671
Undernourishment Receiving dietary energy from usual food consumption that
is below “minimum energy requirement norms” for an individual’s age, gender,
body weight, and level of activity as defined by the WHO/UNICEF.
Underweight Defined by the WHO as “less than two standard deviations below the
median weight for age groups in the international reference population.”
Urban Refers to higher-density non-agricultural population centers, typically
associated with cities and their metropolitan areas.
U.S. Federal Reserve System The Central Banking System of the USA that manages the currency, money supply, and interest rates of the USA under the leadership of an independent Federal Reserve Board.
Use-inspired Research Research that combines the benefits of applied and basic
research and is Pascal’s Quadrant of a graph of quest for fundamental knowledge
against considerations of use by society.
Utility An organization (sometimes publicly owned, sometimes privately owned
by highly regulated) that provides an essential public service involving major
infrastructure such as electricity, potable water, and sanitation.
Utility Customer Data Data on the amounts of energy, water, etc. consumed by
an individual, household, or organization, and/or the amount of money billed for
the utility service.
Utility Maximization A theoretical framework used to model human behavior in
economics. Some assumptions of utility maximization that people have a welldefined utility function, for example, may not be accurate.
Utilization The rate at which the system is functioning, operating, or producing.
Compare to Capacity.
Values-laden Technology Technology that embodies and facilitates specific
human preferences and values (nearly all technology does this to some degree).
Virtual Water The water that was consumed in the production of a good or service,
the consequences of which (e.g., groundwater depletion) are implicitly “embedded” within the product or service. See embedded energy.
Visual Analytics Visual Analytics is an outgrowth of the fields of information visualization and scientific visualization that focuses on analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces.
Vulnerability The degree to which an entity is susceptible to damage resulting
from a harmful event.
Vulnerability to Extreme Events A property of the largest infrastructures; these
infrastructures persist for a long time and will therefore eventually encounter a
very large event that exceed s the designed capabilities of the system.
Water A substance that is the fluid basis of animal and plant life.
Water Management Plan (WMP) A framework for managing the water resources
of a region.
Water Security The ability to have access adequate and reliable quantities of clean
water for consumption, proper sanitation, food and goods production, and sustainable health care.
Water Trust A typically not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing water
programs such as efficient use, maintaining natural flows, and public water
Glossary
Undernourishment Receiving dietary energy from usual food consumption that
is below “minimum energy requirement norms” for an individual’s age, gender,
body weight, and level of activity as defined by the WHO/UNICEF.
Underweight Defined by the WHO as “less than two standard deviations below the
median weight for age groups in the international reference population.”
Urban Refers to higher-density non-agricultural population centers, typically
associated with cities and their metropolitan areas.
U.S. Federal Reserve System The Central Banking System of the USA that manages the currency, money supply, and interest rates of the USA under the leadership of an independent Federal Reserve Board.
Use-inspired Research Research that combines the benefits of applied and basic
research and is Pascal’s Quadrant of a graph of quest for fundamental knowledge
against considerations of use by society.
Utility An organization (sometimes publicly owned, sometimes privately owned
by highly regulated) that provides an essential public service involving major
infrastructure such as electricity, potable water, and sanitation.
Utility Customer Data Data on the amounts of energy, water, etc. consumed by
an individual, household, or organization, and/or the amount of money billed for
the utility service.
Utility Maximization A theoretical framework used to model human behavior in
economics. Some assumptions of utility maximization that people have a welldefined utility function, for example, may not be accurate.
Utilization The rate at which the system is functioning, operating, or producing.
Compare to Capacity.
Values-laden Technology Technology that embodies and facilitates specific
human preferences and values (nearly all technology does this to some degree).
Virtual Water The water that was consumed in the production of a good or service,
the consequences of which (e.g., groundwater depletion) are implicitly “embedded” within the product or service. See embedded energy.
Visual Analytics Visual Analytics is an outgrowth of the fields of information visualization and scientific visualization that focuses on analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces.
Vulnerability The degree to which an entity is susceptible to damage resulting
from a harmful event.
Vulnerability to Extreme Events A property of the largest infrastructures; these
infrastructures persist for a long time and will therefore eventually encounter a
very large event that exceed s the designed capabilities of the system.
Water A substance that is the fluid basis of animal and plant life.
Water Management Plan (WMP) A framework for managing the water resources
of a region.
Water Security The ability to have access adequate and reliable quantities of clean
water for consumption, proper sanitation, food and goods production, and sustainable health care.
Water Trust A typically not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing water
programs such as efficient use, maintaining natural flows, and public water
Glossary