Deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries account for nearly 20% of green house gas emissions worldwide, which is why estimating and reducing these emissions has become a key goal for the international community as the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development in June draws closer. One country attempting to do just that is Tanzania, currently in the process of drawing up a comprehensive inventory of its forests to help the East African country better manage its natural resources. More than a third of Tanzania is forested, but almost 1% of that forest is being lost annually. The inventory will measure how much carbon is stored within Tanzania's forests and will help the country to understand the role it can play in mitigating climate change.

In southern India, the climate is becoming unpredictable and drought more common. Indiscriminate pumping from shallow aquifers shared by many farmers has caused abnormal drops in water levels. When a well goes dry, a farmer loses his crop. Six thousand farmers have been trained in groundwater management by a project run by Indian NGOs and guided by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. They have learned to monitor how much water is available underground at the start of the growing season. Then they only plant crops that need that much water.

An effort is under way worldwide to better manage our planet's forest resources and better enhance their role in mitigating climate change. Forest loss and degradation in developing countries account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Monitoring and reducing these emissions has been the key goal for the international community in climate change negotiations and is important for the upcoming Rio+20 conference on sustainable development. Viet Nam is one example of a country that's taking important steps to manage and expand its forest resources. Previous loss of forested areas has been reversed and the country is now increasing forest area by about 1% every year.

In this episode, FAO Wildlife and Protected Area officer Edgar Kaeslin highlights the case of mountain gorillas in Rwanda (the original 'gorillas in the mist') who are under threat due to climate change. The film showcases one of thousands of species that are predicted to come under greater threat of extinction due to climate change according to a new report (Dec 2011) 'Wildlife in a Changing Climate' from FAO's forestry department.

An FAO programme that helps local communities in Mongolia to protect their own forests is being seen as a model for action in the Asia-Pacific region. The Participatory Forest Management project has effectively stopped illegal logging and forest fires in 15 pilot districts since it began in 2007, and is set to go nationwide when the pilot program ends in January 2012.