41. MARD Climate Change Action Plan. In April of 2011 the Minister of MARD signed into effect MARD‘s ―Action Program In Response to Climate Change of the Agriculture and Rural Development Sector During 2011-2015 and Vision to 2050‖. The plan establishes MARD‘s priorities for the next four years. The overall objective of the Action Plan is to improve the climate change response capacity of the agriculture and rural development sector in order to (i) minimize climate change-related damages; (ii) reduce the agricultural sectors greenhouse gas emissions; (iii) protect the lives of people exposed to climate risk and sea level rise related natural disasters; and (iv) create opportunities for sustainable agriculture and rural development within the context of climate change. Priority thematic areas within the Plan include protection of populations and agricultural lands in the coastal zones; stabilizing agriculture, forestry and salt production; ensuring food security (especially, rice production); the safety and integrity of the dyke system and other productive infrastructure important for agricultural production; natural disaster prevention and control; and economic growth that reduces both poverty and greenhouse gas emissions.