0200

Knowledge and mapping of these processes is still scarce due to uneven research effort. The map shows sites with known dense shelf water cascading phenomena, which often may involve the 'flushing' effect. It is most likely that this phenomenon is also active off the coast of Alaska, Chile, Argentina and West and southern Africa and in parts of the Indian Ocean. Dense shelf water cascading is highly sensitive to increases in temperature, and hence, climate change.

Coastal vulnerability and climate-related impacts

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:05:00 --0200

No data.

Coastlines under threat

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Out of the coastlines of the world, the coasts in Europe, Asia and Africa are of highest concern, and where extra care needs to be taken to ensure that measures are taken to protect the coasts in all aspects (erosion, biodiversity, buffering capacity etc). The graphic shows the ratio of coastlines around the world that are facing moderate or significant threats.

Cold places on the Southern Continent

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:21:00 --0200

Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on Earth. This graph shows the annual temperatures and seasonal variation at three locations in Antarctica - the research bases Bernardo O'Higgins (Chile - on the Antarctic Peninsula), Scott Base (New Zealand - Ross Island) and one of the coldest places on the planet - the Vostok station (Russia - at the center of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet). The surface temperatures are long term averages over all available data.

Coldwater coral reefs, distribution

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:03:00 --0200

Scientists are just beginning to learn about the many species in the remote, deep waters of the polar oceans. Corals, for example, are not limited to the warm, shallow waters of the tropics. They also exist in many cold, deep waters all over the world, including Arctic and sub-Antarctic waters. Coral reefs are marine ridges or mounds, which have formed over millennia as a result of the deposition of calcium carbonate by living organisms, predominantly corals, but also a rich diversity of other organisms such as coralline algae and shellfish. The coldwater reefs are highly susceptible to deep-sea trawling and ocean acidification from climate change, which has its greatest impacts at high latitudes, while tropical reefs will become severely damaged by rising sea temperatures.

Collapse of Atlantic cod stocks off the East Coast of Newfoundland in 1992

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:02:59 --0200

From the late 1950s, offshore bottom trawlers began exploiting the deeper part of the stock, leading to a large catch increase and a strong decline in the underlying biomass. Internationally agreed quotas in the early 1970s and, following the declaration by Canada of an Exclusive Fishing Zone in 1977, national quota systems ultimately failed to arrest and reverse the decline.

Colonization of West Papua Indonesia

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:08:49 --0200

No data

Comb-jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) spreading through the Caspian Sea (invasive species)

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:21:00 --0200

The comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi) is well adapted to the habitat (salinity, temperature, and food range) and reproduces faster than endemic species. As it eats the same food as them, it has had a drastic effect on their numbers, upsetting the entire food chain. The jelly is an invasive species, brought from North America by ships.

Common but differentiated responsibilities

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:36:00 --0200

All countries can claim “climate credits” by their phase out of ozone depleting substances (ODS) under the Montreal Protocol, and some are beginning to document this contribution. Article 5 countries are those listed as developing and do not have the same goals as industrialized nations.

Comparison between modeled temperature rise and observations of temperature since 1860

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Natural forcing (solar variation and volcanic activity) alone cannot explain the recent global temperature increase. This graphic shows the temperature anomalies (in degrees Celsius) that were expected to occur due to natural forcing only, from the year 1850 to the year 2000, according to climate models, and the actual anomalies that have occurred. The graphic also shows the expected and actual anomalies due to anthropogenic (human-caused) factors only (anomalies due to greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols). Finally, the graphic shows the expected and actual temperature anomalies that are due to natural and anthropogenic forcing combined.

Comparison of global river nitrogen export from natural ecosystems, agricultural systems, and sewage effluents, 1975 and 1990

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:25:00 --0200

Nutrient loading is projected to become an increasingly severe problem, particularly in developing countries. Nutrient loading already has major adverse effects on freshwater ecosystems and coastal regions in both industrial and developing countries.

Comparison of long-term variability of different characteristics of the Black Sea ecosystem

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:16 --0200

Comparison of per capita water use by region

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:29:56 --0200

No data

Compensation for sheep losses in Norway

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:24:59 --0200

Minimizing conflicts with livestock husbandry is the most important challenge for the conservation of wolverines. In Fennoscandia, few areas exist within the wolverines’ range where there is no conflict potential with sheep and/or domestic reindeer. For example in Norway, the practice is to leave sheep unattended on mountain pastures to graze during summer. Higher stock numbers and the loss of herding and livestock guarding traditions have increased the potential for conflict with wolverines, as well as other predators.

Composition of transboundary waste

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 21:37:00 --0200

According to the Basel Convention reports, of more than 300 million tonnes of waste (including hazardous and other waste) generated worldwide in 2000, a little less that 2% was exported. However 90% of the exported waste was classifi ed as hazardous. The principal waste export by volume was lead and lead compounds bound for recycling.

Concentration Extent

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:14:00 --0200

Reduced sea ice amplifies warming.

Conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and refugee settlement in Guinea

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:29:04 --0200

No data

Conflicts and disasters - potential powder kegs (landmines and other explosives)

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:24:00 --0200

The planet is scattered with hazardous or explosive leftovers from a succession of technical breakthroughs – be they military or industrial – just waiting to be washed away by a flood or mudslide or carried off by a hurricane. If disaster strikes these “powder kegs” multiply the danger to people and the environment (posing a particularly acute threat to already scarce water resources).

Conservation areas and the Leuser Ecosystem

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Approximately 50% of Sumatran orangutan habitat is inside conservation areas directly managed by the Ministry of Forestry, and 78% lies within the boundaries of the vast Leuser Ecosystem Conservation Area.

Consumer items in China

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0200

The impact of income on lifestyle is apparent in China like elsewhere. There has been a massive surge in all consumer goods with rising income in towns. The same trend can be observed to a much lesser extent in the country.

Consumption appeal

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0200

The marketing and advertising industry is constantly teasing us with trendy, cool and largely superfluous products. To judge by investment in advertising, it takes more and more to achieve the same effect. With all that stimulation it is an effort asking just what we stand to gain.

Consumption of commercial energy for selected regions

--0200

The graphic shows the amount of energy in gigajoules used by Africa and other parts of the world. North America is by far the biggest consumer of commercial energy, peaking at close to 350 gigajoules in 1995.

Consumption of harvested meat/fish in Inuit Households (Canada)

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

The harvest of natural resources is a key feature of traditional lifestyles and economies throughout the Arctic, and a continuing reliance on it as a mainstay of indigenous existence in the north is evident. Environmental change in Arctic regions is a key contributing factor to changing Inuit subsistence patterns. As examples, the Inuit speak of the thinning of the ice which makes hunting more challenging; species they once relied upon are disappearing; berries are not ripening. The impacts of climate change affect travel patterns and prevent the Inuit from reaching certain species. These shifts in the time and place of harvesting affect their ability to respond to the changes taking place. This figure presents the ratio of harvested meat and fish (country food) consumed in Canadian Inuit households in the year of 2000.

Consumption of Nitrogen fertilizers in EU 15

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graph shows Consumption of Nitrogen fertilizers in EU 15 from 1970 to 1992. The main source of nitrogen in soils is from organic matter. Nitrogen also comes from sources such as factories. A common concern with these forms of inorganic nitrogen is the incremental amount of nitrates they add to the nitrogen cycle, which may threaten groundwater, inland waters and fisheries.

Consumption of pesticides (active ingredients)

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graphic shows consumption of pesticide (active ingredients) from 1980 to 2010. Pesticides are natural chemicals or altered versions of natural chemicals used in agriculture to control various sorts of pests such as different types of insects, rodents, weed and fungi.

Consumption of selected industrial raw materials compared to global population

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 18:43:00 --0200

Five of the top countries consuming industrial raw materials account for roughly 10 percent of the world's population but consume up to 50 percent of more of some of the main materials. This shows a large imbalance between these 5 nations and the other 188.

Contamination in Central Asia's Ferghana-Osh-Khudjand area

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:38:12 --0200

No data

Contrast between contemporary and pre-disturbance transports of total nitrogen through inland aquatic systems resulting from anthropogenic acceleration of this nutrient cycle

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:27:00 --0200

While the peculiarities of individual pollutants, rivers, and governance define the specific character of water pollution, the general patterns observed for nitrogen are representative of anthropogenic changes to the transport of waterborne constituents. Elevated contemporary loadings to one part of the system (such as croplands) often reverberate to other parts of the system (to coastal zones, for example), exceeding the capacity of natural systems to assimilate additional constituents.

Contrats de bail internationaux pour l’exploitation de terres agricoles

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:36:00 --0200

Un nombre croissant de pays concluent des baux à ferme sur des terres à l’étranger pour sécuriser durablement leur production alimentaire. Les données indiquées sont fournies strictement à titre provisoire.

Contribution from waste to climate change

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:45:00 --0200

The disposal and treatment of waste can produce emissions of several greenhouse gases (GHGs), which contribute to global climate change. The most significant GHG gas produced from waste is methane. It is released during the breakdown of organic matter in landfills. Other forms of waste disposal also produce GHGs but these are mainly in the form of carbon dioxide (a less powerful GHG). Even the recycling of waste produces some emissions (although these are offset by the reduction in fossil fuels that would be required to obtain new raw materials). Waste prevention and recycling help address global climate change by decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and saving energy.

Contribution of ecosystems to historical radiative forcing and current greenhouse gas emissions

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:10:00 --0200

Radiative forcing caused by changes in atmospheric composition, alteration in land surface reflectance (albedo), and variation in the output of the sun for the year 2000 relative to conditions in 1750.

Contribution of fish to human diet

Tue, 23 May 2006 09:56:24 --0200

The percentage of fish to the total human diet from various regions in the world. Based on statistics from 1987 to 1989. Fish is the last wild meal in the human diet, but roughly two-thirds of the world’s major stocks are now fished at or beyond their capacity, and another 10 percent have been harvested so heavily that populations will take years to recover.

Contribution of forest to GDP, and ratio of forest exports out of total exports, for selected countries

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:00:00 --0200

Forestry provides more than 8% of the GDP in some of the poorest countries. In most of the developing country production is consumed domestically, but for some countries forestry contributes significantly to total exports like in Liberia and the Central African Republic.

Contribution of various waste management systems to greenhouse gas emissions, 2002

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:53:00 --0200

Conversion from primary forest to other land uses, 1985-2007

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:00 --0200

The main driver for forest loss on peat areas in the Leuser Ecosystem was oil palm development between 1985 and 2007, while for forest on non-peatlands other land uses than oil palm contributed more to land use changes.

Conversion of forests to different land uses

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:00 --0200

Using satellite images, land use changes were determined at Batang Toru (2001-2009) and Tripa (2001-2009) to calculate overall CO2 emissions. Deforestation in both areas led to different land use transitions, with the predominant land use in Batang Toru after deforestation being disturbed forest and in Tripa, oil palm plantations.

Conversion of Original Biomes

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:46:35 --0200

No data

Conversion of terrestrial biomes

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:41:00 --0200

It is not possible to estimate accurately the extent of different biomes prior to significant human impact, but it is possible to determine the “potential” area of biomes based on soil and climatic conditions.

Converting water into red meat

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Production of red meat has a significant demand on water with impacts on quality.

Cooling factors

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The amount of aerosols in the air has direct effect on the amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth's surface. Aerosols may have significant local or regional impact on temperature. Water vapour is a greenhouse gas, but at the same time the upper white surface of clouds reflects solar radiation back into space. Albedo - reflections of solar radiation from surfaces on the Earth - creates difficulties in exact calculations. If e.g. the polar icecap melts, the albedo will be significantly reduced. Open water absorbs heat, while white ice and snow reflect it.

Copenhagen, paradise for cyclists

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

In Copenhagen 36 per cent of the city's inhabitants cycle to work, using a network of more than 330 kilometres of cycle tracks and travelling at an average speed of 15 kph.

Copenhagen, paradise for cyclists

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

In Copenhagen 36 per cent of the city's inhabitants cycle to work, using a network of more than 330 kilometres of cycle tracks and travelling at an average speed of 15 kph.

Coral Reefs

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0200

Distribution of the world's coral reefs. Oceans blue carbon sinks, along with coral reefs and kelp communities, all fulfil very important functions in the coastal zone while providing opportunities for jobs and coastal prosperity.

Coral reefs at risk from human activities

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 12:32:14 --0200

Population growth and technology: operating together these two factors account for the major causes of coral reef decline - excessive domestic and agricultural waste pouring into ocean waters, poor land-use practices that increase sedimentation of rivers and then of reefs, and over-exploitation of reef resources, often in combination with practices such as harvesting with dynamite and poison, all degrade reefs.

Coral reefs at risks

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

There are two distinct regions in which coral reefs are primarily distributed: the Wider Caribbean (Atlantic Ocean) and the Indo-Pacific (from East Africa and the Red Sea to the Central Pacific Ocean). - The diversity of coral is far greater in the Indo-Pacific, particularly around Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. Many other groups of marine fauna show similar patterns, with a much greater diversity in the Indo-Pacific region. - Although they possess a smaller number of species the corals of the Atlantic are still unique, with few common species between the two regions (Spalding et al., 2001). Major threats to the world’s coral reefs include overexploitation and coastal development. This graphic explains the activities or conditions that threaten the world’s various reefs, and shows the global distribution of destroyed coral reefs. In addition, the global warming that the world is beginning to experience is likely to have a major impact on coastal and marine environments: - The sea has an enormous capacity to store heat. Warmer water, combined with anticipated changes in ocean currents, could have a devastating impact on marine ecosystems and biodiversity. - One potential result could be a reduction in the upwelling of nutrients, which would in turn reduce productivity in key fishing areas. - Decreased growth may also be seen in coral reefs, with high concentrations of CO2 in the water impairing the deposition of limestone required for coral skeletons (UNEP, 2002).

Corporation

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Multinational companies in the EU and in Asia, among other, operate through subsidiary companies in the DRC region and contribute directly or most often indirectly with funds for financing the illegal exploitation of resources in the DRC – without criminal investigations.

Corruption

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Even though the logging concessions fall out- side of the protected areas, it is not uncommon – due to lack of resources for enforcement – that companies log inside protected areas, where often more valuable timber is present, and export this as part of their legal conces- sions – many however with at least 50% underreporting.

Cost of coffee from farm gate to coffee shop

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

Ensuring policy space for all these countries to maintain prices for crops that are important to food security and rural livelihoods is essential. Agricultural policies in industrialized countries, including export subsidies, have reduced commodity prices and thus food import costs; however this has undermined the development of the agricultural sector in developing countries, and thus agriculture’s significant potential growth multiplier for the whole economy.

Counting female-headed households

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

In SSA women make up two-thirds of those infected with HIV/AIDS. This adds additional burdens for women as producers of food and as family caretakers. Labor loss due to illness, need to care for family members and paid employment required to cover medical costs may cause families to decrease their farming activities.

Counting women’s labor

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

Besides housekeeping and child rearing, women and girls are usually responsible for fetching water and fuel wood. Women and girls tend to perform tasks such as planting, transplanting, hand weeding, harvesting, picking fruit and vegetables, small livestock rearing, and post-harvest operations such as threshing, seed selection, and storage, while mechanized work (preparing the land, irrigation, mechanical harvesting, and marketing) is generally a male task.

Country income groups (World Bank classification)

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

There are huge regional differences in the above trends. Globally, poverty rates have fallen from 52% in 1981 to 42% in 1990 and to 26% in 2005. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, the poverty rate remained constant at around 50%. This region also comprises the majority of countries making the least progress in reducing child malnutrition. The poverty rate in East Asia fell from nearly 80% in 1980 to under 20% by 2005. East Asia, notably China, was successful in more than halving the proportion of underweight children between 1990 and 2006. In contrast, and despite improvements since 1990, almost 50% of the children are underweight in Southern Asia. This region alone accounts for more than half the world’s malnourished children.

Croatia, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Croatia is located in Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia, comprising of 56,542 sq km. It has a population of 4,495,904 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: air pollution (from metallurgical plants) and resulting acid rain is damaging the forests; coastal pollution from industrial and domestic waste; landmine removal and reconstruction of infrastructure consequent to 1992-95 civil strife.

Croissance du secteur de la réfrigération

Wed, 26 May 2010 18:39:23 --0200

No data

Crushed by war - world conflicts

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 18:11:00 --0200

For people in countries at war or subject to economic embargos many goods are scarce, food and water constituting the most crucial shortages. But they also have to deal regularly with death and injury. In such countries disaster prevention may well not be a priority.

Crushed by war and world conflicts

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

Conflicts increase the risk of food supply instability tremendously (Figure 31). Countries in conflict and post-conflict situations tend to be food insecure, with more than 20% of the population, and in many cases far more, lacking access to adequate food (IFPRI, 2006). The group of countries that are experiencing civil conflicts cannot meet their basic needs and are large importers of food. In addition, the transport of commodities is hazardous and the situation is not secure enough for farmers to make investment decisions.

Cryosphere - winter seasons, Northern and Southern Hemispheres

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

Seasonal variation in the extent of ice and snow cover is greatest in the Northern Hemisphere. Imagine the Earth with white caps on the top and bottom. The top cap increases by a factor of six from summer to winter, while the bottom cap only doubles from summer to winter. This difference is due to snow cover: in the Northern Hemisphere snow cover on land varies from less than 2 million km2 in the summer to 40 to 50 million km2 in the winter3. There is little snow cover in the Southern Hemisphere. In Antarctica, land ice covers about 14 million km2 yearround, with little change from summer to winter. Sea ice cover in the Arctic varies between approximately 7 and 15 million km2 seasonally, while sea ice cover in the Antarctic, though about the same extent at its peak, varies much more – from around 3 million km2 during summer to 18 million km2 in winter. This means that there is less multi-year sea ice in the Antarctic than in the Arctic, where much of the sea ice is older than one year.

Cultivated Land in Aral Sea Region

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 18:08:00 --0200

Between 1990 and 2000 the area of cultivated land per capita in the Aral Sea region has dramatically reduced. The predictive models to the year 2020 show the increase demand in irrigation of the region.

Cultivated Land in Aral Sea Region [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:00:00 --0200

Cumulative impacts on the marine environment

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0200

Climate change may, through effects on ocean currents, elevated sea temperatures, coral bleaching, shifts in marine life, ocean acidification and much more severely exacerbate the combined actions of accelerating coastal development, coastal pollution and dead zones, invasive species, bottom trawling and over-harvest. These impacts will be the strongest in 10-15% of the Worlds oceans. These areas, however, are concurrent with the most productive fishing grounds today, responsible for more than half of the marine landings globally.

Curitiba city map

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:00 --0200

Curitiba has become world-famous for its original approach to basic municipal problems thanks to a unique mixture of innovative town planning, determined political leadership and good public relations.

Curitiba, location

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:00 --0200

Current and future threats from illegal logging and mining in national parks in Indonesia

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:00:00 --0200

The management and enforcement of the protection regime in Indonesia is insufficient, and illegal activities - such as logging and mining, is rampant. The RAPPAM methodology, developed by WWF, has been used to assess the relative pressures and threats using questionnaires and workshops. Borneo and Sumatra are home to the Orangutan, and the protected areas represent vital habitat for the survival of the species.

