climate change: significant and long-lasting change in the Earth's climate and weather patterns

coastal flooding: Flooding that occurs from storms where water is driven onto land from an adjacent body of water

desertification: the process of becoming desert (as from land mismanagement or climate change)

global warming: an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures widely predicted to occur due to an increase in the greenhouse effect resulting especially from pollution

untreated sewage: means sewage that has not been treatedby a type approvedsewage treatment plant, or that has not been comminutedand disinfected.

Carbon dioxide (CO2): a heavy colorless gas CO2 that does not support combustion, dissolves in water to form carbonic acid, is formed especially in animal respiration and in the decay or combustion of animal and vegetable matter

deforestation: the action or process of clearing of forests

endangered species: a species threatened with extinction

Protected area: to secure or preserve against encroachment, infringement, restriction, or violation

overfishing: to fish to the detriment of (a fishing ground) or to the depletion of (a kind of organism)

greenhouse gas: any of various gaseous compounds (such as carbon dioxide or methane) that absorb infrared radiation, trap heat in the atmosphere, and contribute to the greenhouse effect

burning: being on fire

solid waste: A collective term for garbage, refuse, rubbish, and trash, each term representing a definite category of solid-waste materials