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Rio+20 must result in a change of mind-set. We can no longer afford to ignore the interdependencies between natural resources, the environment, hunger and malnutrition. Sustainable agricultural and food systems that make efficient use of our natural resources must become the basis of tomorrow's economy. And with sufficient political will and vision, agriculture can help us achieve the sustainable future we want: a world without hunger.
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.
More than 500 million people depend directly or indirectly on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. Fish also provides essential nutrition for 3 billion people and at least 50 percent of animal protein and essential minerals for 400 million people in the poorest countries. However, climate change is creating huge challenges for a sector already facing serious threats from overfishing and poor management. The broader threat posed by climate change to development and food security is increasingly well recognized and is now a major local, national and international priority. Its implications for fisheries and aquaculture in general, and for coastal and riparian communities in particular, are enormous. The sector and the aquatic environments on which it depends also have potentially important but as yet poorly defined roles in the management and mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

