Some places are more prone to disaster than others. But that does it take to turn a cyclone into a disaster in one place and just a climatic event somewhere else? The main reasons are obvious enough. Economically deprived people living in shacks are more likely to suffer from any calamity. Rich countries may have more to lose financially, but they also have more resources for anticipating hazards. There are many ways of determining vulnerability,...

Pollution emitted in industrial areas represents a threat to human health and the surrounding natural resources. We have a tendency to believe that the production processes are the only source of environmental damage, and often forget about the possible long-term effects of harmful production practices. When deposited, there is quite some difference in the amount of time needed for degradation of common products and packaging, and the environmen...

Pollution emitted in industrial areas represents a threat to human health and the surrounding natural resources. We have a tendency to believe that the production processes are the only source of environmental damage, and often forget about the possible long-term effects of harmful production practices.

The plant is designed to restrict waste movement and environmental damage. Strict safety regulations govern storage of hazardous waste (chemicals, asbestos, varnish, oil, etc.). Such waste is not moved until it is destroyed on the spot or redirected to specialist plants elsewhere. All the other waste is separated by the consumers themselves and dumped into skips.

The most threatening event for the Caspian ecosystem was the arrival of the North American comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi). It was brought accidentally to the Caspian in the ballast water of oil tankers. Invasive and alien species can exploit ecological niches that are not currently occupied, and spread rapidly, out-competing indigenous species.

Malnutrition in West Africa is a major concern as is environmental damage. This map shows the levels of stunted growth in children of West Africa in comparison to the level of land degradation. There does not seem to be a high correlation between the two.

Most areas of North America that have any economic significance - for agriculture, habitation or siliviculture has been converted and modifiedf for human use. Areas with lower degrees of disturbance and fragmentation are found in the vast Arctic areas of Canada and Alaska, as well as in the mountain ranges.

There are 25 billion tonnes of waste just from mining and metal production in Central Asia. The most effected areas are highlighted based on a variety of different types of environmental damage such as desertification and wind erosion. In Russian.

There are 25 billion tonnes of waste just from mining and metal production in Central Asia. The most effected areas are highlighted based on a variety of different types of environmental damage such as desertification and wind erosion.

International demand for timber may lead to a regional loss of forest cover, which increases flood magnitude along a local stretch of a river. Similarly, the interactions can take place across different time scales. Actions can be taken either to respond to negative changes or to enhance positive changes at almost all points in this framework.

Eighteen sub-global assessments were approved as components of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). These were not designed to provide a scientific sample of any feature of ecosystems or human well-being. Instead, the choice of assessment locations was determined by a combination of interest in undertaking the assessment, interest in using the findings, and availability of resources to undertake the assessment.

100% degradation means that all the services in the category were degraded in 2050 compared with 2000, while 50% improvement could mean that three out of six services were enhanced and the rest were unchanged or that four out of six were enhanced and one was degraded. The total number of services evaluated for each category was six provisioning services, nine regulating services, and five cultural services.

Overgrazing and uncontrolled livestock grazing threatens steppe, subalpine and alpine ecosystems. A third of pasturelands in the region are subject to erosion. Sheep grazing in the winter ranges and the steppes and semi-deserts of the eastern Caucasus has nearly tripled in the past decade. Intensive grazing has resulted in reduced species diversity and habitat degradation. Secondary plant communities now occupy 80 percent of grasslands in the sub...

A false color Quickbird-2 satellite image of a portion of the Bovanenkovo Gas Field on the Yamal Peninsula in West Siberia. Image acquired 4 July 2004. The construction phase began in the late 1980s. From that period onward there remain visible signs of extensive off-road vehicle traffic across the terrain. Many of those tracks have naturally revegetated and now appear as bright red, indicating dense grass- and sedge-dominated vegetation. The roa...

The most threatening event for the Caspian ecosystem was the arrival of the North American comb jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi). It was brought accidentally to the Caspian in the ballast water of oil tankers. Invasive and alien species can exploit ecological niches that are not currently occupied, and spread rapidly, out-competing indigenous species.

Peacefully resolving the overriding political, economic and social concerns of our time requires a multifaceted approach, including mechanisms to address the links between the natural environment and human security. UNDP, UNEP, OSCE and NATO have joined forces in the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative to offer countries their combined pool of expertise and resources towards that aim. ENVSEC assessment of environment and security linkag...

Peacefully resolving the overriding political, economic and social concerns of our time requires a multifaceted approach, including mechanisms to address the links between the natural environment and human security. UNDP, UNEP, OSCE and NATO have joined forces in the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative to offer countries their combined pool of expertise and resources towards that aim. ENVSEC assessment of environment and security linkag...

Compared to its neighbours, Ukraine has a very low Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) (ranking 108 out of 146 countries; Esty et al. 2005). This is primarily due to the high energy and pollution-intensity of its industry, pressure on ecosystems due to intensive agriculture, water stress on part of its territory, and insufficiently developed environmental institutions.

The accident involving reactor meltdown and massive release of radioactivity occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant situated seven kilometres south of the Ukraine- Belarus border, at the confluence of the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers. Radioactive fallout affected not only Ukraine and Belarus, but also nearby Russia and countries as far away as Sweden and the UK.

Since water resources are of particular importance to Moldova, water pollution is viewed as a nationally significant threat. Moldova does not have large lakes, and all its larger rivers originate outside its borders. there are many other issues facing Moldova's environment and security future.