The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $250 million for the “Glaciers to Farms” program, an ambitious adaptation initiative led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen climate resilience in glacier-fed regions, including Pakistan.
According to an ADB statement, the program aims to help communities across Pakistan, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus adapt to the growing effects of climate change. The funding, mostly provided through grants, will complement $3.25 billion in ADB investments over the next decade to improve agriculture, water management, and livelihood systems dependent on glacial resources.
The plan covers nine countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, which rely heavily on glacier-fed rivers for farming, domestic water, and electricity. By advancing irrigation, water storage, and watershed management, the initiative will help farmers sustain their crops amid rising risks of droughts and floods caused by accelerated glacial melt.
ADB Director Yasmin Siddiqi described the project as a timely response to one of the region’s most pressing development challenges. “Rapid glacial retreat is one of the most complex issues our region faces. With GCF’s support, Glaciers to Farms will move communities toward long-term resilience that protects lives and livelihoods,” she said.
In Pakistan, the initiative focuses on the Swat River Basin, which spans nearly 27 million hectares and supports around 13 million people, including farmers and other vulnerable groups. It will fund glacier and climate assessments, strengthen early warning systems, and help local communities manage glacial lake outburst floods and extended droughts.
Beyond agriculture, the program will support social protection schemes, health services, and local financial institutions to promote agricultural entrepreneurship, particularly for women-led enterprises. These combined efforts aim to make Pakistan’s mountain communities more resilient, self-reliant, and better prepared for climate-related risks.
GCF Director Thomas Eriksson called the project an innovative and collaborative model for regional cooperation. “The Glaciers to Farms plan sets a benchmark for how countries in Central and West Asia can safeguard water and food systems from climate impacts,” he said.
Approved during GCF’s 43rd Board Meeting on October 29, the program builds on glacier risk assessments conducted in 2024 that laid the scientific foundation for this initiative. Established in 1966, the ADB works with 69 member countries, including 50 from the region, to promote inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific.
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