WhiteCAP_Plan_01SEPT..

Glossary of Terms
Adaptation is the ability of a system to adjust to climate change, either to moderate
potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences
of climate change (IPCC, 2007a).
Adaptive Capacity is the ability of a system to adjust to climate change, either to
moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with
consequences (IPCC, 2007a).
Evapotranspiration is the amount of water returned to the atmosphere from the
combination of evaporation and transpiration (the passage of moisture through the
surface of plant leaves) (SNAP, 2009).
Greenhouse Gases are sources of carbon dioxide emitted by humans that contribute to
global warming and include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6),
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the aerosol precursor
and the chemically active gases sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous
oxides (NOX) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) (Nebojša et al,
2000).
Mitigation is an action intended to reduce the onset and severity of climate change and
includes strategies to reduce greenhouse gas sources and emissions and enhancing
greenhouse gas sinks (IPCC, 2007a).
No regrets actions refer to those adaptations that provide benefits to the community in
current and future climate conditions, even if no climate change occurs (Snover et al,
2007).
Resilience is the capability of a system to maintain its function and structure in the face
of internal and external change and to degrade gracefully when it must (Allenby and
Fink, 2005: 1034).
Risk Management is the systematic application of management policies, procedures
and practices to the tasks of analyzing, evaluating, controlling and communicating the
possibility of injury or loss due to an adverse effect to health, property, the environment
or other things of value (CSA, 1997).
Scenarios are an internally consistent view of what the future might turn out to be
(Porter, 1985).
Scenario Planning is a strategic planning tool for medium to long-term planning under
uncertain conditions involving the assessment of multiple futures (Lindgren and
Bandhold, 2003).
Susceptibility is the degree to which a community is exposed to hazards (WHO, 1999).
Win-win actions reduce the impacts of climate change while providing other
environmental, social or economic benefits (Snover, et al, 2007).