VU
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Vulnerable |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Geography & Places |
VU has two meanings. It stands for Vulnerable (environmental) or Vanuatu (country code).
Meanings of VU at a glance
| # | VU stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vulnerable | Science & Engineering › Environmental |
| 2 | Vanuatu | Geography & Places › Country Code |
1. Vulnerable
Science & Engineering · Environmental Abbreviations
IUCN Red List category for species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, the least severe of the three "threatened" categories. Criteria include population declines of 30-50% or more over ten years or three generations, or fewer than about 10,000 mature individuals.
Example: The giant panda was downlisted from Endangered to VU in 2016 after its wild population grew.
The polar bear and the common hippopotamus are among well-known species listed as Vulnerable. A species can move between categories as populations and threats change, and downlisting is often celebrated as a conservation success, though habitat loss can reverse gains.
2. Vanuatu
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Pacific archipelago of about 80 islands with Port Vila as its capital and VUT as its alpha-3 code. Land divers on Pentecost Island, who jump from towers with vines tied to their ankles, inspired modern bungee jumping.
Example: Citizenship-by-investment passports from VU have faced visa restrictions in Europe.
Bislama, an English-based creole, is the national language. Vanuatu was jointly ruled by Britain and France as the New Hebrides until 1980.
Related abbreviations
More environmental abbreviations
- AMOC – Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
- AQI – Air Quality Index
- BECCS – Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage
- BOD – Biochemical oxygen demand
- BREEAM – Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
- CCS – Carbon capture and storage
- CCUS – Carbon capture, utilization and storage
- CDR – Carbon dioxide removal
See all 62 environmental abbreviations →