Current and past radiative forcing, from human and natural causes

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 10:53:00 --0200

The radiative forcing from the increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases since the pre-industrial era is positive (warming) with a small uncertainty range; that from the direct effects of aerosols is negative (cooling) and smaller; whereas the negative forcing from the indirect effects of aerosols (on clouds and the hydrologic cycle) might be large but is not well quantified. Key anthropogenic and natural factors causing a change in radiative forcing from year 1750 to year 2000 are shown in this figure, where wide, colored bars mark the factors whose radiative forcing can be quantified. Only some of the aerosol effects are estimated here and denoted as ranges. Other factors besides atmospheric constituents -- solar irradiance and land-use change -- are also shown. Stratospheric aerosols from large volcanic eruptions have led to important, but short-lived, negative forcings (particularly during the periods 1880-1920 and 1960-1994), which are not important over the time scale since the pre-industrial era and not shown. The sum of quantified factors in the figure is positive, but this does not include the potentially large, negative forcing from aerosol indirect effects.

Current and potential arable land use in Africa

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:57 --0200

Out of the total land area in Africa, only a fraction is used for arable land. Using soil, land cover and climatic characteristics a FAO study has estimated the potential land area for rainfed crops, excluding built up areas and forests – neither of which would be available for agriculture. According to the study, the potential – if realised – would mean an increase ranging from 150 – 700% percent per region, with a total potential for the whole of Africa in 300 million hectares. Note that the actual arable land in 2003 is higher than the potential in a few countries, like Egypt, due to irrigation.

Current marine shipping uses in the Arctic

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

Biological invasions are known from around the globe but are relatively less known or studied in the Arctic. This secondary migration of invasives complicates ecological interactions as naturally occurring species from areas adjacent to the Arctic are also expanding their ranges northward. Another study found that the rate of marine invasion is increasing; that most reported invasions are by crustaceans and molluscs; and, importantly, that most invasions have resulted from shipping. Given the findings of the recent analysis of current Arctic shipping and the potential for climate change to expand such shipping, this has potentially very high relevance for future marine invasive risks to Arctic waters. In fact, in August 2009, two German vessels moving Korean goods from Vladivostok to the Netherlands along the Northern Sea Route became the first legal commercial ship crossings of the Arctic without icebreaker assistance. Studies of polar shipping operations have demonstrated that the external hull and ballast tanks of vessels operating in ice-covered waters can support a wide variety of nonnative marine organisms.

Current pressures on national parks on Indonesian Borneo and Sumatra (illegal logging, hunting and mining)

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:00:00 --0200

The management and enforcement of the protection regime in Indonesia is insufficient, and illegal activities - such as logging, hunting and mining, is rampant. The RAPPAM methodology, developed by WWF, has been used to assess the relative pressures and threats using questionnaires and workshops. Borneo and Sumatra are home to the Orangutan, and the protected areas represent vital habitat for the survival of the species.

Current Valuation Estimates of Blue Carbon Sink

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:45 --0200

Although coastal ecosystems are already among the most valuable on the planet, the current estimates of the economic value for some of the oceans blue carbon sinks are surprisingly low. How should human perception of these important ecosystems change as we learn of the vast benefits of maintaining healthy coasts and oceans?

Cutting Smaller Parcels in Hälsingland Sweden

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:42:59 --0200

No data

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Czech Republic, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Czech Republic. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Czech Republic, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Czech Republic (Czechia) is located in Central Europe, southeast of Germany, comprising of 78,866 sq km. It has a population of 10,241,138 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: air and water pollution in areas of northwest Bohemia and in northern Moravia around Ostrava present health risks; acid rain damaging forests; efforts to bring industry up to EU code should improve domestic pollution.

Damming the world

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

The construction of large dams - defined as those with walls at least 15 metres high - has increased significantly over the past 50 years. The average height of new dams, estimated at 30-34 m from 1940-1990, increased to about 45 m in the 1990s, due largely to construction trends in Asia. The average area and volume of freshwater reservoirs have also steadily increased, rising to about 50 km2 between 1945 and1970, declining through the 1980s to 17 km2, and increasing again in the 1990s to about 23 km2 (WCD, 2000). By 1997 there were more than 45,000 large dams worldwide, 22,100 of them in China. Other nations with many large dams include the United States (with 6,390 large dams), India (with more than 4,000), and Spain and Japan (with 1,000-1,200 each) (WCD, 2000). The countries with the greatest number of large dams under construction, in order of significance, are: Turkey, China, Japan, Iraq, Iran, Greece, Romania and Spain, and countries in the Parana basin in South America. The river basins with the largest dams under construction are: the Yangtze with 38, the Tigris and Euphrates, with 19 each, and the Danube, with 11 (Revenga et al., 2000). Damming and flood control can have negative impacts, such as declining fish catches, loss of freshwater biodiversity, increases in the frequency and severity of floods, loss of soil nutrients on floodplains, and increases in diseases such as schistosomiasis and malaria. In Egypt, for example, the massive Aswan Dam has caused the fertile Nile Delta to shrink, with 30 of 47 commercially exploited fish species becoming economically or biologically extinct. On the Mississippi River, the rising frequency and severity of flooding - attributed to local flood control structures - have reduced the river’s ability to support native flora and fauna, while a dramatic increase in floods on the River Rhine has been attributed to increased urbanization, engineering, and the walling off of the river from its floodplain (Revenga et al., 1998).

Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 12:53:22 --0200

Overview over the transboundary Daugava/Zapadnaya Dvina and Nemunas/Neman river basins in North Eastern Europe. These basins span the countries of Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Poland, and the rivers drain to the Baltic Sea. This map was prepared for the DatabasiN project, which will coordinate spatial information for transboundary river basin management.

Decline in trophic level of fisheries catch since 1950

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:27:00 --0200

A trophic level of an organism is its position in a food chain. Levels are numbered according to how far particular organisms are along the chain from the primary producers, to herbivores, to predators, to carnivores or top carnivores.

Declines in carbon in living biomass and in extent of forest

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:39:40 --0200

No data.

Deep underwater, deeper underground

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:05:11 --0200

No data

Deep waters within and beyond areas of national jurisdiction in East Africa

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:43:00 --0200

The figure demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of marine areas under national jurisdiction in East Africa are deeper than 200 metres (dark blue). Areas in red indicate where the geology/geomorphology might justify (subject to further research and interpretation) a submission/claim to be made by coastal states individually or jointly to increase their national seabed and subsoil areas, which, in turn, may be of major economic potential.

Defining and measuring biodiversity

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:44:53 --0200

No data

Definition of the geographic areas covered in the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

The Arctic Council study on trends in the polar ecosystems - the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA) focuses on the areas displayed in this map. The high- and low Arctic regions are defined from the bioclimatic zones in the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM), while the sub-Arctic zone is the area definition that has been used int he Arctic Council.

Definitions of the Arctic

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Several definitions of the Arctic as a region exist and are all used extensively. Definitions of the geographic boundaries of the Arctic vary, including such definitions as the area with a July isotherm below 10º C, vegetation distribution (tundra) or political boundaries, such as the definition by CAFF (CAFF, 2001). Nowhere else on Earth do we find such vast areas of relatively undisturbed marine and coastal ecosystems.

Deforestation Benefits

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:43:07 --0200

No data

Deforestation Causes in Brazil

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:09:50 --0200

No data

Deforestation in Brazil Compared with the Area of Turkey

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:37:00 --0200

Over the past 40 years, about a fifth of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has been deforested (Reuters 2008). Official statistics show that annual deforestation has been close to 20 000 square kilometres over the last 10 years, reaching a peak of 27 429 square kilometers in 2004, and then being reduced annually to 11 224 square kilometers in 2007 (INPE 2008).

Deforestation in Rondonia (Brazil) in the nineties

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The graph shows deforestation in Rondonia, Brazil. Brazil covers more than one quarter of the worlds tropical forests. Since 1980 the deforestation has steadily increased. Deforestration can occur as a result of the clearing of large areas for agricultural purposes, commercial logging and the construction of towns or dams. Please be advised that this graphic is likely outdated.

Deforestation in the Amazon region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The amount of deforestation in the Amazon region is increasing at an alarming rate. This graphic compares the amount of deforested areas in the Amazon region to region in Norway in order to show how much is being destroyed.

Deforestation in West Africa: Case Cote-d'Ivoire

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The average annual rate of change in total forest area from 1990 to 2000 for the whole of Africa was estimated to be -0.74 %, equivalent to losing more than 5 million ha of forest a year, an area roughly the size of Togo, and the highest rate of any region. (UNEP: GEO [Global Environment Outlook] 3). This graphic shows how deforestation has occurred in Cote d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) by comparing the area's forests in 1955 and in 1988. It shows areas in which forests were converted for agriculture, areas of closed forest cover, and areas of fragmented forest cover. This resource also includes a graphic that shows the areas of Africa that are affected by deforestation.

Degraded soils

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:33:00 --0200

Soil degradation is a key global environmental indicator. Very degraded soils are found especially in semi-arid areas (Sub-Saharan Africa, Chile), areas with high population pressure (China, Mexico, India) and regions undergoing deforestation (Indonesia). Degraded soils reduce the possibilities for agriculture, increases the expansion of drylands/desert and hightens the risk for erosion. This map presents the state of global soil degradation, from the GLASOD study in 1997.

Degree of protection of terrestrial ecoregions and large marine ecosystems (per cent)

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:19:28 --0200

No data

Degree of protection of terrestrial ecoregions and large marine ecosystems (per cent)

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:21:21 --0200

No data

Délais pour la production et la consommation de substances appauvrissant l’ozone

Wed, 26 May 2010 20:09:53 --0200

Définies dans les phases d’élimination progressive du Protocole de Montréal

Delete

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:07:42 --0200

No data

Delete

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:07:23 --0200

No data.

Delete

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:07:23 --0200

No data.

Delete

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:07:23 --0200

No data.

Delete

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:07:23 --0200

No data.

Demography of indigenous peoples of the Arctic based on linguistic groups

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:25:31 --0200

Language not only communicates, it defines culture, nature, history, humanity, and ancestry. The indigenous languages of the Arctic have been formed and shaped in close contact with their environment. They are a valuable source of information and a wealth of knowledge on human interactions with nature is encoded in these languages. If a language is lost, a world is lost. This deep knowledge and interconnectedness is expressed in Arctic song, subsistence practices, and other cultural expressions but especially in place names across the Arctic. Place names of the indigenous peoples reflect subsistence practices, stories, dwelling sites, spawning sites, migratory routes of animals, and links to the sacred realms of the indigenous peoples of the north. This map presents the original languages of the respective indigenous peoples, even if they do not speak their languages today. Notes: Overlapping populations are not shown. The map does not claim to show exact boundaries between the individual language groups. Typical colonial populations, which are not traditional Arctic populations, are not shown (Danes in Greenland, Russians in the Russian Federation, non-native Americans in North America).

Demography of indigenous peoples of the Arctic based on linguistic groups

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Areas show colours according to the original languages of the respective indigenous peoples, even if they do not speak their languages today. Notes: Overlapping populations are not shown. The map does not claim to show exact boundaries between the individual language groups. Typical colonial populations, which are not traditional Arctic populations, are not shown (Danes in Greenland, Russians in the Russian Federation, non-native Americans in North America).

Demography of indigenous peoples of the Arctic based on linguistic groups

Fri, 21 May 2010 15:23:06 --0200

Demography of indigenous peoples of the Arctic based on linguistic groups (major groups)

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:23:00 --0200

Demography of the Caucausus ecoregion, rural and urban population

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:15:00 --0200

The Caucasus ecoregion, which includes the countries of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and parts of Russia, Turkey and Iran, has three main urban centres - Yerevan, Tbilisi and Baku. Rural population is primarily distributed on the plains and coasts.

Dengue fever incidence; Trinidad and Tobago

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Shows the increase in dengue fever as temperature rises in correlation with El Niño in Trinidad and Tobago. There is neither good prophylactic nor cure for dengue fever, a disease spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. There are four different strains of the disease. Infection by one of the strains does not provide immunity against the other strains. The symptoms range from a non-specific viral syndrome to fatal hemorrhagic disease. Increasing temperatures promote the spread of this disease.

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Denmark, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Denmark. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Dependency ratio in renewable water

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

The dependency ratio is a good indicator of where tension and conflict over water-sharing and use can occur. The map clearly depicts such areas including central Asia, the Middle East (especially Syria and Iraq), India and Pakistan, and surprisingly, low land countries such as the Netherlands.

Depht-corrected density of Labrador Sea water (northern North Atlantic) at 200-800 m depth

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:35:00 --0200

The global ocean circulation system will change under the strong influence of arctic warming.

Des responsabilités différentes

Wed, 26 May 2010 20:08:49 --0200

Production de CFC déclarée

Desert and dry shrublands

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 --0200

The large surface area of drylands gives dryland carbon sequestration a global significance, despite their relatively low carbon density. The fact that many dryland soils have been degraded means that they are currently far from saturated with carbon and their potential to sequester carbon can be high.

Desertification

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:17:28 --0200

Environment and Security in the Mediterranean: Desertification

Desertification in the Caspian Sea region

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:06:00 --0200

Contrasting rainfall trends have been observed in the north and south. Whereas rainfall over Russia has increased over the last century, already dry areas such as the coasts of Turkmenistan and Iran have become even drier. Dust storms pick up large amounts of salt and dust as they pass over the Kara-Kum desert and the Caspian Sea shore, depositing it in the Volga valley where it impairs the fertility of arable land.

Deteriorated forest hotspots

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Despite showing signs of slowing at the global level, the present pace of deforestation continues to be a source of serious concern for Latin America and the Caribbean. While the region’s forests represent one of the most important potential sources for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, it equally accounted for approximately 70% of the world’s decrease in forests between 2005 and 2010 (FAO 2010). The global forest resource assessment (FRA) conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) identifies Brazil as the country with the greatest net annual loss of forest area in the world, though this must be viewed as a historical process caused by multiple factors, both internal and external. Between 1990 and 2000, Brazil lost 2.8 million hectares per year (ha/year) of forests, while between 2000 and 2010 the loss was 2.6 million ha/year. The list of the ten countries with the highest net forest losses in the last decade includes the Plurinational State of Bolivia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, with a combined loss of 290,000 ha/year. These countries, along with Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador, constitute critical areas of deforestation in the region.

Developing countries with environmental strategies

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:24:45 --0200

While many countries have shown indifference to environmental commitments made at Rio, the summit significantly helped legitimise environmental issues in political agendas worldwide: over 50 countries currently have national constitutions recognizing the rights of citizens to a healthy environment and many have national legislation to protect the environment.

Developing countries: share of agricultural exports in the world market (Hong Kong scenario)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

Agricultural trade can offer opportunities for the poor, but there are major distributional impacts among countries and within countries that in many cases have not been favorable for small-scale farmers and rural livelihoods. The poorest developing countries are net losers under most trade liberalization scenarios. 99

Development in Central Asia

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 18:47:00 --0200

The predictive models for population growth and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Aral Sea region shows there maybe some stabilization between the two and possibly some positive implications for the region.

Development in Central Asia [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:05:00 --0200

Development of fossil fuel resources in the Arctic, 2005

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:35:00 --0200

Barents Sea: The 2004 lifting of an embargo on offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the Norwegian Barents has renewed activity there. Regulation of exploration is animportant political issue. Debate in 2005 focused on environmental protection and establishing areas free of oil development. In Russia five companies were selected as finalists in the joint development of the Shtokman gas field, in the Barents Sea. This field is estimated to hold twice the known gas reserves of Canada. Mackenzie Delta and Pipeline: In Canada debate continues about developing hydrocarbon reserves in the Mackenzie Delta and constructing a 1220-kilometre pipeline to link with existing pipelines supplying southern Canadaand the U.S. Primary issues include ensuring local economic benefits (especially to indigenous peoples), and cumulative environmental effects. Alaska Beaufort Sea Coast: Since the start of the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field development in 1969, facilities and infrastructure have expanded to about 260 000 ha, producing a total of 15 million million barrels of oil and bringing economic development to the region. Studies show that caribou have shifted their calving grounds away from the oilfields. In 2005, after political dispute and intense lobbying, the US government withdrew its latest proposal to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to hydrocarbon exploration.

Development of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrate in EU 15 rivers

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graphic shows the development of organic matter, phosphorus and nitrate in EU 15 rivers. Water resources in Europe have been profoundly influenced over the past century by human activities, including the construction of dams and canals, large irrigation and drainage systems, changes of land cover in most watersheds, high inputs of chemicals from industry and agriculture into surface and groundwater, and depletion of aquifers. Some of the most important freshwater pollutants are nitrate, phosphorus and organic matter, together with various pesticides and heavy metals. The graph shows a dramatic decrease of phosphorus and organic matter from 1980 to 1995, however the amount of nitrate has greatly increased.

Dietary change in developing countries, 1964-2030

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

As nearly half of the world’s cereal production is used to produce animal feed, the dietary proportion of meat has a major influence on global food demand (Keyzer et al., 2005). With meat consumption projected to increase from 37.4 kg/person/year in 2000 to over 52 kg/person/year by 2050 (FAO, 2006), cereal requirements for more intensive meat production may increase substantially to more than 50% of total cereal production.

Different approaches and overlapping definitions to waste

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Waste is generated in all sorts of ways. Its composition and volume largely depend on consumption patterns and the industrial and economic structures in place. Air quality, water and soil contamination, space consumption and odors all affect our quality of life. Waste is a complex, subjective and sometimes controversial issue. There are many ways to define, describe and count it depending on how you look at it. Citizens, technicians, businessmen, politicians, activists; all of them use a different approach, and this explains why it is often a challenge to gather comparable data. From one country to the next, statistical definitions vary a lot. It is notably difficult, for example, to compare waste in rich and poor countries. The topic is also sometimes political, especially when it comes to the trade and disposal of hazardous and nuclear wastes. All waste data should therefore be handled with care.

Different sources of danger and their impacts to the environment

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 17:55:00 --0200

Contaminated groundwater can adversely affect animals, plants and humans if it is removed from the ground by manmade or natural processes. Depending on the geology of the area, groundwater may rise to the surface through springs or seeps, fl ow laterally into nearby rivers, streams, or ponds, or sink deeper into the earth. In many parts of the world, groundwater is pumped out of the ground to be used for drinking, bathing, other household uses, agriculture, and industry.

Dirty coal is here to stay

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Coal producers already taking advantage of the oil shortage and might even more in the future. Visualizing main production basins and major consumers.

Dirty coal is here to stay

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Coal producers are already taking advantage of the oil shortage and might even more in the future. In 2004 43 % of the electricity produced in the world came from coal.

Disappearing Arctic lakes - examples in Siberian lakes, 1973 to 1997

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

The Arctic contains a variety of types of lakes but overall, it is thermokarst lakes and ponds that are the most abundant and productive aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic. They are found extensively in the lowland regions of western and northern Alaska, Canada and Siberia. These (i.e., thaw) lakes are most commonly formed by the thaw of ice-rich permafrost, which leads to the collapse of ground levels and ponding of surface water in the depression. Continued thawing of the permafrost can lead to the drainage and eventual disappearance of these lakes, as can erosion and lake coalescence. These photos show that the total lake abundance and inundation area have declined since 1973 in the study area (Siberia), including permanent drainage and revegetation of former lakebeds (the arrow and oval show representative areas).

Disappearing forests

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:38:00 --0200

From 1970 to 1990 there was significant deforestation of both primary and secondary forests in Thailand: during this thirty year period, the area covered by primary and secondary forest declined by more than half.

Disappearing lakes - Old Crow Basin, Canada (1951-2001)

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

The Arctic contains a variety of types of lakes but overall, it is thermokarst lakes and ponds that are the most abundant and productive aquatic ecosystems in the Arctic. They are found extensively in the lowland regions of western and northern Alaska, Canada and Siberia. These (i.e., thaw) lakes are most commonly formed by the thaw of ice-rich permafrost, which leads to the collapse of ground levels and ponding of surface water in the depression. Continued thawing of the permafrost can lead to the drainage and eventual disappearance of these lakes, as can erosion and lake coalescence. This figure presents the trends in the Old Crow Flats Basin of Northern Canada.

