nCa Report
The Green Climate Fund has approved $250 million in financing for the Asian Development Bank’s flagship regional initiative, “Glaciers to Farms,” which aims to build sustainable water and agricultural systems for vulnerable communities living in glacier-dependent areas across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan.
The program addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing the region: the rapid melting of glaciers caused by climate change, which threatens water security and livelihoods for millions of people. Over the next decade, the ADB plans to invest an additional $3.25 billion in regional projects under the program, bringing the total investment to $3.5 billion.
Regional Scope and Impact
“Glaciers to Farms” covers nine ADB developing member countries: Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These nations rely heavily on glacier and snow-fed rivers for agriculture, domestic water use, and electricity generation.
The program will focus on four major glacial river basins, including the Swat basin in northwestern Pakistan, the Naryn and Pyanj in Central Asia, and the Kura in the South Caucasus. Spanning approximately 27 million hectares, the initiative is expected to directly benefit an estimated 13 million people, particularly farmers and vulnerable populations in fragile mountain regions.
Comprehensive Climate Adaptation Strategy
According to the ADB, most of the Green Climate Fund support will be provided as grants. The program will focus on modernizing water infrastructure, promoting efficient irrigation technologies, water storage solutions, and watershed management to sustain agricultural productivity amid growing risks from glacier melt, including droughts and floods.
“Rapid glacial retreat is one of the most complex development challenges faced by our region,” said Yasmin Siddiqi, ADB Director for Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development. “We need practical, scalable, and science-based solutions to help communities adapt. With catalytic support from GCF, Glaciers to Farms will help move the region beyond fragmented projects and toward systemic, long-term resilience that protects lives and livelihoods now and for future generations.”
Beyond agricultural improvements, the program will strengthen climate and glacier research to guide national development planning and investment priorities. It will enhance early warning systems for emergencies such as glacial lake outbursts, improve social protection schemes and healthcare services in areas affected by water scarcity and extreme heat stress, and build the capacity of local banks to support agricultural enterprises, particularly those led by women.
Critical Need for Climate Resilience
The rapid loss of glaciers poses a significant threat to natural resources and economic stability in the region, particularly in countries where approximately one in four people works in agriculture. Pakistan, consistently ranked among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, has been severely affected by climate change despite contributing less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Heavy rainfall and floods killed 1,037 people across Pakistan this year alone. In 2022, devastating floods claimed over 1,700 lives and affected 33 million of the country’s 220 million people.
Thomas Eriksson, Green Climate Fund Regional Director for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, described “Glaciers to Farms” as a “comprehensive and innovative effort” that will help countries coordinate long-term strategies for glacier-based water systems under climate stress. “This initiative will set a transformative benchmark for regional water and food security through better data, coordination, and investment planning,” he said.
The program, approved at the GCF’s 43rd Board Meeting, builds on glacier risk assessments conducted in 2024 that established the scientific basis for large-scale adaptation planning. Experts view the project as a crucial step toward regional climate adaptation that will not only help communities better manage scarce water resources but also boost long-term food security and economic stability across some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. /// nCa, 30 October 2025