| Term |
Definition |
| Adaptation/implementation to climate change |
An adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected stimuli or their effects, which is intended to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities’ . (Adapted from IPCC 2007, Glossary). This can reduce the vulnerability of a society to changes in climate systems. For example, adaptation to climate change is the process of preparing to cope with living in a changing climate e.g. increased rainfall, higher temperatures and more frequent storms. |
| Adaptive capacity |
The ability of a system (natural or human) to adjust to changes (e.g. climate shifts and variability) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with consequences. |
| Adaptive management |
A management strategy that responds to change whilst also acknowledging uncertainty in outcomes: explicit feedback mechanisms allow ongoing experience to refine and improve future management decisions. |
| Alienation right |
The right to sell one of the above rights permanently or for a given time period. Most attention has been given to the right to transfer full ownership of a segment of a resource which would involve having all of the other four rights. Some forms of alienation are not that general but still assign the right to sell some meaningful subset of the rights that they hold to a participant. (Schlager and Ostrom, 1992) |
| Climate variability |
The deviations (abnormalities) in averages of meteorological elements for a particular period of time (given month, year, etc.) from large time-series climate statistics related to the calendar year. |
| Climate change |
Significant changes in global and local climates, which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. |
| Collective action |
This is the pursuit of a goal, or set of goals, by more than one person. The conditions under which this occurs if of great interest to the social sciences. It often refers to the process of facilitating closure toward common interest or the overcoming of blockages which undermine the achievement of high group returns from a contemplated action. (adapted from Moran, E. et al, 2002). |
| Common property |
A certain system of resource access and ownership. Each member of the ownership group has the right to access and use group-owned resources in accordance with access and use rules established collectively by the group, and a duty not to violate access and use rules. Each member also has the right to exclude non-members of the ownership group, but no right to exclude other members of the ownership group. Non-members of the ownership group have a duty not to access and use the resource, except in accordance with rules adopted collectively by the ownership group. (Bromley,1991) |