Disaster preparedness and well-being

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:41:25 --0200

No data

Discharge of pollutants in the Caspian Sea - mercury and cadmium

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:29:00 --0200

Mercury and Cadmium are classified as toxic metals, and are persistant pollutants in the environment, that stays in the system and is accumulated through the food chains. The main release of these pollutants are on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, off the coast of Russia and Azerbaijan.

Discharge of selected pollutants

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:13:00 --0200

Nitrogen and phosphorous represents nutrients that can be seen as pollutants, as large concentations of those increase eutrophication. Nutrients are present in primarily commercial fertilisers and in sewage. A measure of eutrophication is biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), which measures the activity in the water column. High BOD means that there is low water quality (in terms of eutrophication) and high activity of bacteria in the water. This graphic also presents tonnes of oil released in the sea.

Displaced persons for three Balkan countries, 1994-2004

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:00:00 --0200

The wars gave rise to significant movements of population, some temporary, others permanent. It has proved difficult for refugees and displaced persons to return to their former homes. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the process is often illusory. Returnees hurry to sell recovered property, particularly when it is located in areas in which the ethnic community to which they belong is now in the minority.

Disposal Operations in 1997 in Million Metric Tonnes

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This figure shows the total amounts of hazardous waste disposed of through 16 different methods in 1997 by parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. It shows the amounts based on export data and based on import data. List of D-codes (disposal methods) from the full report: 'D1, D2 and D4 (landfill, land treatment); D3 and D12 (underground storage); D5 (specially engineered landfills); D8 (biological treatment); D9 (physico-chemical treatment); D10 (incineration); D13, D14 and D15 (blending, repackaging, interim storage)'. Other codes: D6: Release into a water body except seas/oceans; D7: Release into seas/oceans including seabed insertion; D11 Incineration at sea (from the Guide to the Basel Convention Control System for Hazardous Wastes at http://www.basel.int/pub/instruct.html#appendix2).

Dissolved phosphate levels: concentrations at river mouths

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Phosphorus is naturally present in water, primarily as inorganic and organic phosphates. Phosphates can enter aquatic environments in several ways: from the natural weathering of minerals in the drainage basin, from biological decomposition, or as runoff from human activity in urban and agricultural areas. A comparison of the major watersheds between the two decades showed that northern Europe and North America had lower phosphate concentrations, while the Ganges and Brahmaputra watersheds in south-central Asia had higher concentrations. Nutrient control programmes in municipal and agricultural activities may be key factors in the observed reductions in phosphate concentrations. Although there are not enough phosphorus data available at the global level to show significant trends, it would seem that some watersheds have improved, while others have declined over the last 20 years as shown in the latest map.

Distribution and current trend of polar bear subpopulations throughout the circumpolar Arctic

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

Polar bears occur in 19 relatively discrete subpopulations with an estimated worldwide abundance of 20,000– 25,000 animals. Our knowledge of the status and trend of each subpopulation varies due to availability, reliability, and age of data. Furthermore, for many subpopulations, there is limited or no data collected over a sufficient period of time to examine trends. Based on a 2009 review of the worldwide status of polar bears, one of 19 subpopulations appears to be increasing, three are stable, and eight are declining. For the remaining seven subpopulations, there is insufficient or no data to provide an assessment of status. In particular, there is a lack of data for the Russian subpopulations.

Distribution and spawning areas of four fish species

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Distribution and spawning areas of arctic cod, polar cod, herring and capelin in the Barents Sea region. The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Distribution and trends of wild Rangifer in the Arctic

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

Distribution and observed trends of wild Rangifer populations throughout the circumpolar Arctic (from The Circum Arctic Rangifer Monitoring and Assessment Network, CARMA). Note: Wild boreal forest reindeer have not been mapped by CARMA and thus are not represented here. Currently wild reindeer and caribou have declined by about 33% since populations (herds) peaked in the 1990s and early 2000s (3.8 million compared to 5.6 million) which followed almost universal increases in the 1970s and 1980s. The declines are likely natural cycles, driven by continental and perhaps global atmospheric changes in combination with changing harvest practices and industrial developments. Regionally, there is a tendency for herds to show a measure of synchrony in their phases of increase and decrease. For example, currently all seven of the major migratory tundra herds in Canada’s Northwest Territories and Nunavut are declining from highs in the late 1980s/early 1990s, with four of these herds having decreased by 75% or more in 2009 than in the 1990s. In neighboring Alaska, the two larger herds are declining including the well-known Porcupine herd, while two smaller coastal herds are still increasing from the 1970s.

Distribution of benefits under different land use scenarios in the Leuser Ecosystem

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Net present value (NPV) is in millions of USD over a 30-year period (2000-2030) at a 4% discount rate. The NPV for local communities under a deforestation scenario would be 3,132 million USD and under a conservation scenario 5,341 million USD. The analysis shows that the local community would benefit most from a scenario under which the forest is conserved, negative effects on ecosystem services are avoided and payments for ecosystem services are realized. Industry would gain most under a business-as-usual scenario, while local and national government benefits do not differ much for the two scenarios.

Distribution of causes of death among children under five years and within neonatal period

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

Distribution of causes of death among children un- der five years and within the neonatal period, 2004 (Figure from WHO, 2008).

Distribution of coldwater and tropical coral reefs

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0200

Coral reefs are marine ridges or mounds, which have formed over millennia as a result of the deposition of calcium carbonate by living organisms, predominantly corals, but also a rich diversity of other organisms such as coralline algae and shellfish. The coldwater reefs are highly susceptible to deep-sea trawling and ocean acidification from climate change, which has its greatest impacts at high latitudes, while tropical reefs will become severely damaged by rising sea temperatures.

Distribution of common eider, breeding and wintering ranges in the Arctic

Thu, 27 May 2010 13:00:00 --0200

The common eider, Somateria mollissima, has a circumpolar distribution breeding mainly on small islands in Arctic and boreal marine areas in Alaska (Bering Sea region), Canada, Greenland, Iceland, western Europe, and the Barents Sea region. In Russia, there is a gap in distribution along the mainland coast from the Yugorski Peninsula (Kara Sea) to Chaunskaya Bay in east Siberia (Figure 5.1). Important wintering areas include the Gulf of Alaska/Bering Sea/Aleutian region, southeast Canada, southwest Greenland, Iceland, Western Europe, along the Russian coast of Barents Sea, and in the White Sea. Six or seven subspecies are recognized, of which four occur in North America. This map presents breeding and wintering range of common eiders in the circumpolar region (not all southern breeding areas included).

Distribution of coral, mangrove and seagrass diversity

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Similar to corals, the region of greatest mangrove diversity is in Southeast Asia, particularly around the Indonesian Archipelago (Burke et al., 2001). There are three distinct areas of seagrass diversity in the Pacific region: the Indo-Pacific (areas around Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea), the seas around Japan, and southwest Australia (Spalding et al., 2002). This graphic illustrates the distribution and biodiversity (low, medium and high diversity) of corals, mangroves and seagrass in the world's coastal and marine areas.

Distribution of lodgepole pine in Sweden

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Forest distribution in Scandinavia is affected by several different species. This is to demonstrate the concentration of lodgepole pine (pinus contorta) in Sweden. The lodgepole pine is a tall, slender tree with a narrow loose crown reaching up to 80 feet tall.

Distribution of polar bear populations in the Arctic

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Worldwide there are thought to be 22,000-27,000 polar bears (Ursus maritimus)in 20 separate populations. They can be found in the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland and on the Arctic islands of Norway.

Distribution of pollutant loads in the Black Sea

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:16 --0200

Distribution of reindeer population in the Barents Region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The rendeer population of the Barents region is broken down into 5 distinct groups to show and their range. The 5 types are: Svalbard, wild, wild forest, domesticated and wild, and domesticated or semi-domesticated. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Distribution of Saami dialects

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 10:30:09 --0200

Saami dialects distribution with data from snowchange project. Graphic prepared for a case study in the 2004 edition of Vital Arctic Graphics on reindeer hearding, Saami and climate change in the Barents Region.

Do you really save time?

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Train versus plane in a busy world

Do you really save time?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Train versus plane in a busy world. Schedules provided for train and plane for the following routes: New York-Washington D.C., Tokyo-Osaka, Paris-London and Hamburg-Münich.

Dobris+3: overall pan-european assessment

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows Dobris+3: overall pan-european assessment. It describes positive or negative developments within various environmental branches, such as climate change, biodiversity and urban environment, the occurence of environmental policies as well as the principal drivers of said environmental developments.

Domestic extraction used in EU-15 compared to imports of industrial minerals and ores

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:03:55 --0200

No data

Dominating air currents

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The pollution from industrialized nations are affecting the environment in the Arctic region. The main areas of indutrial activity in the northern hemisphere are spreading to specific areas in the Arctic though air currents.

DPSIR framework for State of Environment Reporting

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The DPSIR framework (Driving Forces-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses) is used to assess and manage environmental problems. Driving forces are the socio-economic and socio-cultural forces driving human activities, which increase or mitigate pressures on the environment. Pressures are the stresses that human activities place on the environment. State, or state of the environment, is the condition of the environment. Impacts are the effects of environmental degradation. Responses refers to the responses by society to the environmental situation. This graphic explains the DPSIR process.

Drainage in the Black Sea Area

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:19 --0200

Drivers of Forest Conversion

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:45:04 --0200

No data

Drought in Central and Southwest Asia

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:00:00 --0200

Turkmenistan and Iran have become drier. Dust storms pick up large amounts of salt and dust as they pass over the Kara-Kum desert and the Caspian Seashore, depositing it in the Volga River valley where it impairs the fertility of arable land.

Droughts - risk and vulnerability (economic loss, as a proportion of GDP density)

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:30:00 --0200

Disasters and natural hazards represents one strong aspect of vulnerability for the exposed and poor of the World. With climate change, the frequency of certain natural hazards are expected to increase. This map presents an output from an analysis investigating hazard exposure and historical vulnerability for selected natural hazards, together with population distribution and economy. Specifically, this map shows where droughts represents a major threat to the economy and well-being, thus affecting the human vulnerability.

Early warning systems

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 20:06:17 --0200

Every year, disasters caused by weather, climate and water-related hazards impact on communities around the world, leading to loss of human life, destruction of social and economic infrastructure and degradation of already fragile ecosystems. Statistics from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at the university of Leuven, Belgium, reveal that from 1992-2001, about 90% of natural disasters were meteorological or hydrological in origin; the resulting economic losses were estimated at $446bn, or about 65% of all damage caused by natural disasters.

East Siberian Arctic Shelf

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:06:44 --0200

The degradation of arctic sub-sea permafrost is already releasing methane from the massive, frozen, undersea carbon pool and more is expected with further warming.

Eastern Europe through history

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:01:00 --0200

The region’s borderline position has determined its many specific features. Neighbouring cultures deeply penetrated and influenced Eastern European societies, shaping contrasting developmental orientations. Eastern European lands changed hands many times in history and in some periods they were split between Western and Eastern powers. This is a glimpse of 4 periods between 1000 A.D. to 1938 A.D.

Ebola

Thu, 27 May 2010 19:05:49 --0200

A central African decennal curse, 1994-2003.

Ebola - A Central Africa decennal course, 1994-2003

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:11:00 --0200

Ebola epidemic outbreaks across the Congo Basin are a significant threat to gorillas, and also impact the few re- maining populations less exposed to poaching and habitat loss.

Eco-design strategies

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

You do always have the option of remembering how much energy went into building your house.

Ecological creditors and debtors

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:03:15 --0200

No data

Ecological Footprint and Biodiversity

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:55:08 --0200

No data

Ecological zones

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Sumatran orangutans occur in two main forest habitats, those on dryland mineral soils and those on wet coastal peat. The three main peat areas are Singkil, Kluet and Tripa on the west coast of Aceh province.

Economic benefits under alternate management practices

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:23:07 --0200

In each case, the net benefits from the more sustainably managed ecosystem are greater than those from the converted ecosystem, even though the private (market) benefits would be greater from the converted ecosystem.

Economic impacts of Gorilla tourism in Uganda

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:00:00 --0200

Gorilla tourism in Uganda is primarily taking place in the Mgabinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and represents one of the main destinations for wildlife tourism in the country. Estimations of the national and community level economic impacts in Uganda, based on a full capacity of 8760 tourists per year and expenditures of USD 874 were calculated to present the direct impacts, the indirect (secondary support activities) and induced (increased spending among local beneficiaries). Currently only small shares of the impacts are benefiting the communities at the sites.

Economic output and external debt in the Southern Caucasus

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:00 --0200

Economic output and external debt in the Southern Caucasus [Russian]

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:00 --0200

Economic trends in the Balkans, GDP 1995-2005

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:00:00 --0200

All of the Balkans countries have shown an increase in the Gross Domestic Product from the period spanning 1995 - 2005. However Slovenia and Croatia have shown the most notable increases and Macedonia barely showing an increase.

Economic Worldwide Benefits Coming From Biodiversity

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:44:11 --0200

No data

Economies at risk - disasters, poverty and agricultural dependence

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 18:49:00 --0200

Natural disasters and conflict disrupts the livelihoods and financial stability of countries, and the people. A high dependence on agriculture signifies a high sensitivity to changes in the environment, such as drought and floods. This map highlights countries with high shares of agrilculture, and also countries with high incidence of poverty, another factor in assessing the vulernability of rural population.

Economy in the Central Asia

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 18:39:00 --0200

The economy of the various countries within the Aral Sea region sometimes greatly differ in inflation, debt and GDP. This is a report on the economies of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia.

Economy in the Central Asia [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:22:00 --0200

Economy of the Arctic, by sector

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The largest economies in the Arctic belong to Alaska (US) and Russia, mainly because of mining and petroleum activity. Regions that are still heavily dominated by more traditional subsistence activities, such as hunting and fishing, in Greenland and in Northern Canada, have much lower gross products. Similarly, reindeer herding in Russia and Scandinavia is of substantial importance to the livelihoods and lifestyles of reindeer herders like the Saami and the Nenets but does not contribute greatly to the gross products of these regions.

Ecoregions in Antarctica

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:02:00 --0200

Antarctica represents a very unique and special case on our planet. With the richness of the Southern Ocean, the coasts and the Southern islands have relatively high biodiversity and biomass in the form of numerous sea birds - such as penguins and mammals such as seals and sea lions - primarily around the Antarctic peninsula - in the Marielandia Arctic Tundra ecoregion. In contrast - the inland of the Antarctic continent are a cold, windy and inhospitable desert with virtually no life.

Ecoregions prioritised for conservation, in the Arctic (WWF Global 200)

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:02:56 --0200

Ecoregions represent large areas with geographically characteristic fauna, flora and climate - both marine and terrestrial. This graphic presents the ecoregion definitions identified by the World Wildlife Fund and associated experts, and specifically those ecoregions that have been designated as priority areas (Global 200 database) for conservation. This means that these ecoregions represent unique biodiversity characteristics, and also that there is a threat from human activities.

Ecosystem services value for the Leuser Ecosystem

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Values for the various non-carbon ecosystem services (water, regulation of floods and landslides, fisheries, prevention and limitation of fires, agriculture, tourism, and non-timber forest products (NTFP) and biodiversity) were calculated with a discount rate of 4% over a 30-year period. Total value for ecosystem services beyond climate regulation being USD 3,735/ha.

Ecosystem Value 3D

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:45:01 --0200

No data

Ecosystems in Northern Scandinavia and Finland

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The map shows the range of nine different ecosystem types across Fennoscandia, the northern region of scandinavia and the western part of the Barents region. The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Ecosystems in Northwest Russia

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The map shows the range of fourteen different ecosystem types across Russia. The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Effect of international agreements on the predicted abundance of ODS in the stratosphere 1980–2100

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:36:57 --0200

No data.

Effects of enhanced UV-B radiations on crops

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:22:00 --0200

Experiments on food crops have shown lower yields for several key crops such as rice, soy beans and sorghum. The plants minimize their exposure to UV by limiting the surface area of foliage, which in turn impairs growth. However the observed drop in yield does not seem serious enough for scientists to sound the alarm.

Effects of sea-level rise on water resources of small islands and low-lying coastal areas

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

The water resources of small islands and low-lying coastal areas are very susceptible to sea-level rise. This figure illustrates the direct impacts on the water resources sector, as well as the plethora of higher-order impacts which affect not only that sector but most, if not all, other sectors including health, transport and agriculture.

Effects of the Montreal Protocol amendment and their phase-out schedules

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:50:24 --0200

There are currently a hundred and ninety-one Parties to this treaty, demonstrating a greater degree of global participation than almost any other agreement managed by the UN. By 2005 these countries had collectively phased out more than 95% of the production and consumption of the chemicals controlled by the protocol.

Effets de la sécheresse sur les cheptels dans certains pays africains (graphique à insérer)

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:58:00 --0200

No Data

El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Phenomenon

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

El Niño describes 'the warm phase of a naturally occurring sea surface temperature oscillation in the tropical Pacific Ocean', and southern oscillation refers to 'a seesaw shift in surface air pressure at Darwin, Australia and the South Pacific Island of Tahiti'. This graphic explains the El Niño-Southern Oscillation Phenomenon, showing the differences between a normal year and an El Niño year.

Electricity consumption by category in the Nordic countries in 1996

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graphic shows electricity consumption by category in the Nordic countries in 1996. Developed countries, and Nordic nations in particular, have the highes energy consumption per capita in the world. Over the last decade developed countries have attempted to reduce the over-all energy demand.This includes attempts to increase energy efficiency in households and industrial processes.

Electricity consumption in Baltic region countries in 1995. in TWh

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graphic shows electricity consumption in Baltic region countries in 1995 in TWh. Russia and Germany are the biggest consumers of electricity overall, however it is worth noticing that Nordic nations by far have the highes energy consumption per capita.

Electricity consumption in kWh per capita

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows the consumption on electricity in kWh per capita. The graph shows that developed countries, and Nordic nations in particular have the highest energy consumption per capita. Please note that this figure is old and outdated

Electricity generation by sources in the Nordic countries in 1996

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows the electricity generation by sources in the Nordic countries in 1996. Nordic countries have a highly developed energy marked, particularly in renewables, partly due to a high number of scientist working in reasearch per head of population and large budgets for development and research.

Electricity Production and Sources

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Changes in energy intensity in Latin America and the Caribbean reveals the importance of improving energy efficiency levels, on both the supply and the demand side, and of expanding the use of renewable energies. In South America, 70% of the electricity produced comes from hydroelectric sources.

Electrification and traditional fuels in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 06:00:00 --0200

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) consists of 15 countries, with 233 million inhabitants. Apart from Mauritius and the countries around South Africa in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), the remaining countries exhibit low rates of electricity access and use of high quality fuels. Easy access to electricity and power increases the living standard and enables the development of additional services.

Elevation

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

The Bukit Barisan mountain range that runs down the full length of Sumatra reach altitudes of over 3,000 meters above sea level (m asl), with the highest peaks being Gunung Kerinci in West Sumatra (3,800 m asl) and Gunung Leuser (3,404 m asl) in Aceh. Sumatran orangutan habitat is primarily in lowland areas. The highest densities are found below 500 m asl, but individuals can still be encountered on occasion as high as 2,000 m asl.

Emission Assessment

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Emission Assessment visualizing raw material, transformed products, energy and workers and related activities flows.

Emission calculators

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Emission calculators for energy, transport sectors and various sectors found on non-profit, profit and offset providers.

