Biodiversity - The variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems (Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 2).

Ecosystem - A dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit (Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 2).
Habitat - The sum of environmental conditions in a specific place that is occupied by an organism, population, or community and where it naturally lives and grows.

Sustainable Development - Integration of development and conservation of living resources. Sustainable Development comprehensively takes into consideration social, ecological, and economic factors, the living and nonliving resource base as well as short- and long-term advantages and disadvantages of alternative actions.

Capacity Building - Capacity can be defined as "the capability to perform functions effectively, efficiently and on a continuing basis and with reduced dependence on external resources." It has three inter-related components: the human resource component; the institutional component, which includes both organizations and the rules and conventions that govern behavior; and the overall environment including the legal and policy environment within which organizations operate and interact.

Hot Spots - Areas with a high concentration of industrial and municipal activity and consequent pollution affecting the environment and human health.