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Glossary A-Z

 
background
Description

Air quality monitoring stations are used as a reference (based on air quality) to other air quality monitoring stations.


Source : Environment
Source Detail : Compendium of Environment Statistics
balance of payments
Description

The Balance Of Payments is a statistical statement that systematically summarises, for a specific time period, the economic transactions of an economy with the rest of the world.


Source : National Accounts
Source Detail : Gross Domestics Product (GDP)
balance of trade
Description

The balance of trade is the difference between the value of exports and imports. When exports exceed imports it is recorded as a surplus while a deficit is registered when imports exceed exports.


Source : External Sector
Source Detail : Monthly External Trade Statistics
bamboo plantation
Description

Bamboo  is  a  widely  used  in  the  furniture  manufacturing  industry, handicrafts,   container   products,   matting,   pulp,   paper,   fuel,   and construction as well as home appliances.
 


Source : Environment
Source Detail : Compendium of Environment Statistics
base period
Description

The period that provides the weights for an index is described as the base period.


Source : National Accounts
Source Detail : Gross Domestics Product (GDP)
basic price
Description

The Basic Price is the amount receivable by the producer from the purchaser for a unit of a good or service produced as output minus any tax payable, and plus any subsidy receivable, on that unit as a consequence of its production or sale; it excludes any transport charges invoiced separately by the producer.


Source : National Accounts
Source Detail : Gross Domestics Product (GDP)
biochemical oxygen demand (bod5)
Description

Dissolved oxygen required by organisms for the aerobic decomposition of organic matter present in water.  This measurement is usually taken over 5 days.


Source : Environment
Source Detail : Compendium of Enviroment Statistics
biodegradation
Description
Process by which organic substances are decomposed by micro-organisms (mainly aerobic bacteria) into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, water and ammonia.
Source : Environment
Source Detail : Compendium of Enviroment Statistics
biological diversity
Description

Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from various sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems; this includes diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem level. This difinition is adopted by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
 


Source : Environment
Source Detail : Compendium of Enviroment Statistics
biomass
Description
Total living weight (generally in dry weight) of all organisms in a particular area or habitat. It is sometimes expressed as weight per unit area of land or per unit volume of water.
Source : Environment
Source Detail : Compendium of Enviroment Statistics