Emission Calculators

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Table explaining Emission Calculators

Emissions and energy scenarios by source

--0200

Despite the Kyoto protocol and increased concern over the consequences of climate change, world wide emissions of CO2 continues to grow. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) world total CO2 emissions will increase by 62% from 2002 – 2030. More than two-thirds of the increase will come from developing countries. They will overtake the OECD as the leading contributor to global emissions early in the 2020s. Despite the strong increase in emissions in developing countries, both the OECD and the transition economies will still have far higher per capita emissions in 2030. Energy-related CO2 emissions from Annex 1 OECD countries are projected to be 30 % above the Kyoto target for these countries in 2010, while emissions from Annex 1 transition economies will be 25 % below target. In OECD Europe, use of gas will contribute more to global warming than coal in 2020. Use of oil will still be the biggest contributor.

Emissions Assessment

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Direct measurements of greenhouse gases emissions are not possible. Assessments are therefore using precise theoretical calculations for each sectors. They are called “emission factors” and are regularly updated. Trying to quantify emissions related to a given activity requires consideration of complete life-cycles. That means counting emissions from all related activities, raw materials, transformed products and necessary infrastructure (indirect emissions). Naturally, one has to stop imputing indirect emissions to the evaluated activity at some point. This will depend on the working branch and on the assessment methodology used.

Emissions by gas

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Thousand million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year (1970-2004 period)

Emissions by gas

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Emissions of various gases from deforestation, logging, peat fires, fossil fuel and other sources.

Emissions de HFC pour quelques pays industrialisés

Wed, 26 May 2010 20:13:38 --0200

Note : Sous le régime de la Convention-cadre de l’ONU sur les changements climatiques, les pays industrialisés qui ont ratifié le protocole de Kyoto s’obligent à déclarer annuellement leurs émissions de HFC depuis 1990. 40 pays font partie de cette catégorie actuellement, dont 22 ont déclaré des données dès 1990. Les émissions supérieures à 1'000 tonnes d’équivalent-CO2 en 2007 figurent sur cette carte. Les 25 autres pays industrialisés dont les émissions sont inférieures à 1'000 tonnes d’équivalent-CO2 ne figurent pas sur cette carte ; leurs émission cumulées se montaient en 2007 à 9'784 tonnes d’équivalent-CO2. Comme les pays qui ne relèvent pas de l’annexe 1 (« pays en voie de développement ») ne sont pas tenus de déclarer leurs émissions de HFC sous le régime de la CCNUCC, il n’existe pas de données officielles cohérentes pour ces pays. Cela ne doit pas conduire à la conclusion que ces pays n’émettent pas de HFC.

Emissions due to solid waste disposal on land

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:49:00 --0200

Landfi ling is the most common waste management practice, and results in the release of methane from the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. Methane is around 20 times more potent as a GHG than carbon dioxide. If the disposal of organic matter were to be decreased (for example by composting or incineration) it would be possible to reduce the amount of methane emissions. However, landfill methane is also a source of energy, and some landfills capture and use it for energy. In addition, many materials in landfills do not decompose fully, and the carbon that remains is sequestered in the landfill and not released into the atmosphere.

Emissions from agriculture

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Average emissions, thousand million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year in various agriculture generated emission gases.

Emissions from agriculture

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Average emissions Thousand million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year

Emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, Finland

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows Finnish emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases from 1980 to 1996 with projections to 2010 according to second national communications to UNFCCC. Greenhouse gases are largely produced by human activities such as industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land use, including deforestation.

Emissions of carbon dioxide, in Africa and selected OECD countries

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:00 --0200

Africa represents only a small fraction, 3.6%, out of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year, yet 14% of the population of the world lives here. The emissions per inhabitant in Libya, the Seychelles and South Africa are on the level of the lowest among OECD countries with the other African countries trailing lower behind them. Regionally, emissions (both per capita and in total) are at their highest in North Africa and in the country of South Africa.

Emissions of CO2 - selected countries (1995)

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:00 --0200

The rich countries of the world historically have emitted most of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases since the start of the industrial revolution in the latter half of the 1700s. Per capita, the significant emissions still are produced by the OECD countries.

Emissions of CO2 in Norway, 85-95

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows emissions of CO2 in Norway from 1985 to 1995 and estimates future emissions from 1995 to 2010. CO2 can be created by use of fossil fuel, by land-use convertion, combustion or cement production.

Emissions of CO2 per capita 1990 (selected countries)

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows emissions of CO2 per capita 1990. CO2 can be emitted as byproduct from the use of fossil fuel, by combustion, land-use conversion and cement production. Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 are increasing, and it is indicated that this contributes to global warming and climate change.

Emissions of greenhouse gases in Norway, 1985-1996

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graph shows the total emission of 6 major greenhouse gases in Norway from 1985 to 1996 with projections to 2010. Greenhouse gases are largely produced through human activities including industrial processes, fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land use, such as deforestation.

Emissions of greenhouse gases in Norway, C2F4 and C2F6 85-96

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graphic shows emissions of C2F4 and C2F6 in CO2 equivalents in Norway from 1985 to 1996. C2F4 and C2F6 are primarily results of the production process of alumunium. Their atmospheric lifetime is estimated to be around 50 000 years.

Emissions of HFC in CO2 equivalents in Norway, 85-96

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graphic shows Emissions of HFC in CO2 equivalents in Norway from 1985 to 1996 with projections to 2010. HFCs are among the most important greenhouse gases and are covered under the Kyoto protocol. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC's) do not harm or breakdown the ozone molecule, but they do trap heat in the atmosphere, making it a greenhouse gas, aiding in global warming. HFC’s are used in air conditioners and refrigerators.

Emissions of N20 in Norway, 85-96

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows emissions of N20 in Norway from 1985 to 1996 with projections to 2010. N20 can occour naturally or have anthropogenic sources such as fertilizrs, combustion and various industrial processes.

Emissions of N2O in Norway, 85-96

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graph shows emissions of N2O in Norway from 1985 to 1996. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is emitted to the atmosphere by both natural such as combustion and anthropogenic sources such as industrial processes and fertilizers.

Emissions of organic water pollutants

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 17:42:00 --0200

Pollution emitted in industrial areas represents a threat to human health and the surrounding natural resources. We have a tendency to believe that the production processes are the only source of environmental damage, and often forget about the possible long-term effects of harmful production practices.

Emissions of SF6 in Norway, 85-96

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graph shows emissions of SF6 in Norway from 1985 to 1996.SF6 is a highly potent greenhouse gas used in the industry for insulation in high voltage equipment and current interruption in electric transmission and distribution equipment.

Emissions of the Brazilian Amazon

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Brazil has been recognized as the fifth highest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world, and is also the highest emitter within the Latin American and Caribbean region. This high level of emission is first and foremost due land use changes within the country. In 2005, forest and grassland conversion was responsible for emitting more than one billion of metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2-e) in the Brazilian Amazon.

Emissions per GDP in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2005 (excludes land use change)

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Evidence at international level shows a positive, although not a linear, relation between GHG emissions and the trajectory of the gross domestic product (GDP). There is a strong heterogeneity in the ratio of emissions to GDP (excluding land use change) among the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Guyana and Bolivia standing as those countries with the highest levels of emissions per US$ 1 million of GDP produced.

Emissions per GDP in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2005 (includes land use change)

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

A strong heterogeneity in the ratio emission to GDP, including the land use change, is observed among the countries of the region. Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia stand out because of the importance of emissions related to agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU).

Emissions per GDP, 2005 (excludes land use change)

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Examining CO2 emissions in 2005, excluding those associated with land use changes, it can be seen that the Latin American and Caribbean region has a higher level of emissions per US$ million of GDP (598 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million) than the OECD countries (468 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million), but less than the world average (652 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million).

Emissions per GDP, 2005 (includes land use change)

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Taking into account total CO2 emissions, including those associated with and use changes, the Latin American and Caribbean region rates poorly compared to other regions with regard to emissions of CO2 equivalent per US$ million of GDP produced. Latin America emits 1,152 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million, compared to 481 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per US$ 1 million emitted by the OECD countries. This indicates that for each US$ million of GDP, Latin America and the Caribbean is emitting more CO2 equivalent than the OECD.

Employment in the travel and tourism industry in Africa

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:00 --0200

About 6.3 million people work in the travel and tourism industry in Africa, where tourism is highly dependent on natural and cultural environment. However, since travel & tourism touches all sectors of the economy, its real impact is even greater.

En Europe, le nombre d'espèces d'oiseaux champêtres a connu une forte baisse au cours des dernières décennies, essentiellement du fait de l'intensification agricole

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:23:00 --0200

Gregory, R. 2009. “Data for European common farmland birds”. January 14, 2009, personal e-mail (January 14, 2009)

Endangered species in the black sea region

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:13 --0200

Energy - environment - security interactions

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:09:00 --0200

Recently energy demand in the region has reached and surpassed the 1991 level at the same time as the world oil prices have increased dramatically. Russia, for its part, has started a reappraisal of the political and economic costs and benefits of providing indirect energy subsidies. These factors are forcing the three countries to urgently rethink their energy supply options.

Energy consumption and CO2 emissions from building

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Energy consumption for heating and hot water Kilowatt hour per square metre per year CO2 emissions depending on the energy used for heating and hot water, for a 100 square metre dwelling Kilograms of carbon equivalent per year

Energy consumption and CO2 emissions from building

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Energy consumption for heating and hot water, CO2 emissions depending on the energy used for heating and hot water, for a 100 square metre dwelling.

Energy consumption by usage in a building

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Buildings (residential and commercial) account for 10 to 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions, including almost 70% carbon dioxide and 25% methane.

Energy consumption by usage in a building

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Buildings (residential and commercial) account for 10 to 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions, including almost 70% carbon dioxide and 25% methane.

Energy consumption in Central Asia

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:29:00 --0200

Industry in Central Asia consumes two hundred to three hundred more energy than in Western Europe. The levels of productivity based on consumption of electricity and gross domestic product is noticeably lower in Central Asia with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan being the worst at energy consumption.

Energy consumption in Central Asia [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:03:00 --0200

Energy consumption in the countries of the Balkans, 1990-2004

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:00:00 --0200

The region's political and economic instability has discouraged any substantial investment in the energy sector. Except for some places such as Kosovo, the Balkans have no fossil fuel deposits, which are significant power source on a global scale. The Balkan countries are neither big energy producers nor consumers, so the region can rely on renewable energy to cater for tomorrow’s growing electricity demand.

Energy consumption per capita (2004)

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0200

According to current forecasts the world’s energy requirements will have risen by more than 50 per cent by 2030. Oil and natural gas will account for more than 60 per cent of the increase. During the same time period renewable energy growth is lower.

Energy consumption, current and estimated trends, by region

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 10:01:53 --0200

The graphic shows energy consumption of oil, coal and natural gas in various regions around the world from 1990 to 2002 and predicts future consumption until 2020. Over the last decade developed countries have attempted to reduce the over-all energy demand.

Energy consumption, economic development and CO2 emissions; selected Latin America countries

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

As a rule of thumb, economic growth is closely related to growth in energy consumption because the more energy is used, the higher the economic growth. However, it is possible to decouple energy consumption and economic growth to some extent.. More efficient use of energy may entail economic growth and a reduction in energy use. Energy efficiency may very well be an economic driving force. With an increasing use of sustainable energy sources, the link between energy use and greenhouse gas emissions may be decoupled as well. The old “rule” saying that pollution is an unavoidable side effect of energy use, which again is a prerequisite for economic growth, is not valid where decision makers have a will to think differently.

Energy cost of out-of-season vegetables

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Oil required for production Liters per kilogram of vegetable

Energy cost of out-of-season vegetables

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Oil required for production. Displayed as annual consumption levels of litres per kilogram of vegetable.

Energy cost of various construction materials

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

Energy cost of building material range from 1 to 2800. Energy consumed measured in kilowatt hour per cubic metre for stone, sawn timber, concrete, brick, cement, PVC, steel and aluminum.

Energy cost of various construction materials

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

CO2 emissions are not directly deducible from energy costs. Concrete for instance is a very CO2-intensive material due to the emissions from chemical processes involved in its production, despite the relatively low energy costs per cubic metre.

Energy efficiency generally improves with economic growth...but greenhouse gases increase too

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:08:46 --0200

In 1992 76 million people living in urban areas were exposed to air pollutant concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines. In developing countries 1.9 million people die each year because of indoor air pollution exposure and 500,000 die as a result of outdoor pollutant levels.

Energy intensity in Latin America and the Caribbean

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Available evidence indicates that energy intensity – the ratio between energy consumption and gross domestic product (GDP), expressed in purchasing power parity (PPP) at 2005 prices – in Latin America and the Caribbean remained almost constant in the 1980-2007 period. This shows that the region has not made the progress necessary, in terms of energy efficiency, to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gasses. The stagnation in energy-intensity levels in Latin America is probably related to the weakness of, or lack of priority in, the energy efficiency policies of the region’s countries, along with a price structure that tends to favour energy intensity and the increased energy consumption from transportation, among other factors. In 2007, energy intensity in Latin America and the Caribbean was 134 kg of oil equivalent per US$1,000 of GDP (at 2005 prices), less than either the world mean (186 kg) or the figure for the OECD countries (152 kg). Among the countries of the region, varying levels of energy intensity can be seen, with energy-intensity figures for Peru, Panama, Colombia, Uruguay, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador and Mexico being below the regional average. In the future, these levels could become a key factor in international competitiveness.

Energy intensity of economy: Percentage growth from 1980

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Emissions increase as economies and populations grow; however, there can also be an energy decoupling (relation between energy and GDP) and a decoupling of emissions and decarbonization (relation between emissions and energy consumption). In this way, an increase in per capita income is achieved with less energy consumption and reduced emissions (ECLAC, 2009). Examining an energy intensity index by region for 1980-2005, one sees that, in aggregate for Latin America and the Caribbean, there is no sustained process of energy decoupling, as occurred in other regions of the world. This is reflected in the fact that, in terms of world averages, increases in income have been accompanied by decreases in energy consumption. The trajectories for CO2 emissions and energy consumption in Latin America and the Caribbean in 1980-2005 show that there is a positive relation between these two variables, though it varies from one country to another. During the period in question, both energy consumption and CO2 emissions (excluding those associated with land use changes) grew in the region at an average annual rate that was higher than the world average. Likewise, for the same period, emissions in Latin America and the Caribbean grew at a rate somewhat lower than the increase in energy consumption, suggesting that there has been a slight process of decarbonization in the region.

Energy production waste in selected European countries

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0200

Waste is a major environmental concern for the energy sector. Depending on the type of energy, the production process itself will generate substantial quantities of waste. The energy sector generates specific types of waste: waste from mining and upgrading coal and lignite (tailing); waste from oil and gas refining; combustion waste from thermal power stations; waste from air-pollution abatement devices and fi nally the components of the power station itself which must be dismantled at the end of its service life (particularly sensitive in the case of nuclear power stations).

Energy production, consumption and export - Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 17:38:00 --0200

The land-based activities of the oil and gas industry in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have had a much more severe impact on the environment than marine activity. In particular the growth in hydrocarbon-related activity has destroyed the environmental balance of whole areas throughout the region.

Energy resources, production and transportation

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:00:00 --0200

Energy is vital for the internal and external security of all three countries (see figure). A secure, affordable domestic energy supply is critical to economic development, particularly in energy hungry industrial sectors. It is also essential to meet social needs (heating, transportation, etc.) especially for vulnerable groups.

Energy supply in Latin America

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

Although 70% of South America’s electricity comes from hydroelectric sources, the situation in Central America and the Caribbean is quite different. In these two regions electric-power generation rely predominantly on fossil fuels. For Latin America and the Caribbean overall, fossil fuels (primarily oil and natural gas) continued to be the most important source (76%) for producing energy in the year 2007. Of the energy produced in the region, only 23.1% comes from renewable sources, primarily water, sustainable fuelwood and sugarcane products.

ENSO impact on Southern Africa

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

El Niño describes 'the warm phase of a naturally occurring sea surface temperature oscillation in the tropical Pacific Ocean', southern oscillation refers to 'a seesaw shift in surface air pressure at Darwin, Australia and the South Pacific Island of Tahiti' amd La Nina refers to the cooling phase of the same temperature oscillation that causes El Nino. This graphic shows how the El Nino phenomenon changed weather conditions in southern Africa in 1997-1998, and how the La Nina phenomenon changed weather conditions in the region in 1999-2000. The phenomena can cause dry and warm conditions in some areas and wet and cool conditions in others.

Environment and Security Initiative : Today`s priorities and future challenges

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 14:53:00 --0200

The pilot phase of the initiative in 2003 assessed environmental threats in Central Asia and South –Eastern Europe, two regions where environmental concerns have clear security implications. The Southern Caucasus joined in 2004. Eastern Europe and the Circumpolar Arctic will be included in 2005-2006. In each region work stats by identifying, through consultation with national and regional stakeholders, priority environment and security issues and situations.

Environment and security issues in Belarus and Ukraine

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:50:00 --0200

The Concept of National Security of Belarus focuses on both external and internal security issues. It directly refers to environmental problems such as global climate change, trans-boundary transport of pollution and the risk of serious accidents at industrial facilities located in Belarus and other countries close to Belarus borders, land degradation and radioactive contamination resulting from the Chernobyl.

Environment and security issues in Moldova

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:46:00 --0200

Since water resources are of particular importance to Moldova, water pollution is viewed as a nationally significant threat. Moldova does not have large lakes, and all its larger rivers originate outside its borders. there are many other issues facing Moldova's environment and security future.

Environment and security issues in Ukraine

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:36:00 --0200

Compared to its neighbours, Ukraine has a very low Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) (ranking 108 out of 146 countries; Esty et al. 2005). This is primarily due to the high energy and pollution-intensity of its industry, pressure on ecosystems due to intensive agriculture, water stress on part of its territory, and insufficiently developed environmental institutions.

Environment and security priority areas in Eastern Europe

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:18:00 --0200

Environmental problems often compound external security tensions and worsen internal security challenges in Eastern Europe. Of particular concern are environmental hazards concentrated along national borders (including the borders with the EU, Russia and borders between the three countries).

Environment and Security priority areas in the Ferghana Valley

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 15:07:00 --0200

The graphic shows an outline of the areas within the Ferghana Valley which are subjects to disputes over water resources and borders, disputes between private and collective farmers, deforestation and overuse of pasture. The map also show areas of industrial pollution and chemical risks caused by badly maintained radioactive dumps, tailing containments and several working industrial facilities.

Environment and security priority areas in the Southern Caucasus

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:22 --0200

Environment and security priority areas in the Southern Caucasus (poster)

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 10:16:00 --0200

Environment and security priority areas in the Southern Caucasus (poster) [Russian]

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:53:00 --0200

Environment and security priority areas in the Southern Caucasus [Russian]

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:00 --0200

Environment in Central Asia

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 19:37:00 --0200

There are 25 billion tonnes of waste just from mining and metal production in Central Asia. The most effected areas are highlighted based on a variety of different types of environmental damage such as desertification and wind erosion.

Environment in Central Asia [Russian]

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:11:00 --0200

Environmental policy responses

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

This graphic shows the general responses to the need for policy from region to region around the world. The trend looks optimistic that many different types and level of policies are being implemented in most areas of the world. Please note that this graphic is outdated.

Environmental threats in the Barents Region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. This map indicates the political boundaries and economic areas in the region. More importantly it shows where environmental dangers are located and the level of grazing on pastoral lands. (Please note that the The Barents Euro-Arctic Council has expanded the membership since 1998)

Environmental trends Nordic countries ( I )

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows environmental trends in Nordic countries (I). It describes negative and postive developments in different areas such as climate change, emissions of CO2, Ozone layer depletion and emissions of various other direct or indirect greenhouse gases.

