MANUAL SPORT ENVIRONMENT

GLOSSARY
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(adapted from UN, W HO and UNEP gl ossari es)
Agenda 21: the plan of action to achieve sustainable development that was adopted
by w orld leaders at the United Nations Conference on Env ironment and Development
held in Rio de Janeiro, Braz il, in June 1992.
Air deposition: fa l out of contaminant of the air over w ater (rivers , lakes , oc eans)
and soil, through proc ess es such as rain, snow or simply fall.
Biodiversity (biological diversity): the variety of different living organisms from all
sources inc luding terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the variety of
different ecosystems that they form. This includes diversity w ithin species, betw een
spec ies and ec osystems, and the genetic variability of eac h s pec ies.
Biological resources: inc ludes genetic resourc es, organisms or parts thereof,
populations , or any other biotic component of ec osystems w ith actual or potential use
or v alue for humanity.
Biomass: the total amount of living organisms in a given area.
Biosphere: the global ec osystem; that part of the Earth and atmos phere c apable of
supporting living organis ms .
Clim ate change: the slow variations of climatic charac teristics over time at a given
plac e. Usua ly refers to the change of climate w hich is attributed directly or indirectly
to human activity that alters the c ompos ition of the global atmosphere and w hich, in
addition to natural climate v ariability, is observed ov er c omparable periods.
Conservation: the long-term protection and s ustainable management of natural
resourc es in acc ordanc e w ith princ iples that ensure long-term economic and soc ial
benefits.
Ecosystem : a dynamic and complex system of plant, animal and microorganism
communities and their non-liv ing env ironment, all interacting as a functional unit
w ithin a defined phys ical loc ation. The term may be applied to a unit as large as the
entire ec osphere, but usually refers to a divis ion thereof.
Environment: all of the external factors, conditions and influenc es w hich affect an
organis m or a community. Also, ev ery thing that s urrounds an organis m or organis ms,
including both natural and human-built elements .
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): critical apprais al of the likely effects of a
proposed project, development, activity or policy on the environment. Analytical
proc ess that sys tematic ally ex amines the poss ible environmental cons equences of
the implementation of projects, programmes and policies.
Environmentally sound: that w hich does not harm the env ironment in any w ay.