Absorption
The conversion of radiation to another form of energy.
Air Quality Standards
Levels of atmospheric contamination by specific pollutants or under laws or ordinances enforced by municipal or state government or regional agencies.
Air Conditioning
The process of controlling the temperature, humidity and distribution of air in a building, with simultaneous removal of dirt, bacteria and toxic matter from the air.
Albedo
An index of the reflecting power of a surface. It is usually used of short-wave radiation. Light-coloured surfaces such as ice have a high albedo.
Appropriate Technology
It depends on the assessment of the society in which the technology is used based on the following criteria affordability benefits in relation to cost and whether it can be implemented on fully used
Bio-mass
The total weight of biological organisms within a specified unit (area, community, population)
Biome
An area dominated with similar plant species and ecological community extending over the same physiography region.
Biosphere
The zone occupied by living organism at the common boundary of earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere,
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
The quality of oxygen required for the oxidation of organic matter by bacterial action in the presence of oxygen.
Catchment
A three-dimensional land system or drainage basin, which converts precipitation and groundwater, inputs to stream flow and whose components are assessed in terms of influence on these processes.
The area of land draining into a stream or a water course at a given location is known as catchment area or Drainage area or Drainage basin.
Cesspool
Underground catch basin that is used where there is no sewer and into which household sewage or other liquid waste is drained to permit leaching of the liquid into the surrounding soil.
Channel flow
The confinement and concentration of the surface water movement in a fluvial channel.
Channel network
The pattern and connectivity of all channels draining a catchment.
Clear sky design
Clear Sky Design is the sky corresponding to a solar altitude of 15 degree luminance, distribution of the sky opposite the sun is constant for a given altitude up to 15 degree, and beyond 15 degree, it illumination is taken as 8,000 lux from the entire sky vault, direct sunlight being excluded.
Coastal plain
A gently sloping land surface which forms a continuum with the continental shelf and is susceptible to small sea level changes; it is likely to be wide on trailing edge (passive margin) coasts and narrow on leading-edge (convergent margin) coast.
Dhalao
A premise used for collection of garbage for its onward transport to disposal site.
Drainage Basin
A geographical area bounded by a watershed and drained by a discreet drainage network
Drainage Density
The total stream channel length per unit land surface area, normally calculated for an entire drainage basin.
Drainage Network
More or less synonymous with the channel network but may also include rills, gullies and larger underground pipes not considered part of a permanent surface channel network.
Drainage pattern
The geometric configuration or plan of drainage network which usually reflects catchment geology, tectonic and denudation history.
Dwell Time
The time for which a transit vehicle is stopped for the purpose of serving passengers (for example, stoppage of a bus for boarding and alighting of passengers.
Edges
Edges are the linear elements not used or considered as a path by the observer. They are the
boundaries between two phases linear breaks in continuity: shores, railroad cuts, edges of development, walls etc. such edges may be barriers, more or less penetrable, which close one region off from the other; or they may be seams, lines along with two regions which are related and joined together.
Effluent
Outflow or discharge from a sewer or sewage treatment plant.
Epicentre
The locations of earth's surface directly above the focus is called the Epicentre.
Erosion
Any dynamic process, which causes the removal of earth materials, distinguished here from weathering, denudation and mass wasting.
Decibel
The universal measure of loudness is called decibel, usually abbreviated as dB. Zero decibel is the threshold of the hearing, while 85 dB is usually considered loud enough to cause damage to the ear.
Garbage
Animals and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and serving of foods. It does not include food waste from industrial processing
Green House Effect
The condition in which the earth's average global temperature is normally higher than predicated by radiation laws by virtue of the presence of capable of absorbing outgoing long-wave radiation.
Landfill
Depositions of refuse on land with cover on a weekly or more frequent basis so that no nuisance or insult to the environment results.
Micro-climate
The climate of the land surface, extending no more than a few meters above ground and strongly influenced by its material, morphological and organic components.
Natural resources
Any portion of natural environment - soil, water, rangeland, forest, wildlife, minerals or human population or that man can utilise to promote his welfare.
Net ecosystem production (NEP)
The change in the biomass of an ecosystem per unit time, equivalent to net primary productivity minus losses due to grazing by herbivores.
Non renewable resources
Resources which are used and not replaced i.e. all non-energy mineral resources and mineral energy resources.
Plant community
A group of plants which when form a distinct combination of species in the landscape and which interact with each other.
Pollution
Presence of any substance in air or water in such a concentration that may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or to the air or water itself could be referred to as pollution.
Protected area
It means any archeological site or remains, which is declared by the Central Government to be of
national importance.
Protected forest
Those forest areas which are to be conserved to attain physical and climatic balance of the country. Special license for particular activities have to be procured.
Rainwater harvesting
Water in the atmosphere can be tapped through the condensation of mist or air moisture of through ran-catchment. The former sources have proved feasible where other sources are not available. The interception of rainwater before it reaches the ground has the advantage that the water may collect with minimum contamination. The amount of water, which can be collected, is determined by the amount of rainfall and the size of the collection area. Rainwater can be harvested on roof or ground. Contamination with bird droppings, dust and other deposits on the roof can be overcome by the installation of simple devices to separate the first flush of water from remainder to be stored. Ground catchments are ideal for collecting surface run-off which require a degree of protection to prevent gross pollution of the water.
Renewable resources
Resources that are replenished through relatively rapid natural cycles.
Reserved forest
Those forest areas, which are to be censured to attain physical and climatic balance of the country. No permission for any activities are allowed there
Resources
That upon which one relies for aid, support or supply/ means to attain given ends of the capacity to take advantage of opportunities or to extricate oneself from difficulties.
Sea level
The mean surface elevation of the sea, normally excluding transient changes induced by tides, atmospheric pressure, upwelling and water influx.
Sewage
The effluent in a sewer network.
Sewer
The conduit in a subterranean network used to carry off water and waste matter.
Sewerage system
It is the network system of sewers in a city or town or locality.
Shrubs
Woody, semi woody or herbaceous perennial plants, branches arise from the base of the plants and
grow upto a height of about 0.5 to 4 mts. The plants are usually small and straight bushes like but some are recumbent or prostrate.
Sodium adsorption ratio
A measure of soil alkalinity, calculated by dividing the content of exchangeable sodium by the square root of the sum of exchangeable calcium and magnesium.
Soil texture
The relative proportions of sand (2.0 - 0.05 mm diameter), silt (0.05 - 0.002mm) and clay (<0.002 mm) in soil.
Solar Altitude Angle
The vertical angle at the point of observation between the horizon plane and the line connecting the sun with the observer.
Solar Azimuth Angle
The angle at the point of observation measured on a horizontal plane between the northerly direction and a point on the horizontal circle where it is intersected by the arc vertical circle, going through the zenith and the sun's position.
Solar Chart
A circular diagram prepared individually for each geographical latitude showing the path of the sun projected on a plane in a form which enables the altitude and azimuth to be read off directly for the month, date and time required.
Sullage
Drainage or refuge especially from a house, farm, yard or street
Sustainable Development
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromissing the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.
Technological Development
It is the improvement and application in technical process that increase the productivity of machine and eliminate the manual operation done by the order or absolute machines.
Topography
The configuration of a (land) surface including its relief and the position of its natural and man made features |