Environmental trends Nordic countries ( II )

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graph shows environmental trends in Nordic countries (II). The graph demonstrates negative and positive environmental developments in areas such as marine water and discharges of Nitrogen, fresh water resources, and inland water.

Environmental trends Nordic countries (slide 4)

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows environmental trends in Nordic countries part 4. It illustrates positive and negative development in Nordic countries within areas such as timber resources and agricultural land resources.

Environmental trends Nordic countries 3

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

This illustration shows positive and negative developments in areas such as household waste per capita, urban environment Quality, biodiversity and number of private and commercial cars, see the other illustrations in this collection for more information.

EPT Rollup

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:55:08 --0200

No data

Eritrea, topographic map

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:41:41 --0200

Overview over the country of Eritrea, with topography and major cities. Eritrea, independent in 1993, is inhabited by 4.5 million people, and the capital is Asmara. Environmental issues, according to the CIA world factbook, are: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare.

Estimate of Area of Vegetation Destroyed Annually by Fire by Region

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:53:42 --0200

No data

Estimated contributions to sea-level rise (1993-2003)

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:00:00 --0200

The two main reasons for sea-level rise are thermal expansion of ocean waters as they warm, and increase in the ocean mass, principally from land-based sources of ice (glaciers and ice caps, and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica). Global warming from increasing greenhouse gas concentrations is a significant driver of both contributions to sea-level rise. From 1955 to 1995, ocean thermal expansion is estimated to have contributed about 0.4 mm per year to sealevel rise, less than 25 per cent of the observed rise over the same period. For the 1993 to 2003 decade, when the best data are available, thermal expansion is estimated to be significantly larger, at about 1.6 mm per year for the upper 750 m of the ocean alone, about 50 per cent of the observed sea-level rise of 3.1 mm per year. Kaser and others estimate the melting of glaciers and ice caps (excluding the glaciers surrounding Greenland and Antarctica) contributed to sea-level rise by about 0.3 mm per year from 1961 to 1990 increasing to about 0.8 mm per year from 2001–2004. (uncertainity intervals in the figure are 5 to 95%)

Estimated deaths attributable to climate change, 2000

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

The extent to which mortality is attributable to climate change remains a matter of intense debate. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) for 2000 indicate that, in Latin America and the Caribbean, there were between 2 and 40 deaths per million inhabitants from floods, malaria and diarrhoea. In terms of regions, the most severe health effects have been in Africa, though significant effects are also being felt in Latin America and in certain parts of Asia. This difficult situation has a major economic impact on the health systems of the countries of these regions.

Estimated global marine fish catch, 1950 -2001

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:43:00 --0200

Fishing production dramatically increase through the century peaking in late 1980s. At this time there were major declines in several fish populations in different areas of the world. The catch reported by governments is in some cases adjusted to correct for likely errors in data.

Estimated ground deposition of cesium-137 from nuclear-weapon fallout

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graph shows the estimated ground deposition of cesium-137 from nuclear weapon testing fallout. Cesium- 173 deposition from nuclear- weapon fallout have severe effects on human health. Based on estimaed doses to the Arctic population, nuclear weapon fallout will contribute to 750 additional cases of fatal cancer.

Estimated Loss of Plant Species 2000-2005

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:34:00 --0200

The present environmental situation – heavily influenced by climate change – could lead to a massive destruction of forests and the extinction of countless species. For example, modelling focusing on the Amazon region has indicated that 43 per cent of 193 representative plant species could become nonviable by the year 2095 due to the fact that changes in climate will have fundamentally altered the composition of species habitats (Miles et al. 2004).

Estimated Loss of Rainfall in Amazonia in the Next Century

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:21:11 --0200

The synthesis of 23 climate models shows a decline in rainfall between 1980-1999 and 2080-2099 under mid- range (A1B) global greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. The dry season rainfall is particularly important (winter in north and summer in central and southern Amazonia).

Estimated Residence time of water resources

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Estimated Residence time of water resources

Estimated total reactive nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere (wet and dry) in 1860, early 1990s, and projected for 2050

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:35:00 --0200

Atmospheric deposition currently accounts for roughly 12% of the reactive nitrogen entering terrestrial and coastal marine ecosystems globally, although in some regions, atmospheric deposition accounts for a higher percentage (about 33% in the United States). (Note: the projection was included in the original study and is not based on MA scenarios.)

Estimated value of marine biomes

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 09:38:17 --0200

An estimation of the financial value of selected different marine areas. Marine biomes are divided between coral reefs, estuaries, and oceans. The marine biome covers 75% of the earth's surface, and accounts for 90% of the planet's water supply.

Estimates of people flooded in coastal areas in the 2080s as a result of sea-level rise and for given socio-economic scenarios and protection responses

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

The lines represent IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) based on different world views. The differences in impacts between the SRES scenarios for the same amount of sea-level rise and protection response reflect differences in exposure (population) and ability to adapt (wealth). The solid lines represent a level of 'constant' (no additional) protection response. The dashed and dotted lines represent the addition of protection response to different degrees.

Estimation brute des niveaux de pertes, de conversion et de gaspillage d’aliments à différents stades de la chaîne d’approvisionnement alimentaire sur le plan mondial

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:47:00 --0200

Vers la fin des années 1990, les agriculteurs produisaient en moyenne l'équivalent de 4 600 kilocalories par personne par jour (Smil, 2000), c'est-à-dire avant la conversion d’aliments en fourrages. Après déduction des pertes, des conversions et de gaspillage à différents stades de la chaîne d'approvisionnement alimentaire, environ 2 800 kilocalories sont disponibles pour l'offre (aliments animaux et végétaux confondus) et, au bout de la chaîne, 2 000 kilocalories en moyenne – soit 43 % seulement des récoltes comestibles potentielles – sont disponibles pour la consommation.

Estimation du temps de trajet pour atteindre l’agglomération de plus de 5 000 habitants la plus proche

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:44:00 --0200

Accès aux marchés dans les zones agricoles en Afrique, en Asie et en Amérique latine.

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Estonia, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Estonia. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Estonia, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Estonia is located in Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia, comprising of 45,226 sq km. It has a population of 1,332,893 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations.

Ethnic diversity in Kosovo

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:00:00 --0200

Kosovo, an area that has been a part of Serbia and previously Yugoslavia, has a large mixture of ethnic groups that has kept the area politically unstable for years. The largest groups include Albanians, Serbs, Bosniaks and Gorani with further large pockets of other ethnic groups.

Ethnic groups in the South Eastern Europe

Tue, 09 May 2006 10:46:17 --0200

Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, ethnic tension has been a major factor in the development of the political situation in the Balkan Region. The break up of communist Yugoslavia lead to wide spread confict in the 1990-ies and has lead to the formation of new countries.

Ethno-linguistic distribution in the Southern Caucasus

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:00 --0200

Ethno-linguistic distribution in the Southern Caucasus

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:00 --0200

EU fishing agreements to West and Central African countries

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:00 --0200

Fisheries activities by European Union countries in the seas of West Africa contribute EUR 120 million annually in government revenues. A part of the contribution is set for “targeted actions” to promote local resource management and sustainable development. For some of the poorest countries under these agreements – like Guinea-Bissau, the EU payments represent a significant part of the government revenues.

Europe’s “Dirty Thirty”

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

WWF Ranking of the 30 dirtiest power plants in Europe Please note: *These are not the most emitting power plants but the least efficient ones. *This ranking only compares plants located in the European Union (25 countries at the time of the study). *The study only covers power plants serving the public power supply.

Europe's 'Dirty Thirsty'

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

WWF Ranking of the 30 dirtiest power plants in Europe and (in)efficiency of power plants located in the European Union and serving the public power supply.

Ever growing numbers of refugees

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:54:28 --0200

Many people forced into exile for ecological reasons have to claim political refugee status. For instance, in 1992 the thousands of people who fled the drought in Mozambique had political refuge status in Zambia. Gaining this status was easy since Zambia needed to increase its refugee population to qualify for more international aid. After the drought ended, the eco-refugees returned to Mozambique before official repatriation started.

Everyday alternatives: biodegradable, disposable or conventional tableware?

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:00 --0200

The priority is to decrease the amount of waste we generate. Only then should we will be proud of the high rates for recycling some countries report (see examples for glass and paper). Glass recycling scores best, perhaps because an old habit has never been lost. Many countries still have a deposit on glass bottles (Scandinavia) or have even expanded it (Germany).

Evolution de la composition historique et projetée du régime alimentaire humain et de la valeur nutritive

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:24:00 --0200

Kilocalories par personne par jour

Evolution des prix des produits de base par rapport à ceux des produits pétroliers

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:03:00 --0200

Prix des produits alimentaires (indice) Prix du pétrole brut (indice)

Evolution of the phytoplankton compostion in the Black Sea

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:17 --0200

Evolution of the world grain production, comparision with China and United-States

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The graphic compares the evolution of the grain production of China and the United States to world statistics from 1960 to 1995. the graphic demonstrates the overall increase in grain production globally, as well as Chinas leading role as the worlds dominating grain producer from 1960 to 1995.

Evolution of the world grain production, comparison World, Europe, China, Africa

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The graph Compares the amount of grain production of Europe, China and Africa to the world. It shows Europe as both the leading grain producer and as the region with the most dramatic increase in grain production since 1950.

Example of enhanced water levels produced from river ice, Liard River, Canada

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

The lower curve shows the correspondence between river flow and water levels under open-water conditions. The much greater maximum water levels possible under ice-jam conditions are illustrated by the upper curve. The transition in break-up severity from dynamic to thermal break-up effects (see text) is depicted by the gradually shaded area between the two curves. Dots are observed annual maximum water levels during the spring break up. The 1990 dashed line shows the maximum recorded flow for the Liard River – but note that the water level corresponding to this peak flow is lower than for many break-up events with much lower flows. Effects of climate on snowmelt runoff and ice characteristics will lead to regional changes in break-up severity and associated frequency and magnitude of ice-induced flooding.

Examples of current and possible future impacts and vulnerabilities associated with climate variability and change in Africa

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:28:12 --0200

No data

Examples of GHG emission amounts 01

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 02

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 03

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 04

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 05

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 06

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 07

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 08

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 09

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 10

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 11

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 12

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 13

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 14

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 15

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 16

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 17

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 18

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 19

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts 20

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of GHG emission amounts generated by different activities or goods

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

are scattered across the book in the form of proportional bubbles (in kilograms of CO2 equivalent).

Examples of ozone depleting substances (ODS) smuggling patterns in Asia and the Pacific

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:06:00 --0200

In the mid-1990s, when CFCs were phased-out in industrialized countries (non-Article 5 countries), illegal trade in those chemicals emerged. By 1996 this trade had reached alarming proportions, accounting for as much as 12–20% of global trade in ozone depleting substances (ODS).

Excessive withdrawal of renewable water resources

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

The countries known to be experiencing stress or scarcity of water per capita are roughly those which are excessively using their renewable water resources (North Africa, Middle-East and central Asia including Afghanistan and Pakistan). Excessive use is also of concern in some of the northern European countries such as Germany, Denmark or Poland. More so, as a consequence of damming, the Tigris and Euphrates in the eastern mountains of Turkey are now considered as major hotspots where violence could easily erupt if a clear mechanism for resolving conflict is not put in place. Turkey holds the dominant position since both the Tigris and Euphrates rise in its eastern mountains. Both rivers then flow through Syria and Iraq before draining into the Persian Gulf. Syria and Iraq are thus dependent on Turkish cooperation for the amount of water they receive. Turkey is carrying out a US$32 billion water development scheme called the Grand Anatolia Project (GAP), which involves construction of several dams in its underdeveloped south-east, for irrigation and to generate hydro electric power (HEP). This will definitely have a negative impact on the downstream riparian states of Syria and Iraq; however it also presents an opportunity for collaboration on water-use. Tensions tend to escalate and erupt whenever Turkey undertakes damming of the rivers. This has made Syria and Iraq continue to lobby the Arab League states to unite against Turkey on the GAP issue. In retaliation, both states have also supported the minority Kurdish Workers Party in its struggle against the Turkish government, prompting Turkey to threaten to cut off the flow of water to Syria and Iraq on more than one occasion.

Exchange of electricity in the Nordic countries, 1996

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows exchanges of electricity in the Nordic countries in TWh. The Nordic countries have a long tradition of cross-border cooperation in providing an efficient and reliable power supply. The main reason for these exchanges has been that each of these countries has a different mix of power generation facilities. In the later years, from around 1997, the cooperation has changed from being an oligopoly structure with dominant state-owned enterprises to a competitive market.

Exchanges of electricity in the Nordic countries in 1996

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

The graphic shows exchanges of electricity in the Nordic countries in 1996. The Nordic countries have a long tradition of cross-border cooperation in providing an efficient and reliable power supply. The main reason for these exchanges has been that each of these countries has a different mix of power generation facilities. In the later years, from around 1997, the coopreation has changed from being an oligopoly structure with dominant state-owned enterprises to a competitive marked.

Exemples des réseaux de contrebande des SAO en Asie et dans le Pacifique

Wed, 26 May 2010 20:19:51 --0200

No data

Existing and estimated hydropower capacity in the Balkans, 2006

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:00:00 --0200

Hydroelectric power covers a significant share of electricity consumption in the region (43 percent in 2004). Hydroelectric power dropped noticeably due to lower rainfall in 2002 and 2003, but the increase in overall electricity consumption nevertheless seems likely to continue driving demand upwards.

Existing and planned development in the Mackenzie delta

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Mackenzie delta and valley are seeing increased development of infrastructure for oil, pipelines and facilities, and with that comes temporary settlements and roads. This map illustrates the possible impacts on the environment with the suggested development in 2027.

Existing and proposed Coastal and Marine protected areas of the Arctic

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

Includes Marine Protected Areas and Protected Areas with Major or Minor Marine or Coastal Components. Prepared for the the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), Habitat Conservation Report No. 2.

Existing and Proposed Protected Areas

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:31:16 --0200

The areas that were protected in 1996 are shown on a complete map of the circumpolar area of the world along side with the proposed protected areas. The countries inclused in the information are: Canada, Finland, Greenland/Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and USA.

Existing radioactive waste disposal and proposal alternatives for storage

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 23:30:00 --0200

Radioactive waste presents a unique problem, where it has to be handled with care to prevent radiation exposure for people, wildlife and contamination. Products from nuclear activities can be reprocessed to a certain degree, but a fair bit of the waste needs to be stored or disposed of in a safe manner. Options include storing in deep mountain chambers/caverns, under the sea floor or even sending it out into space.

Expansion of hypoxia and anoxia zones in the northwest of the Black Sea

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:14 --0200

Expected impacts of climate change in 2050

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

It is expected that by 2050 there will be threats to ecosystem services in the Andes and Mexico, in the Central American and Caribbean sub-regions, and in southeastern Brazil, while there will be negative effects on fishing in the Pacific coastal areas of Peru and Chile. The decrease in precipitation will have adverse effects on agricultural yields in several regions and countries throughout the continent. Particularly noteworthy within Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole is the high degree of vulnerability that will be seen in the Central American and Caribbean sub-regions as a result of the increased frequency of extreme events expected to occur in the wake of climate change. Moreover, the rises in the temperature of ocean surfaces will make for more frequent bleaching of coral reefs, with a negative impact on fishing and tourism.

Exploitation status of marine fish stocks

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:04:02 --0200

No data.

Exploratory oil wells in the Mackenzie region of NWT,Canada

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Mackenzie delta and valley in the Northwest Territories, Canada (NWT) has seen a significant increase in the oil prospecting and exploration activity. This map shows the increase, over time, of oil wells between 1990 and 2001.

Export of fisheries products in Africa

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:00:00 --0200

For some African countries, particularly in West-Africa and to lesser extent also countries along the Indian Ocean, fisheries contribute significantly to exports. Remarkable is also that the fish sector is important for a landlocked country like Uganda bordering Victoria Lake.

Export of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes from Switzerland in 1997

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the amounts of hazardous waste exported from Switzerland in 1997 according to export data and according to import data, as reported by parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. It also shows the amount of waste that was disposed of, and the methods of disposal used, according to both sets of data. The graphic also illustrates the amount and type of materials that were recycled according to both sets of data. No information is presented on waste that was handled according to 'unspecified or mixed operations'. Note: Category Y19-Y45 refers to wastes having as constituents various hazardous substances. Further explanation of Y categories can be found in Appendix 2 of the Guide to the Basel Convention Control System for Hazardous Wastes at http://www.basel.int/pub/instruct.html#appendix2.

Export of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes from Switzerland to Other Countries in 1997 Based on Export Data

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the amounts of hazardous wastes and other wastes, in tonnes, exported from Switzerland to other countries in 1997. The amounts are based on export data, and shows that Switzerland exported wastes to the following countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland. The graphic shows that by far the largest amount of waste was exported to Germany. This graphic should be compared with Figure 22, which is based on import data and is located at http://www.grida.no/db/maps/collection/basel/22.pdf. Explanatory note from the full report: 'These figures reflect Swiss exports for wastes generated in Switzerland. Small quantities (120 metric tonnes) of hazardous wastes [were] exported to the USA for disposal and recycling.'

Export of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes from Switzerland to Other Countries in 1997 Based on Import Data

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the amounts of hazardous wastes and other wastes, in tonnes, exported from Switzerland to other countries in 1997. The amounts are based on import data, and the graphic shows that Switzerland exported wastes to the following countries: the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland. It shows that by far the largest amount of waste was exported to Germany. The graphic should be compared with Figure 19, which is based on import data and is located at http://www.grida.no/db/maps/collection/basel/19.pdf.

Export of waste as reported by Germany, in tonnes, 2001

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 21:56:00 --0200

In 2000 Germany reported sending more than threehundred thousand tonnes of waste to 14 countries. All countries appeared to receive a broad combination of hazardous waste apart from China, which received nearly 50 tonnes of household waste. In year 2000, Germany was amongst the top importers, bringing in over 1 million tonnes of waste from 38 countries. Most of the waste came from the Netherlands, Italy, Luxemburg and Belgium and contained a combination of waste streams.

Export volumes of pharmaceutical plants from Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia and Romania in 2000

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:00:00 --0200

The greater Balkan region is remarkably rich with the potential to play an important part in the regional and global market for medicinal plants. In terms of quantity, Bulgaria and Albania are the two leading exporters in southeast Europe, the former ranking among the top 10 exporters worldwide.

Export waste as reported by Australia, in tonnes, 2001

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 21:46:00 --0200

Australia is not a big player in the waste trade, but a good percentage of its exports are shipped all the way to Europe. In 2000 Australia reported the export of 16 689 tonnes of waste (all classifi ed as hazardous) to New Zealand, Belgium, Great Britain, France and Austria. More than half the waste consisted of used lead acid batteries, which were moved across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. Most of the rest of the waste (described as lead dross) was exported to Belgium. During that same period Australia imported 1600 tonnes of waste from New Zealand, Norway, French Antarctic and South Africa. This included mostly copper and lead compounds from New Zealand, selenium from Norway and household waste from the French Antarctic base.

Exportations agricoles totales

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:34:00 --0200

Les échanges céréaliers mondiaux dans le domaine agricole se sont accrus à un rythme constant au cours des dernières décennies. L’OCDE a toujours été une grande exportatrice nette de céréales, alors que l'Asie en est devenue une grande importatrice nette

Exports of pharmaceutical plants from Central Europe compared to gross national income (GNI) per capita

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:00:00 --0200

The Balkans are one of the most competitive sources on the world market. However, stocks of many wild species have recently declined. Some species are now rare or endangered due to the loss of their natural habitat, excessive picking, soil erosion and other factors.

