UNCCD Terminology

Every soil that does not meet the definition of organic soil. See also “Organic soil”

The definition of a multilateral contribution is based on two criteria: the multilateral character of the recipient institution and the multilateral character of the contribution. Provider’s contributions that satisfy both criteria and the following conditions should be recorded under the heading "multilateral": a) the recipient institution conducts all or part of its activities in favour of development and developing countries; and b) the recipient institution: i) is an international agency, institution or organisation whose members are governments, who are represented at the highest decision-taking level by persons acting in an official capacity and not as individuals; or ii) is a fund managed autonomously by a multilateral agency as defined in i); and c) funds are pooled so that they lose their identity and become an integral part of the recipient institution’s financial assets. Conditions a) and b) define the multilateral character of the agency. Condition c) is a test of the multilateral character of the contribution. If it is not immediately clear whether funds provided to a multilateral organisation can be considered as pooled, determination is made on the basis of the degree of control over the disposal of the funds contributed. If, on scrutiny, it is found that the donor country has maintained control over its contributions to such an extent that the decisions regarding disposal of the funds are on balance taken at the donor’s discretion, the flows concerned should be recorded as bilateral (these contributions are often referred to as “multi-bilateral” or “earmarked” contributions).

In the context of SO 5 reporting, non-financial resources are intended as resources allocated to activities related to DLDD,to domestic or international recipients, which do not imply a financial transaction. For example, sharing patents and licenses as part of a technology transfer project; in-kind contributions though personnel and equipment; capacity building activities (which may have a financial component for providers but not for recipients); the transfer of tangible or intangible non-financial assets for actions to implement the Convention.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Creditor Reporting System (CRS). The OECD DAC’s collection of data on resource flows from donors to developing countries. To access the database: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=crs1

Organic soils are identified on the basis of criteria 1 and 2, or 1 and 3 listed below: 1. Thickness of organic horizon ≥10 cm. A horizon of <20 cm must have ≥12% organic carbon when mixed to a depth of 20 cm. 2. Soils that are never saturated with water for more than a few days must contain more than 20% organic carbon by weight (i.e., about 35% organic matter). 3. Soils are subject to water saturation episodes and has either: a. At least 12% organic carbon by weight (i.e., about 20% organic matter) if the soil has no clay; or b. At least 18% organic carbon by weight (i.e., about 30% organic matter) if the soil has 60% or more clay; or c. An intermediate, proportional amount of organic carbon for intermediate amounts of clay. All other types of soils are classified as mineral soils.

Transactions by the official sector with developing countries which do not meet the conditions for eligibility as Official Development Assistance, either because they are not primarily aimed at development, or because they have a grant element of less than 25 per cent.

Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is a type of market-based instrument that is increasingly used to finance nature conservation. Payment of ecosystem services programmes allow for the translation of the ecosystem services that ecosystems provide for free into financial incentives for their conservation, targeted at the local actors who own or manage the natural resources. These programmes have been increasingly established across the globe in the last few years.

It refers to the total population inhabiting the given land unit.

One of the factors recommended to estimate the social component of the Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI). The total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. It is an indication of the impacts different age groups have on the environment and on infrastructure, helping in the analysis of resource use and formulation of future policy and planning goals with regard to infrastructure and development. See also ‘Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI)’

One of the metrics used to measure indicator SO 2-1 as well as one of the factors recommended to estimate the economic component of the Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI). The percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 purchasing power. See also ‘Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI)’

The metric used to measure indicator SO 2-2 as well as one of the factors recommended to estimate the infrastructural component of the Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI). Proportion of population that is using an improved drinking water source that is located on the premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. See also ‘Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI)’, ‘Improved drinking water source’

The liquid or solid product of the condensation or sublimation of water vapour falling from clouds or deposited from air on to the ground.

Private transactions are those undertaken by firms and individuals resident in the reporting country from their own private funds. Private resources comprise both international and domestic transactions on: 1. private long-term capital transactions made by residents of reporting countries 2. grants by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other private sources based in reporting countries; 3. amounts mobilised from the private sector by provider countries’ official development finance interventions: for methodological details in the OECD DAC CRS, see Annex 6, https://one.oecd.org/document/DCD/DAC/STAT(2020)44/ADD1/FINAL/en/pdf

The algorithm used to estimate land productivity levels from image data.

Public, or official, transactions are those undertaken by central, state or local government agencies at their own risk and responsibility, regardless of whether these agencies have raised the funds through taxation or through borrowing from the private sector. This includes transactions by public corporations i.e. corporations over which the government secures control by owning more than half of the voting equity securities or otherwise controlling more than half of the equity holders’ voting power; or through special legislation empowering the government to determine corporate policy or to appoint directors

The standard climate normal period used to standardize precipitation data to derive the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Current WMO guidelines define 1981-2010 as the standard climate normal period.

One of the factors recommended to estimate the economic component of the Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI). The population of people recognized as refugees under the following criteria: the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol; the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa; in accordance with the UNHCR statute; and those granted refugee-like humanitarian status or people provided temporary protection. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted. Refugee populations are more likely to be exposed to natural hazards (living in makeshift dwellings, etc.) and less capable of coping with disasters. See also ‘Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI)’

A reporting process covers the period where Parties to the UNCCD initiate the process of compiling data and information and submit a national report to the Conference of the Parties (COP), and it culminates in the review of information submitted to the COP through the intersessional session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC). The reporting process is normally launched with default data being made available to Parties through a dedicated UNCCD reporting platform and ends with the adoption of a final report of the intersessional session of the CRIC, containing targeted recommendation to the COP to enhance the implementation of the Convention.

An aggregation of land units for the purpose of analysis or reporting. Reporting units may be aggregated based on administrative boundaries, environmental management areas, large scale natural features (e.g. river basins) and other factors relevant for reporting purposes such as national parks or other protected areas, statistical areas.

One of the factors recommended to estimate the social component of the Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI). The percentage of the total population that live in rural areas, which is calculated by subtracting the urban population from the total population. may have greater income inequities, and livelihoods that are more dependent on natural resources, for example, which may make them disproportionately vulnerable to drought. See also ‘Drought Vulnerability Index (DVI)’