Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
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Definitions
Below is a directory of terms used in the debate about climate change and insect-borne disease. Most of the terms have been reproduced from the WHO, US Environment Protection Agency, the UN University Institute of Advanced Studies, the Center for International Forestry Research, and the Meridian Institute.
Climate change is the greatest challenge facing the world today. Long-term development planning must now include measures to deal with it.
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Climate
Usually defined as the 'average weather'. More rigorously it is the statistical description of the mean and variability of factors such as temperature, precipitation and wind over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years.
Climate variability
Variations in the mean and other statistics (standard deviation and outliers for example) of the climate on all temporal and spatial scales beyond individual weather events. Variability may be due to natural internal processes within the climate system or to variations in natural or anthropogenic external forces.
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