Extent of cultivated systems, 2000

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:23:00 --0200

More land was converted to cropland in the 30 years after 1950 than in the 150 years between 1700 and 1850. Cultivated systems (areas where at least 30% of the landscape is in croplands,shifting cultivation, confined livestock production, or freshwater aquaculture) now cover one quarter of Earth’s terrestrial surface.

Extent of deforestation in Borneo 1950-2005, and projection towards 2020

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 11:00:00 --0200

The tropical lowland and highland forests of Borneo, including vast expanses of rainforest, have decreased rapidly after the end of the second world war. Forests are burned, logged and clear, and commonly replaced with agricultural land, built-up areas or palm oil plantations. These areas represent habitat for species, such as Orangutan and elephants.

Extent of Pollution over Asia

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:54:43 --0200

No data

External debt in the Southern Caucasus

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:25:19 --0200

Extraction activities and disputed areas in the Barents Sea

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:01:00 --0200

Norway and the Russian federation are currently disagreeing on the exact definition of their respective zones in the Barents Sea. The cause of the dispute is based on the special status that Svalbard has, as an International territory, under Norwegian stewardship - in some ways similar to Antarctica. The disputed is expected to be solved through bilateral agreements. The Barents Sea is currently a hot area for developing new sites for extraction of oil and gas - the map highlights the Snøhvit, Goliat and Shtokman fields. Note that the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations, UNEP or UNEP/GRID-Arendal.

Extreme days and nights - daylight variation in the Arctic: Reykjavik, Murmansk and Alert

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:20:00 --0200

The Arctic and Antarctic have long nights in the winter and long days in the summer. Above the Arctic Circle (66 °N), there is at least one day with no sun– polar night, and one day with no night— midnight sun. This graph shows the length of day through the year for three places in the Arctic: Reykjavik, Iceland, is the only national capital in the Arctic, Murmansk, Russia, is one of the largest cities in the nort and finally Alert, Canada, the northernmost inhabited place on Earth. Alert experiences 4½ months with the sun below the horizon (polar night) in the winter, and 4½ months of midnight sun.

Factors influencing the greenhouse effect

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

There are three main factors that directly influence the energy balance of the earth: the total energy influx, which depends on the earth's distance from the sun and on solar activity; the chemical composition of the atmosphere, and albedo, the ability of the earth's surface to reflect light. The only factor that has changed significantly in the last 100 years is the chemical composition of the atmosphere. This resource also includes a graphic that shows how the amounts of carbon dioxide (in parts per million), methane (in parts per billion) and nitrous oxide (in parts per billion) in the earth's atmosphere have increased from the year 1000 to the year 2000. The graphic also shows how the amount of radiative forcing, in watts per square metre, has increased for each chemical.

FAO Commodity Price Indices

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

Although production has generally increased, the rising prices coincided with extreme weather events in several major cereal producing countries, which resulted in a depletion of cereal stocks. The 2008 world cereal stocks are forecast to fall to their lowest levels in 30 years time, to 18.7% of utilization or only 66 days of food (FAO, 2008).

FAO Food price index (FFPI)

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

The current world food crisis is the result of the combined effects of competition for cropland from the growth in biofuels, low cereal stocks, high oil prices, speculation in food markets and extreme weather events. The crisis has resulted in a several-fold increase in several central commodity prices, driven 110 million people into poverty and added 44 million more to the already undernourished. Information on the role and constraints of the environment in increasing future food production is urgently needed. While food prices are again declining, they still widely remain above 2004 levels.

Female Literacy and accessibility (Burkina Faso and Mali)

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Burkina Faso and Mali have an extremely high percentage of adult female literacy. This map helps demonstrate the possible correlation between the level of access to markets and infrastructures based on road quality and town size to the levels of literacy.

Fertilizer consumption in the Nordic countries, 1980-1996

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

The graph shows the consumption of fertilizers in the Nordic countries form 1980 to 1996 with projections to 2006. The fertilizers included are phosphate, Potash and Nitrogen which are the three most important nutrients for crop growth.

Fiji, topographic map

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:19:00 --0200

The Republic of Fiji is a small island country in the South Pacific Ocean. The country has a population of 850 000 people spread out over an archipelago of islands. The largest ones, Viti Levu and Vanua Leva houses the majority of the inhabitants.

Fin de l’utilisation des Fin de l’utilisation CFC aux Etats-Unis en des CFC aux 1987

Wed, 26 May 2010 18:31:40 --0200

En pourcentage de l’usage total de CFC

Financial flows for developing countries

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 03:00:00 --0200

With increased globalization and a smaller world, money flows more easily and the flows have increased. Where aid once represented a majority of the funds from high income countries to developing countries, this has now been surpassed by investments and worker’s remittances, and these flows show no sign of slowing down – maybe pausing for an occasional downturn in the global economy. The question is when this will start show as a significant decrease in poverty.

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Finland topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Finland is located in Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia, comprising 338,145 sq km. It has an estimated population of 5,223,442 (2005). Major environmental concerns are: air pollution from manufacturing and power plants contributing to acid rain; water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations.

Finland, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Finland. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Fire events in Tripa

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Although the burning of peat is forbidden by Indonesian law, more than 458 ﬁre hotspots have been detected by satellite in Tripa during the last 10 years, the vast majority being located within palm oil concessions.

Fish Catch

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:45 --0200

The worlds most productive fishing grounds are confined to major hotspots in around 7.5% of the ocean surface, where over half of the fish are caught.

Fish catch and production

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:05:00 --0200

Fishing activities have various negative impacts on marine ecosystems. The greatest cause for concern is the rapid depletion of fish population due to extensive commercial fishing. In 2002 72% of the world’s marine fish stocks were being harvested faster than they can reproduce. Bycatch – the harvest of fish or shellfish other than the species for which the fishing gear was set – accounts for a quarter of the total catch (27m tonnes in 2003) and much of it is lost.

Fish catch in the Black Sea over the last 30 years

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:18 --0200

Fish catch in the Black Sea over the last 30 years, Bulgaria and Romania

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:17 --0200

Fish catch in the Black Sea over the last 30 years, Turkey and USSR

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:18 --0200

Fish diversity in freshwater systems

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Although freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes and wetlands occupy less than 2% of the Earth's total land surface, they provide a wide range of habitats for a significant proportion of the world's plant and animal species. This graphic explains which areas of the world have high and low populations of fish species and of endemic fish.

Fish diversity in freshwater systems

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Although freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes and wetlands occupy less than 2% of the earth’s total land surface, they provide a wide range of habitats for a significant proportion of the world’s plant and animal species. Many are yet to be discovered, but the number of freshwater species worldwide is estimated at between 9,000 and 25,000 (Cosgrove and Rijsberman, 2000). However, this number is rapidly decreasing due to human interference. Physical alteration, habitat degradation, excessive water withdrawal and pollution have contributed directly or indirectly to the decline in freshwater species. Other factors that reduce freshwater biodiversity include the incursion of non-native species and the mismanagement of inland fisheries. Today, an estimated 20% of the world’s freshwater fish is vulnerable, endangered or extinct (Revenga et al., 1998).

Fish landings and fishing fleet in the Black Sea, 1975-1995

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:18 --0200

Fish protein world consumption

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Consumption of proteins from fish in % of total consumption of animal protein.

Fisheries in the Southern Ocean

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:23:00 --0200

Fisheries, together with tourism, represents a major economic activity around Antarctica. In the old days whales were hunted for oil - these days fish and krill are captured for fish meal and human consumption. The areas in the Southern Atlantic are vastly more productive, and this is where most of the fish is caught. The top fishing vessels hail from Japan, Ukraine and Poland. Worth mentioning is that these figures are still small compared to the main fishing zones of the World.

Fisheries under threat in the Black Sea

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:16:21 --0200

Fishing yield

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Three-quarters of the world’s fish stocks are currently exploited to the maximum extent, if not in excess (FAO, 2000). This exploitation has had the following impacts: - A growing variety of fishery products are being exploited. Commercial fishermen are targeting progressively smaller species at lower levels of the food chain because the main predator species are being depleted. - Most of the world’s main fishing areas are close to full exploitation. The eastern Indian Ocean and the western central Pacific Ocean are the only areas that still show little sign of stress, and which exhibit a potential for continuing growth (FAO, 2000). - The northeast Atlantic Ocean continues to exhibit declining catches, as well as a shift towards fish at lower levels in the food chain. Indices developed to monitor changes suggest that continued heavy fishing may lead to irreversible ecological change. - Rivers, lakes and wetlands, which account for less than 1% of the world’s surface, but at least 8% of its fisheries production, are under mounting pressure from the growing human population (FAO, 2000).

Food consumption – trends and projections

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

Increase in crop production has mainly been a function of increases in yield due to increased irrigation and fertilizer use. However, this may change in the future towards more reliance on cropland expansion, at the cost of biodiversity. (Source: FAO, 2006).

Food lost

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:22:00 --0200

Food losses in the field (between planting and harvesting) could be as high as 20–40% of the potential harvest in developing countries due to pests and pathogens (Kader, 2005). Postharvest losses vary greatly among commodities and production areas and seasons. In the United States, the losses of fresh fruits and vegetables have been estimated to range from 2% to 23%, depending on the commodity, with an overall average of about 12% losses between production and consumption sites

Food Production Index

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Per capita food production is declining in Africa, but it is increasing steadily in the world as a whole. This graphic shows the net food production per capita (PIN base 1989-1991) for Africa and for the world for the time period 1961 to 2001.

Forecast World 2015

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

What will the world situation, specifically related to development and environment, be in 2015? This graphic, in the form similar to a weather forecast, tries to paint out a likely future scenario, with both good and bad spots.

Forest and Biodiversity under Threat by Economic Development

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:04:00 --0200

Southeast Asia, containing the world’s third largest tropical forests, is experiencing deforestation rates higher than almost anywhere else on Earth. The region’s forests and animals living in the forest are endangered by defragmentation and conversion to agriculture or other land uses, such as oil palm plantations and logging.

Forest boundaries in Northern Scandinavia

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Fennoscandia covers the northern region of scandinavia and the western part of the Barents region. The diferent types of forest covering and the political boundaries that are considered protected areas are shown on the map.

Forest Carbon Stock per Region

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:28:00 --0200

Carbon stocks in land based ecosystems are distributed irregularly between tropical and northern latitudes but are mostly concentrated in forest ecosystems and wetlands. Recent research suggests tropical forests play an even more important role in absorbing carbon than previously thought, taking up 1 Gt of carbon every year, or about 40 per cent of the total for land based absorption (Britton et al. 2007).

Forest composition case study in North America

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Current and projected Ranges of Beech Trees in the US. A warmer climate may have significant effect on the forests. Decidous forests will probably move northwards and to higher altitudes, replacing coniferous forests in many areas. Some tree species will probably be replaced altogether, jeopardizing biological diversity in several places.

Forest conservation and sustainable management initiatives

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

In November 2009, in an attempt to preserve the forests and slow deforestation, the Governments of Guyana and Norway signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on issues related to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and improving sustainable development, with a particular focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in the framework of REDD-plus. Within the region, Panama, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Paraguay are part of the UN-REDD programme that helps developing countries formulate and implement national REDD-plus strategies. In addition, a number of countries in the region are carrying out conservation and forest management initiatives. Among the mitigation measures announced by Brazil in the framework of the “Copenhagen Accord” is an initiative to reduce deforestation in Amazonia and the Cerrado, as well as efforts to restore grasslands. Mexico, within its national strategy to combat climate change, also considers sustainable forest management to be one of the means of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.

Forest Conservation and Wood Production

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:56:00 --0200

Forest Cover and Definition

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:09:00 --0200

Forest cover varies depending on how it is defined. The crown cover threshold and the land use criterion are, in most cases, the most critical factors defining forests.

Forest Cover in Relation to Poverty Madagascar

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:56:00 --0200

Even though forests are often very important to households, there is surprisingly little knowledge on the actual level of household forest income and the role of such income in maintaining livelihoods. The evidence regarding the role of forests in allowing households to move out of poverty is scant and mixed; there are examples indicating that income from forests allows households to accumulate assets and escape poverty. However, by way of contrast, figures from Madagascar show that areas there with high forest cover have low densities of people but high poverty rates.

Forest Cover in Relation to Poverty Madagascar

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:12:08 --0200

No data

Forest damage due to air pollution

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Air pollution has had an enormous impact of the forest in the Barents region. SPecifically there is alot of damage in Russia near the borders of Norway and Finland. The diagram shows areas of 'forest death' and the subsequent areas of varying levels of forest damage.

Forest extent in Central and Eastern Europe

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 09:09:43 --0200

The information on the state of biodiversity from 22 Central and Eastern European and former Soviet countries was assembled on the occasion of the 5th Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nairobi May 15-26, 2000. It is a collaborative effort of the ENRIN national focal points of UNEP-GRID. This graphic shows forest extent in Europe and Central Asia.

Forest fires in Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bulgaria

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 09:00:00 --0200

The summer of 2007 brought another heat wave to the Balkans, with widespread forest fires. The extent of burnt forest may differ a great deal from one year to the next, but it is quite clear that over the past 20 years, the frequency of forest fires has gradually increased in southeast Europe.

Forest loss from 1985-2007 for Sumatra

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

If only the most important orangutan habitat is examined – i.e. forest below 1,000 m – for the 1985-2007 period, the rate of loss was even higher, at 28% and 49% for Aceh and North Sumatra respectively. When only the most species-rich forests (below 500 m) are considered, forest loss between 1985 and 2007 was 36% for Aceh and 61% for North Sumatra. For the carbon-rich peat swamp forests the loss was 33% for Aceh and 78% for North Sumatra.

Forest per Total Land Area

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:18:00 --0200

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) there are at present just under 4 billion hectares of forest in the world, covering in all about 30 per cent of the world’s land area (FAO 2006a).

Forest status

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:46:32 --0200

Most Sumatran orangutan habitat is protected by Indonesian law. The government has created a very comprehensive system of functional forest categories, and institutions responsible for managing its forests. Some areas remain highly threatened, however, including the Batang Toru Forest (production forest), and the Tripa Swamp Forest (not part of the formal forest estate).

Forest systems

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:42:00 --0200

Forest systems are lands dominated by trees; they are often used for timber, fuelwood, and non-wood forest products. The map shows areas with a canopy cover of at least 40% by woody plants taller than 5 meters.

Forest vs. Agriculture – the case of the Mabira forest reserve, Uganda

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:00:00 --0200

The Mabira forest reserve, on the shores of Lake Victoria hosts valuable wildlife, serves as a timber resource, provides ecosystem services for the water balance and the rainforests represents a tourist destination. Following a proposed plan for clearing a third of the reserve for agricultural use, the values of the forest were calculated by local researchers. This economic evaluation of the forest shows that from a short-term perspective, growing sugarcane would lead to more economic benefits than maintaining the forest reserve, with a return of 3.6 million USD/year in contrast to 1.1 million USD/year for conservation. However, sugar cane production is only optimal during a short time span - five years. When comparing both land use alternatives over the lifetime of the timber stock – 60 years, the benefits from the forest, and the ecosystem services it provides, exceed those of the sugarcane planting.

Forest, crops and the people

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 --0200

There are competing demands for land use. Any policy that aims to promote ecosystem carbon management must resolve conflicts between different land uses and take care not to disadvantage the poor.

Forests Affected as Hideouts and Refuges

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:34:00 --0200

Around the world, conflicts and wars are, directly and indirectly, taking a toll on forests and the communities that rely on them for their livelihood. Dense forests in remote areas provide safe haven for refugees fleeing from conflict, which can result in overexploitation of forest resources.

Forests and Conflicts

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:34:00 --0200

Around the world, conflicts and wars are taking a toll on forests and on the communities that rely on them for their livelihood. Dense forests can serve as hideouts for insurgent groups or can be as a vital source of revenue for warring parties to sustain conflict.

Forests and ecozones in the Barents Region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Barents region is in the Arctic and covers the area of Western Russia and the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. This shows all the main ecozones of the region and their geographical coverage.

Forests in Narcotics and Arms Trafficking Areas

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:16:00 --0200

Dense forests can serve as hideouts for insurgent groups or can be as a vital source of revenue for warring parties to sustain conflict. Known cases of forests as sites of rebel camps include Colombia where left-wing guerrillas have camps deep in the Amazonian forest and in mountainous forest areas.

Forests in the Caucasus ecoregion

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:15:15 --0200

About 17% of the total land area of the Caucasus is covered by forests, primarily found between altitudes of 500-2000m and growing on steep slopes. Most forests are broadleaf forests but a number of different types are found, including birch forests, oak forests, fir forests, alder forests and wing nuts forests. In Georgia the total area covered by forests is 40% while forest areas in the Northern Caucasus amount to 11.4%, in Azerbaijan to 14-15% and in Armenia to 10% only. In the Southern Caucasus most forests are found in the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, while in the Northern Caucasus most forestland is found in North Ossetia. In the Turkish and Iranian part of the Caucasus dense forest cover occurs along the Black and Caspian Seas only.

Forests Regulate Groundwater Level

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:09:00 --0200

Forests can regulate groundwater levels and increase drainage of soils where the water table is close to the surface. If there are salts in the upper soil layers, then removal of forests can result in raised groundwater levels and the movement of salts into the rooting zone of plants (FAO 2008c).

Forests working for the global climate - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD)

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:00:00 --0200

Carbon trading of credits from avoided deforestation could yield billions of dollars for tropical countries, according to an analysis by Rhett A.Butler, founder and editor from mongabay.com, a leading tropical forest web site. The proposed mechanism - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries (REDD) - will enable these countries to maintain their forests as a global resource. Using conservative estimates on carbon storage in tropical forests for the 17 developing countries in the figure, a reduction in the annual deforestation by 10 per cent would generate more than USD 600 million per year with carbon prices at 5 USD per tonne. A higher estimate on the carbon prices, at USD 30 per tonne, would generate USD 2500 million in income from the proposed programme. Due to differences in the forest composition and climate, the carbon content can differ greatly - rainforests in French Guiana has an estimate of 5 times as much carbon content compared to the forests of Indonesia.

Formation of lakes and glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs) by Medvezhi Glacier, Pamirs

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

The increasing number of glacial and moraine lakes in Central Asian mountains is a matter of great concern. One of the surging glaciers that poses a potential threat is the 15 km long Medvezhi (Bear) Glacier in the Pamirs mountains of Tajikistan. Its surges have repeatedly caused lake formation, outburst and subsequent floodings. In 1963 and 1973, the surge of the glacier was so significant (1 to 2 km increase in length) that the ice dam exceeded 100 m in height and dammed a lake of over 20 million m3 of water and debris. The outburst of that lake generated a series of large flood waves. Due to early warning and monitoring, there were no victims, although infrastructural damage was significant.

Fossil fuel resources and oil and gas production in the Arctic

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:00:00 --0200

The Arctic has been opened up for increased exploration of petroleum, gas and mining activities. The Barents Sea, the Mackenzie Valley in Canada and the Alaskan North Slope, are the areas of chief interest at the moment. With increased temperatures and climate change, it is expected that the commercial intrest for more extraction and exploration will increase, as well as shipping of the products. As sea ice decreases, the shipping lanes will become more commercially viable.

