Definitions on Climate change & insect-borne disease starting with D

Wednesday, 15 February 2012

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.

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D

Deforestation

The practices or processes that result in the change of forested lands to non-forest uses. This is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced greenhouse effect, on the grounds that the burning or decomposition of the wood releases carbon dioxide, and that trees that once removed carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the process of photosynthesis are no longer present and contributing to carbon storage.

Degradation

Changes within forests which negatively affect the structure or function of the forest stand or site, and thereby lower the capacity of the forest to supply products or services. In the context of a REDD mechanism, forest degradation results in the net loss of carbon from the ecosystem.

Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY)

An indicator of life expectancy combining mortality and morbidity into a summary measure of population health. This accounts for the number of years lived in less than optimal health and the time lost due to premature death. It was developed for calculating global disease burden and is also used by the WHO and the World Bank for example, to compare the outcomes of different interventions.

Disease burden

The impact of a health problem measured in terms of economic cost, mortality, morbidity, or other indicators. It is often quantified using Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).