Fourchettes individuelles possibles pour les pertes de rendement et de superficie cultivable à l'horizon 2050

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:14:00 --0200

variations du climat (scénario A2), cultures non alimentaires, y compris les combustibles (six scénarios OCDE), effets de la dégradation des sols (sur le rendement et la superficie, respectivement; voir le texte correspondant), raréfaction des ressources en eau (y compris la fonte progressive des glaciers de l'Himalaya (voir l'encadré et le texte) et parasites (espèces envahissantes de mauvaises herbes, de pathogènes et d'invertébrés comme les insectes; voir le texte). Bien que ces conséquences puissent être d'une ampleur considérable, les effets cumulés et indirects ou les interactions ne sont pas pris en compte, pas plus que les pertes cumulées de services écosystémiques, qui nuisent au fonctionnement global des systèmes de production alimentaire. Il est à noter que la barre des incidences climatiques ne concerne que la variation des conditions générales de croissance, notamment la température, l'évapotranspiration et la chute de pluie, et ne tient pas compte des incidences indirectes de la variation du climat telles que la fonte des glaciers (raréfaction des ressources en eau) et l'accroissement du nombre d'espèces envahissantes. Les autres barres intègrent en partie certains de ces impacts importants du changement climatique. Les données fournies ne prennent pas en compte les effets apparemment profonds des phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

France, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 France. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Freshwater alkalinity: 1976-2008

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Alkalinity is commonly used to indicate a water body’s capacity to buffer against acidity; that is, the ability to resist, or dampen, changes in pH. Thus, alkaline compounds in water, such as bicarbonates, carbonates, and hydroxides, lower the acidity of the water and increase the pH. Alkalinity (as CaCO3) was analysed for all sampling stations available at the continental level. Concentrations remained reasonably steady between the two decades for Africa, Asia, South America and Australasia, but significant increases were noted for European and North American rivers, which may indicate a shift towards reduced acidic impacts at the continental scale. Overall, during the last 30 years , alkalinity has decreased in North America and Europe, but has significantly increased in Asia. Examination of the outflow stations in 82 monitored river basins indicate a decrease in bicarbonate concentrations between the two decades , in the northern latitudes, including North America, Europe and Asia. For the period 1976-1990, European rivers displayed the highest concentrations of calcium at a continental level, with concentrations varying between 2 mg and 50 mg per litre for major rivers. Comparing the two decades, observations of surface water showed an increase in calcium concentrations in the Laurentian shield region of North America, and in the rivers of the north central European region.

Freshwater and wastewater cycle - Water withdrawal and pollutant discharge

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:00:00 --0200

As water is extracted and used along the supply chain, both the quality and quantity of water is reduced.

Freshwater availability: groundwater and river flow

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the availability of freshwater through average river flows and groundwater recharge, in cubic metres per capita per year, at the national level in the year 2000. The graphic highlights the countries with the least freshwater resources (Egypt and the United Arab Emirates) and those with the most (Suriname and Iceland).

Freshwater biodiversity and poverty in eastern Africa

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Red areas where high percentage of children with stunted growth - used as a proxy for poverty - coincide with a high freshwater biodiversity index - a proxy for biodiversity - likely indicate areas in which poor people have no other choice than to unsustainably extract resources, in turn threatening biodiversity.

Freshwater resources

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Access to water is perhaps one of the greatest challenges for sustainable development in Africa. This resource includes three graphics. The first shows the average annual freshwater withdrawal, in cubic metres per capita per year, at the national level for Africa. The second graphic shows the annual volume of water resources, in cubic kilometres, that each continent has, based on the average of figures from 1921 to 1985. The final graphic shows the amount by which amounts of water resources have deviated from the average values for the time period 1920 to 1999.

Freshwater resources: volume by continent

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Glaciers and ice caps cover about 10% of the world’s landmass. These are concentrated in Greenland and Antarctica and contain 70% of the world’s freshwater. Unfortunately, most of these resources are located far from human habitation and are not readily accessible for human use. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 96% of the world’s frozen freshwater is at the South and North Poles, with the remaining 4% spread over 550,000 km2 of glaciers and mountainous icecaps measuring about 180,000 km3 (UNEP, 1992; Untersteiner, 1975; WGMS, 1998, 2002). Groundwater is by far the most abundant and readily available source of freshwater, followed by lakes, reservoirs, rivers and wetlands. Analysis indicates that: - Groundwater represents over 90% of the world’s readily available freshwater resource (Boswinkel, 2000). About 1.5 billion people depend upon groundwater for their drinking water supply (WRI, UNEP, UNDP, World Bank, 1998). - The amount of groundwater withdrawn annually is roughly estimated at 600-700 km3, representing about 20% of global water withdrawals (WMO, 1997). - A comprehensive picture of the quantity of groundwater withdrawn and consumed annually around the world does not exist. Most freshwater lakes are located at high altitudes, with nearly 50% of the world’s lakes located in Canada alone. Many lakes, especially those in arid regions, become salty through evaporation, which concentrates the inflowing salts. The Caspian Sea, the Dead Sea, and the Great Salt Lake are among the world’s major salt lakes. Rivers form a hydrologic mosaic, with an estimated 263 international river basins covering 45.3% (231,059,898 km2) of the earth’s land surface, excluding Antarctica (UNEP, Oregon State University et al., in preparation). The total volume of water in the world’s rivers is estimated at 2,115 km3 (Groombridge and Jenkins, 1998).

Freshwater stress

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Today, the great pressure on water resources is rising human populations, particularly growing concentrations in urban areas. This diagram shows the impact of expected population growth on water usage by 2025, based on the UN mid-range population projection. It uses the current rate of water use per person without taking into account possible increases in water use due to economic growth or improvements in water use efficiency. The regions most vulnerable to domestic water shortages include those where access to water is already limited, the population is growing rapidly, urban centers are spreading, and the economy is burdened by financial problems and a lack of skilled workers. Even if the world maintained the pace of the 1990s in water-supply development, this would not be enough to ensure that everyone had access to safe drinking water by the year 2025. The impacts of climate change - including changes in temperature, precipitation and sea levels - are expected to have varying consequences for the availability of freshwater around the world. For example, changes in river runoff will affect the yields of rivers and reservoirs the recharging of groundwater supplies. An increase in the rate of evaporation will also affect water supplies and contribute to the salinisation of irrigated agricultural lands. Rising sea levels may result in saline intrusion in coastal aquifers. Current indications are that if climate change occurs gradually, the impacts by 2025 may be minor, with some countries experiencing positive impacts while most experience negative ones. Climate change impacts are projected to become increasingly strong during the decades following 2025.

Freshwater Stress 1995 and 2025

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the amount of water withdrawal as a percentage of the total available supply, at the national level in 1995 and in 2025 (projected amounts). Overall, the percentages are expected to rise substantially by 2025. This resource also includes a graphic showing the number of people suffering from water stress and water scarcity worldwide in 1995, compared to projected rates for the year 2050. As the population continues to rise, the number of people affected by water stress and water scarcity is expected to rise sharply.

Freshwater stress and risk

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

One study suggests that although global water conditions may worsen by 2025 due to population pressure, climate change could have a net positive impact on global water resources. NB! Note that other studies indicate that with present consumption patterns, 2 of every 3 persons on Earth will experience water stress by 2025. The diagram on the left side shows the result of this particular study, indicating the water availability for the population. It should be noted that the study is based on runoff characteristics obtained for one particular climate scenario. Another macroeconomic study (not shown here) based on three climate scenarios led to similar conclusion for the Asian continent while suggesting that in Europe changed climate conditions will be associated with some decrease per capita water availability. The diagram on the right-hand side shows a projection of the population living in increased and decreased water stress under three different CO2 emission scenarios in the 2080s. Climate change is likely to have the greatest impact in countries with a high ratio of relative use to available supply. Regions with abundant water supplies are unlikely to be significantly affected, except for the possibility of increased flooding. Paradoxically, countries that currently have little water (e.g. those relying on desalinization) may be relatively unaffected.

Freshwater stress and scarcity in africa by 2025

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

According to Population Action International, based upon the UN medium population projections of 1998, more than 2.8 billion people in 48 countries will face water stress or water scarcity conditions by 2025. An area is experiencing water stress when annual water supplies drop below 1700 m3 per person. Water scarcity means that the annual water supply is below 1000 m3 per person. This graphic shows which African nations are expected to be experiencing water stress, and which are expected to be facing water scarcity, by the year 2025. It also includes a graphic which shows that as the world's population continues to grow, a higher proportion of the population will be affected by water stress and water scarcity.

Freshwater use by sector at the beginning of the 2000s

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

The agricultural sector is by far the biggest user of freshwater. Analysis indicates that: - In the United States, agriculture accounts for some 49% of total freshwater use, with 80% of this volume being used for irrigation (Shiklomanov, 1999). - In Africa and Asia, an estimated 85-90% of all freshwater used is for agriculture (Shiklomanov, 1999). - According to estimates for the year 2000, agriculture accounted for 67% of the world’s total freshwater withdrawal, and 86% of its consumption (UNESCO, 2000). - By 2025, agriculture is expected to increase its water requirements by 1.3 times, industry by 1.5 times, and domestic consumption by 1.8 times (Shiklomanov, 1999). - The world’s irrigation areas totalled approximately 253 million hectares in 1995. By 2010, they are expected to reach about 290 million hectares, and by 2025 about 330 million hectares (Shiklomanov, 1999). - By the year 2000, an estimated 15% of the world’s cultivated lands had been irrigated for food crops, accounting for almost half the value of global crop production (UNESCO, 1999). In the industrial sector, the biggest share of freshwater is stored in reservoirs and dams for electrical power generation and irrigation. However, the volume of water evaporated from reservoirs is estimated to exceed the combined freshwater needs of industry and domestic consumption. This greatly contributes to water losses around the world, especially in hot tropical regions (UNESCO, 1999). Industrial uses account for about 20% of global freshwater withdrawals. Of this, 57-69% is used for hydropower and nuclear power generation, 30-40% for industrial processes, and 0.5-3% for thermal power generation (Shiklomanov, 1999). Domestic water use is related to the quantity of water available to populations in cities and towns. Analysis indicates that: - People in developed countries on average consume about 10 times more water daily than those in developing countries. It is estimated that the average person in developed countries uses 500-800 litres per day (300 m3 per year), compared to 60-150 litres per day (20 m3 per year) in developing countries (UNESCO, 2000). - In large cities with a centralized water supply and an efficient canalization system, domestic consumption does not usually represent more than 5-10% of the total water withdrawal (intake) (UNESCO, 2000). - Water withdrawal in large cities is estimated at 300-600 litres per person per day, while small cities have a water withdrawal of 100-150 litres per day, and consumption can reach 40-60% of the total water intake (UNESCO, 2000). - In developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, public water withdrawal represents just 50-100 litres per person per day. In regions with insufficient water resources, this figure may be as low as 20-60 litres per day (UNESCO, 2000). is related to the quantity of water available to populations in cities and towns. Analysis indicates that: - People in developed countries on average consume Managing water resources using an integrated river basin management approach is the most sustainable way of ensuring ecosystem integrity. In this respect, there is a need to consider the economic value of freshwater ecosystems, including for fisheries, wildlife habitats, recreation and natural flood control.

Freshwater withdrawal in agriculture, industry and domestic use

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The agricultural sector is by far the biggest user of freshwater, primarily for irrigation of arable land. This graphic shows the relative percentages of water use by the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors in the countries of the world in 2000.

From biomass to energy consumption

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

As biomass feedstocks are widely available, bioenergy offers an attractive complement to fossil fuels and thus has potential to alleviate concerns of a geopolitical and energy security nature. However, only a small part of globally available biomass can be exploited in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable way.

From wetlands to dry lands: the destruction of the Mesopotamian marshlands

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Mesopotamian marshlands in the Tigris and Euphrates river basins were devastated by damming and river channelisation during the late 1980s. This graphic illustrates the decline in the area's marshlands by comparing the locations of its marshlands and lakes in 1973 and in 2000. The graphic shows the locations of permanent and seasonal marshes; permanent, shallow and seasonal lakes and mud flats or temporary marshes. The graphic for the year 2000 shows the former extent of the marshlands and that some of the marsh has been replaced by dead or dry vegetation.

Future Expansion of Palm Oil in Indonesia

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:05:00 --0200

Conversion to agriculture, including the recent expansion in the area devoted to oil palm plantations, continues to be the main cause of forest loss in Southeast Asia.

Fynbos ecoregion in South Africa

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 22:08:00 --0200

The Fynbos ecoregion of South Africa stretches out in a coastal belt on the Western cape. This region is characterisied by heath- and shrubland and a mediterranean climate. Many of the plants inhabitating this ecoregion are evergreen with needle-life leafs.

Gas Arctic

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:33:00 --0200

The temperature regime of sub-sea permafrost is determined by the annual temperature of the surrounding seawater, just like the thermal regime of terrestrial permafrost is determined by the arctic surface temperature.

Gender (im)balance in the delegation of parties (COP) on climate change

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:45:00 --0200

Critical importance is the under-representation of women in policy and decision-making institutions, in dialogue on adaptation to climate change, in the governance of natural resources and in other important livelihood dimensions. Numerous position papers on climate change recognise and argue the importance of integrating gender issues and increasing women’s participation in climate change negotiations and processes (IUCN – The International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Gender CC – Women for Climate Justice, GGCA – Global Gender and Climate Alliance, etc.). This is important, but critical bodies on climate change have an under-representation of women, and in particular, women from the South (MacGregor, 2010).

Gender division of labour in agriculture and household activities - Nepal and India

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:45:00 --0200

In Nepal, the gender division of labour is highly skewed, especially when agricultural, pastoral and wage labour is combined with household, community and casual labour, and when high rates of men’s out-migration to urban cities, towns and cross-border destinations in the region and beyond, are considered. Recent comparative research on the ‘feminisation’ of agriculture and natural resource management, undertaken by ICIMOD and supported by IFAD, illustrates this trend, whereby in some mountain regions in India women undertake 4.6 to 5.7 times the agricultural work men carry out. In Nepal, the range is skewed even more with women carrying out 6.3 to 6.6 times the agricultural work that men carry out (ICIMOD, forthcoming). Furthermore, national reports often present up to 64% of the population of women in South Asia as being “non-active or non-reported”, reflecting that much of women’s work in rural areas is informal, non-formal, unpaid and not counted, and thus goes unrecorded (FAO, 2010a). This graphic shows hours a woman and men spent in agriculture and household activities.

Gender division of labour in agriculture and household activities - Nepal and India

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:45:00 --0200

Gender equality and empowerment of women: education status

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Millennium Development Goal 3 address gender equality and empowerment of women. This map displays the status in 2001 of an indicator for target 4: 'Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015'. According to the data the situation needs to be addressed primarily in central Africa and West and Southern Asia.

Gender equality and empowerment of women: eliminate differences in education

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:57 --0200

In increasing living standards, sustainability and livelihoods and eliminating poverty, gender equality and education are seen as some of the main means. This is further recognized in the Millennium Development Goals, as goal 3: 'Promote gender equality and empower women'. This map illustrates one of the indicators for indicator 9 (target 4) under this goal, and the Millennium Project assesses the current progress in reaching the goal as good for Northern Africa, and recognizes advancements in Sub-Saharan Africa, but there it is still lagging for reaching the goal.

Generation of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes (Belgium Excluded) by Y Categories in 1997 in Million Metric Tonnes

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the generation of hazardous wastes and other wastes by Y categories in 1997, in millions of metric tonnes, by some of the parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. The graphic includes amounts for three Y categories: Y1-Y18 (waste streams), Y19-Y45 (wastes having as constituents various hazardous substances) and Y46-Y47 (wastes requiring special consideration). This graphic does not include data for Belgium, which mixed hazardous and non-hazardous waste when reporting its figures to the Convention. Further explanation of Y categories can be found in Appendix 2 of the Guide to the Basel Convention Control System for Hazardous Wastes at http://www.basel.int/pub/instruct.html#appendix2.

Generation of Hazardous Wastes and Other Wastes by Y Categories in 1997 in Million Metric Tonnes

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic shows the generation of hazardous wastes and other wastes by Y categories in 1997, in millions of metric tonnes, by some of the parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. The graphic includes amounts for three Y categories: Y1-Y18 (waste streams), Y19-Y45 (wastes having as constituents various hazardous substances) and Y46-Y47 (wastes requiring special consideration). Further explanation of Y categories can be found in Appendix 2 of the Guide to the Basel Convention Control System for Hazardous Wastes at http://www.basel.int/pub/instruct.html#appendix2.

Georgia, topographic map

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The country of Georgia is located in the Caucasus region of Asia, with a coastline towards the Black Sea. The 4.7 million country was a republic in the former Soviet Union, and is now an economy in transition and a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

German transportation means German transportation means

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

(in pink, the average German rates used here). Better results can be obtained for metro, tram and train if more people are using them (better network and schedules, accessibility, affordability and competitiveness compared to cars).

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Germany, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Germany. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Ghana, topographic map

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:44:42 --0200

Overview of the western African country of Ghana, with topography and major cities, as well as lakes and rivers. Ghana is inhabitaed by 21 million people, and the capital is Accra, on the Atlantic coast. Environmental issues, according to the CIA factbook, are: recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water.

Glacier changes on Nevado de Santa Isabel, Colombia

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

With spectacular mountain peak glaciers melting away, the NEvado de Santa Isabel area in Colombia becomes less attractive to tourists. In addition, the local forestry and agricultural fertility suffer may suffer from reduced spring water. The retreat of glaciers is an indicator for changes in regional and global climate.

Glacier cumulative mass balance

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:10:39 --0200

Compilation of available data (Fig. 1) shows that most mountain glaciers are losing mass, and that the overall rate of mass loss has increased in the last decade. For the last decade the highest mass loss per unit area has been observed in the European Alps, Patagonia, Alaska, and north-western USA/south-western Canada (Kaser et al., 2006, Lemke et al., 2007, Arendt et al., 2009).

Glacier front variations in the European Alps

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

Large Alpine glaciers have retreated continuously since the mid- 19th century, whereas steep mid-sized glaciers reacted with readvances in the 1890s, 1920s and between the 1970s and 1980s due to the somewhat cooler and wetter periods. Small glaciers feature a high annual variability with a clear shrinking trend.

Glacier Lake Outburst Floods

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:10:39 --0200

Cumulative frequency graph of GLOFs in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. The best-ft line suggests an increase in GLOF frequency through time, although older events may be under-reported. GLOFs also took place in Patagonia, Chile in 2008 and 2009 (Dussaillant et al., 2010)(From Richardson and Reynolds, 2000).

Glacier Mass Balance

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:51:23 --0200

Glacier mass loss has been observed across the Arctic, consistent with the global trend.

Glacier recession and expansion in Hindu Kush-Himalayas and Central Asia

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:10:39 --0200

Averaged over their entire areas, within the period 1960– 2003 glaciers in Patagonia and Alaska have thinned by ap- proximately 35 m and 25 m, respectively, whereas high mountain glaciers in Asia have thinned by over 10 m. Data for Patagonia and Alaska are computed from glacier surface elevations for dozens of glaciers. In many other high moun- tain environments such as the Himalayas and the high Andes, where data are limited due to both diffcult access to the high altitude regions and for political reasons, the exact amount of regional mass loss remains subject to some uncertainty (Fig. 2). This makes it diffcult to compare rates of change with other regions. Recent satellite observations, however, have con frmed that glaciers in many mountain regions are thinning (e.g. Berthier et al., 2007; Paul et al., 2007; Bolch et al., 2008a, b), conclusively showing that the majority of mountain glaciers are losing mass in response to climate changes.

Glacier shrinkage in hypothetical river basins

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:10:39 --0200

Downstream variation in the impact of glacier recession is illustrated in Figure 5, which shows modelled river fows for idealized catchments under climates representative of the western and eastern Himalaya and a 0.06º C per year warming scenario. In the upper parts of the river basins, where glaciers occupy 95% of the catchment area, the impact of glacier shrinkage is large. River discharges increase until mid-century, after which they decline to a base level equal to the annual precipitation totals. When larger catchments are con- sidered, the percentage glacierized area is smaller, and the impact of glacier shrinkage is much reduced. For modelled catchments with an area of 5,000 square km and 1% glacier cover, the impact of deglaciation is barely detectable in the ‘eastern’ area, where there is high monsoon precipitation insummer. The effect is more signifcant in the ‘western’ area with its dry summer, but the downstream decrease in impact is still clearly evident.

Glacier shrinking on Cumberland Peninsula, Baffin Island, Canadian Arctic

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

A new glacier inventory based on satellite data shows that the glacier cover reduced by about 22 per cent between the Little Ice Age (LIA) maximum extent and 2000. Changes in glacier area and volume are being used as indicators for climate change and global warming.

Glacier volume change forecasts

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:10:39 --0200

Oerlemans et al. (1998) conducted modelling experiments for a sample of 12 glaciers and ice caps, to determine volume changes under a range of temperature and precipitation forcings (Fig. 3). The range of glacier response is very wide, so a key issue is fnding ways to upscale the results of modelling this tiny sample of glaciers to large regions. Figure 2 shows the results of two alternative weighting procedures. Although the absolute values of volume change differ, the results imply that with a warming rate of 0.04° C yr–1 (4° C per century) and no increase in precipitation, little glacier ice would be left by 2100, whereas if warming is restricted to 0.01° C yr–1 and precipitation increases by 10% per degree of warming, then ice losses will be restricted to 10 to 20% of the 1990 value. It must be emphasized that the results are far from certain, and that the actual response of glaciers will exhibit considerable regional variability.

Glaciers monitored through the World Glacier Monitoring Service

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:30:00 --0200

Worldwide collection of information about ongoing glacier changes was initiated in 1894 with the foundation of the International Glacier Commission at the 6th International Geological Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. Today, the World Glacier Monitoring Service continues to collect and publish standardized information on ongoing glacier changes. WGMS is a service of the Commission for the Cryospheric Sciences of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (CCS/IUGG) and maintains a network of local investigators and national correspondents in all the countries involved in glacier monitoring. In addition, the WGMS is in charge of the Global Terrestrial Network for Glaciers (GTN-G) within the Global Climate/Terrestrial Observing System. GTN-G aims at combining (a) in-situ observations with remotely sensed data, (b) process understanding with global coverage and (c) traditional measurements with new technologies by using an integrated and multi-level strategy. Recently, a scientific working group has been established to coordinate the monitoring and assessment of glacier and permafrost hazards in mountains. To keep track of the fast changes in nature and to assess corresponding impacts on landscape evolution, fresh water supply and natural hazards, monitoring strategies will have to make use of the rapidly developing new technologies (remote sensing and geo-informatics) and relate them to the more traditional methods.

Global and regional targets and monitoring programs

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:03:29 --0200

No data

Global and selected annex 1 countries emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O) in projections

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Global atmospheric and underground nuclear explosions since 1945

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 09:59:04 --0200

Nuclear explosions - especially the atmospheric tests in the Arctic and from US, UK and Chinese tests at other sites in the world - are the primary source of radioactive contamination in the Arctic. Releases from nuclear fuel reprocessing plants in Europe are the second largest source of Arctic radioactivity, while the Chernobyl reactor accicent is the third.

Global atmospheric concentration of CO2

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Atmospheric CO2 has increased from a pre-industrial concentration of about 280 ppmv to about 367 ppmv at present (ppmv= parts per million by volume). CO2 concentration data from before 1958 are from ice core measurements taken in Antarctica and from 1958 onwards are from the Mauna Loa measurement site. The smooth curve is based on a hundred year running mean. It is evident that the rapid increase in CO2 concentrations has been occurring since the onset of industrialization. The increase has closely followed the increase in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.

Global atmospheric concentration of CO2 1870-1990

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:47 --0200

Historically the developed countries of the world have emitted most of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases. The U.S. emits most in total, and is one of the countries with highest emissions per capita. China is the second largest emitter, but has very low emissions per capita. Over the last 20 years, industrial development has led to a rapid rise in the volume of emissions from Asia, but on a per capita basis, emissions in this region are still at the bottom of the global scale. This graph shows the global atmospheric concentration of CO2 from 1870 to 1990.

Global average temperature 1880 - 2100

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

The graph shows the average global temperature from 1880 to 2100. It shows that the average global temperature has slowly increased since 1880 and is estimated to increase noticably over the course of the next hundred years.

Global Biofuel Production

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:05:00 --0200

Demand for land for production of biomass for energy is putting increasing pressure on forests. Energy security concerns, high oil prices and climate mitigation policies aimed at replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, have all led to a greater interest in biofuels. The transport sector is using increasing quantities of ethanol, mainly produced from sugar cane, corn and cassava, as a substitute for petrol (gasoline), and biodiesel, produced from plantation crops such as oil palm, coconuts and avocados. Fuel ethanol production tripled between 2000 and 2007, mainly in the United States and Brazil, while biodiesel output expanded even more rapidly over the same period, from less than 1 billion to almost 11 billion litres per year (IEA 2004). The liquid biofuel market has been stimulated by growing demand in particular in China and Brazil, and by recent and anticipated legislation in the US and Europe that sets ambitious goals for this sector.

Global capture fisheries and aquaculture production, 1950-1999

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The global fisheries catch has levelled off, reflecting a growing decline in most major fishing areas. This graphic shows the amount of global aquaculture production and of global capture fishery catches in millions of tonnes per year for 1950 to 1999. The graphic also shows the amounts of global aquaculture production in marine water, freshwater and brackish water, in millions of tonnes, for 1998.

Global Carbon Storage in Soils

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:31:00 --0200

Arctic terrestrial ecosystems will continue to take up carbon, but warming and changes in surface hydrology will cause a far greater release of carbon.

Global CFC production

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 11:30:35 --0200

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), along with other chlorine- and bromine-containing compounds, have been implicated in the accelerated depletion of ozone in the Earth's stratosphere. CFCs were developed in the early 1930s and are used in a variety of industrial, commercial, and household applications.

Global costs of extreme weather events

Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:15:00 --0200

The loss data on great natural disasters in the last decades show a dramatic increase in catastrophe losses. A decade comparison since 1960 is shown in the table. The reasons for this development are manifold and encompass the increase in world population and the simultaneous concentration of people and values in large conurbations, the development of highly exposed regions and the high vulnerability of modern societies and technologies, and finally changes in the natural environment like global warming and the related regional effects. As the underlying factors for the observed loss trend remain unchanged, a further increase in losses from natural disasters is inevitable.

Global development and biodiversity

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Some of the world's least developed countries are located in hotspot areas of high importance for biodiversity. This map displays Human Development Index (UNDP) by country and hotspot regions overlaid on that.

Global distribution of outer continental shelf

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:41:00 --0200

No data.

Global emissions of carbon dioxide, 2006

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

The region of Latin America and the Caribbean is highly vulnerable to climate change despite the fact that it contributes relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2006 (excluding those associated with land use changes) amounted to 38,754 million of metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2-e), with Mexico and Brazil being the main emitters in the region (WRI, 2010). The importance of Latin America and the Caribbean as a source of emissions can also be seen in per capita terms: the region as a whole emitted fewer tons of CO2 per inhabitant than the world average, notwithstanding the fact that some countries in the region exceeded that average.

Global environmental trends

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 23:14:00 --0200

Environmental degradation trends from all the continents are alarmingly increasing. This graphic presents the status by world regions, in four different categories, and for seven different types of environmental degradation issues.

Global fertilizer consumption

Tue, 09 May 2006 10:10:00 --0200

In recent years, there has been concern that the quantity of mineral fertilizers used in agriculture having adverse effects on the environment. Attention has been drawn to the fact that when nutrients are applied to crops they are not all taken up by the plants immediately. There is also concern that some farmers might be applying inappropriate quantities of fertilizer. The main fertilizers having adverse effects on the environment are nitrate, phosphate and organic matter such as animal manure. This illustration shows the global fertilizer consumption in metric tonnes from 1975 to 1996.

Global fisheries stock

Fri, 19 May 2006 09:59:11 --0200

The graphic compares biomass to fish mortality to summarize the amount of exploitation on fish stocks globally. Fish is considered important to human diet, but roughly two-thirds of the world’s major stocks are now fished at or beyond their capacity. Another 6 % is completely depleted.

Global ﬂyways of the six subspecies of Red Knot

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:26:00 --0200

The Red Knot is a migratory shorebird that travels up to 20,000 km twice a year from its breeding grounds on the high Arctic tundra to its southern non-breeding sites. Along with having one of the longest total migrations of any bird, some populations also fly as much as 8,000–9,000 km between stopover sites in a single flight. As a shellfish-eating specialist avoiding pathogen-rich freshwater habitats, the Red Knot relies on the few large tidal flats with abundant food resources that the world has to offer. To undertake the physiologically demanding flight from West Africa to northern Siberia, for example, Calidris c. canutus refuels during three weeks of fast feeding in the national parks of the European Wadden Sea. After nearly doubling its weight, it burns off fat stores during the 3 or more days of non-stop flying.

Global Forest Plantations for Protective Purposes

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:25:13 --0200

No data

Global freshwater resources: quantity and distribution by region

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Glaciers and icecaps contain approximately 70% of the world's freshwater, but groundwater is by far the most abundant and readily available source of freshwater. This graphic illustrates the quantity (in cubic kilometres) and distribution of the world's freshwater resources in glaciers and permanent ice caps, in groundwater, and in wetlands, large lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Further information is given in the accompanying text.

Global freshwater withdrawal

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

World map showing annual levels of renewable water resources for the year 2000 measured in cubic meters. The use of water varies greatly from country to country and from region to region. 'Withdrawal' refers to water taken from a water source for use. It does not refer to water 'consumed' in that use.

Global freshwater withdrawal: agricultural, industrial and domestic Use

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

This graphic makes it possible to compare water use by the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors at the national level. The graphic indicates which sectors are the dominant and significant users of water in each country.

Global glacier mass – annual variability and cumulative values

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:57:18 --0200

No data.

Global hazardous waste generation by type as reported by the parties to the Basel Convention for the years 1993-2000

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 22:15:00 --0200

Hazardous wastes can often be recycled in an environmentally sound manner. Wastes that cannot be recycled must be treated to reduce the toxicity and the ability of the constituents to move throughout the environment. Treatment residues must be safely stored to avoid spills and leaks. (US Environmental Protection Agency).

Global household expenditure

Tue, 19 Dec 2006 14:23:23 --0200

Several trends characterise modern consumer goods. Our appetite for them continues to grow, with product ranges growing too. Meanwhile the average lifespan of many products is shortening. 80% of what we make is thrown away within six months of production. Each product contains more components and they are usually more difficult to biodegrade than before. All of which complicates the way products are processed once they become waste.

Global human development indicators

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:03:00 --0200

Poverty is multidimensional. It varies in scale and context (political, social, cultural, ecological, historical, economic). The rural poor face different challenges from those in urban areas: they are concerned with natural resources (access, quality), whereas the urban poor care about access to energy, housing and sanitation, and about the quality and availability of water.

Global International Water Assessment tools (GIWA)

Tue, 09 May 2006 09:49:17 --0200

The graphic shows the process of GIWA's assessment methodology and list the five main concerns dealing with water resources, which are freshwater shortage, pollution, habitat and community modification, unsustainable exploitation of fisheries and other living resources and global change.

Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA) case studies

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA) is an example of a comprehensive strategic assessment designed to identify priorities for remedial and mitigatory actions in international waters. This graphic shows GIWA case studies for the Black Sea, the Amazon, the Great Barrier Reef and the Agulhas Current. Each case study includes an introduction and maps of the region and a discussion of the issues of concern for that region, such as freshwater shortages; pollution; the unsustainable exploitation of fisheries and other living resources; habitat and community modification and loss; global climate change and the socio-economic implications of these issues. The assessment was in operation from 2000 to 2005.

Global International Waters Assessment Tools

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Global International Waters Assessment's (GIWA) assessment tools for monitoring the world's water resources, incorporating five major environmental concerns and application of the DPSIR framework (driving forces-pressure-state-impact-response), are now beginning to yield results of practical use for management decisions. This graphic explains the GIWA Assessment Methodology and GIWA's five main environmental concerns, which are: freshwater shortages; pollution; the unsustainable exploitation of fisheries and other living resources; habitat and community modification and global change.

Global legislation concerning and global burden of, infectious animal diseases

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

Serious socioeconomic impacts can arise when diseases spread widely within human or animal populations (such as H5N1), or when they spill over from animal reservoirs to human hosts; farming intensification often increases these risks. Even small-scale animal disease outbreaks can have major economic impacts in pastoral communities.

Global Ocean Acidification

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0200

As carbon concentrations in the atmosphere increase, so do concentrations in the ocean, with resultant acidification as a natural chemical process.

Global poverty-biodiversity map

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:51:00 --0200

This map may be used to show areas in which biodiversity is threatened. Areas where high poverty and high population density coincides with high biodiversity may indicate areas in which poor people likely have no other choice than to unsustainably extract resources, in turn threatening biodiversity. The map has been produced from three primary data sources – stunted growth data collected on first level administrative units from FAO (FAO 2004), population density from LandScan (LandScan, 2002), and areas of high biological significance (major tropical wilderness and biodiversity hotspots) from Conservation International (Christ et al., 2003).

Global production, prices, and undernourishment

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:48:00 --0200

Food production more than doubled (an increase of over 160%) from 1961 to 2003. Over this period, production of cereals—the major energy component of human diets—has increased almost two and a half times, beef and sheep production increased by 40%, pork production by nearly 60%, and poultry production doubled.

Global Protected Forests

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:21:51 --0200

No data

Global sea-level rise

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:41:00 --0200

According to the 2007 IPCC report, global average sea level rise will vary from 18 cm to 59 cm by 2100. The IPCC models did not account for the accelerated melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. Some of the latest research, however, estimates a global sea level rise of between 0.6 and 1.2 metres by 2100.

Global Sea-level Rise

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:18:00 --0200

The loss of ice from the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased and will contribute substantially to global sea level rise.

Global sediment loads

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Asia exhibits the largest runoff volumes and, therefore, the highest levels of sediment discharge. This graphic shows the amounts of suspended sediments discharged, in millions of tonnes per year, in the major regions of the world. The levels of suspended sediments are increased by soil erosion and land degradation, and may affect aquatic ecosystems negatively.

Global total equivalent carbon emissions from anthropogenic sources by sector

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:41:17 --0200

No data

Global Trade in Forest Products

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:39:51 --0200

No data

Global trends in cereal and meat production; total use of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers; increased use of irrigation; total global pesticides production

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:02 --0200

Production gains are attributed to improved crop varieties and livestock, soil management, improved access to resources (nutrients and water), infrastructure developments, policy initiatives, microfinance, education, better communication and advances in market and trade systems. This has also increased the demand and use of irrigation, phosphorus and nitrogen.

Global waterstress and scarcity

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:00 --0200

Water scarcity occurs when the amount of water withdrawn from lakes, rivers or groundwater is so great that water supplies are no longer adequate to satisfy all human or ecosystem requirements, resulting in increased competition between water users and other demands.

Global Wood Consumption

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:43:57 --0200

No data

Gold production of the Ok Tedi mine

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 20:32:00 --0200

The Ok Tedi mine is located high in the rain forest covered Star Mountains of Papua New Guinea. Prior to 1981 the local Wopkaimin people lived a subsistence existence in one of the most isolated places on earth. That was before the 10 000 strong town of Tabubil suddenly appeared in the middle of their community. The Ok Tedi mine was built on the world’s largest gold and copper deposit (gold ore capping the main copper deposit).

Government revenues from diamond exports in Sierra Leone

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:01:13 --0200

The government of Sierra Leone saw a total of USD 5.2 million (2004) in revenues from diamond related activities. This comes in the form of mining, dealer and export license fees and from export taxes. To feed some of the revenues back to poor communities, the Diamond Areas Community Development Fund (DACDF) has been set up, with an annual commitment of 25% of revenue from export taxes. The intention is that this money will be dedicated to community infrastructure, agricultural improvements and training, but the actual distribution of the funds have been problematic.

Grain production in Rwanda

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

The graphic shows the grain production in Rwanda in metric tonnes from 1960 to 1995. the graphic shows the dramatic reduction in grain production in the 1990s to one third of peak levels. The main grain crops produced are corn and sorghum.

Grain production in selected countries

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:20:02 --0200

Trends in grain production 1950-1996 for Africa, China, Europe And United states, in millions of tonnes. Grains represent a basic food resource, and is a good indication on the relative production and food supply in the regions.

Grain production in the world, 1950-1995 and projection for 2050

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Shows the grain production in the world from 1950 to 1995 and predicts trendsuntil 2050. Inconsistency in production over the last several years has resulted in declining inventories as annual consumption has exceeded annual production. Current forecasts make 2003-04 the fifth consecutive year that annual world consumption of coarse grains will exceed production.

Grain production, comparison in time between continents

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:17:38 --0200

Illustrates the growth in grain production, by continent, with the average annual production in the sixties in comparison to the average annual production in the early ninties. The production has increased in all parts of the world.

Great weather and flood catastrophes over the last forty years

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Some reports suggest that increase in climate variability or extremes has taken place in recent decades. However, there are inadequate data to determine whether such global changes have occurred consistently over the 20th century. On regional scales there is clear evidence of changes in some extremes and climate variability indicators - for example, fewer frosts in several widespread areas; and an increase in the proportion of rainfall from extreme events over the contiguous states of the USA. It can also be seen that the economic damages from weather related disasters have increased dramatically, although much of this may be attributed to a greater number of people living in vulnerable areas..

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

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:35:47 --0200

Greece, greenhouse gas emissions (COP7)

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 10:02:00 --0200

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 Greece. Please note that this graphic is outdated, and has since been replaced with more updated information.

Green Carbon

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:06:00 --0200

45% of green carbon stored in natural terrestrial ecosystems and the remaining 55% is captured by living organisms in oceans and ocean's blue carbon sinks.

Green Jobs in the Future

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:55:08 --0200

No data

Greenhouse effect

Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 --0200

Human activities are causing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere to increase. This graphic explains how solar energy is absorbed by the earth's surface, causing the earth to warm and to emit infrared radiation. The greenhouse gases then trap the infrared radiation, thus warming the atmosphere.

Greenhouse gas emissions for three sectors

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:21:26 --0200

The data comes from national reports to UNFCCC. For developing countries (i. e. non-Annex I countries), data is either old or missing. To better reflect the truth, we chose to overlap 2000 data from IEA (dashed circles). Please note that the calculation methods are different. Data is for 2004, except * (1994) and dashed circles (2000). Only emissions above 40 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent are represented.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by source, 2004

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:00 --0200

Overall, agriculture (cropping and livestock) contributes 13.5 % of global greenhouse gas emissions mostly through emissions of methane and nitrous oxide (about 47% and 58% of total anthropogenic emissions of CH4 and N2O, respectively). The largest producer is power generation at 25.9% followed by industry with 19.4%.

Greenhouse gas emissions for three sectors: Transport, Industrial processes and Agriculture

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:02:00 --0200

For developing countries (i.e. non-Annex I countries), data is either old or missing. To better reflect the truth, data from 2000 is chosen to overlap from IEA (dashed circles).

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and land use

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:52:00 --0200

Changes in land use have negatively affected the net ability of ecosystems to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. For instance, the carbon rich grasslands and forests in temperate zones have been replaced by crops with much lower capacity to sequester carbon.

Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2005

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 12:23:00 --0200

In 2005, per capita emissions in Latin America and the Caribbean, not taking emissions associated with land use changes into account, amounted to 5.5 MtCO2-e, with Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela having the highest levels of per capita emissions. On the other end of the spectrum, Guatemala, El Salvador and Haiti had the lowest emission levels in the region.