The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a landmark $250 million to combat the escalating crisis of rapid glacial melt threatening the water supply and livelihoods of millions across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan. The funding will spearhead a sweeping adaptation program led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to build resilient water and agriculture systems for at-risk communities.
According to ADB information today, this significant financing from the GCF, provided mostly as grants, will be invested alongside a substantial $3.25 billion commitment from the ADB over the next decade. The combined capital will be channeled into a series of projects focused on efficient irrigation, enhanced water storage, and improved watershed management to bolster agricultural productivity against the increasing frequency of 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. ‘With catalytic support from GCF, Glaciers to Farms will help move the region beyond fragmented projects and towards systemic, long-term resilience that protects lives and livelihoods now and for future generations.’
The ‘Glaciers to Farms’ initiative covers nine ADB developing member countries heavily reliant on glacier and snow-fed rivers for agriculture, domestic water, and power generation: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Accelerated glacial thaw jeopardizes these essential ecosystem services in nations where approximately one in four jobs is in the agricultural sector.
The program will concentrate its efforts on four critical glacier-fed river basins: the Naryn and Pyanj in Central Asia, the Kura in the South Caucasus, and the Swat in Pakistan. These areas cover a combined territory of roughly 27 million hectares.
An estimated 13 million people, including farmers and vulnerable populations in fragile mountain regions, are expected to benefit directly from the initiative. It will support climate and glacier assessments to inform national development plans and strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to help communities manage hazards like glacial lake outburst floods.
Beyond agricultural systems, the program will also support adaptive social protection schemes and health services for communities affected by water shortages and extreme heat. Furthermore, it will bolster the capacity of local banks to support agricultural businesses, with a special focus on those led by women.
‘This program sets a transformative benchmark by improving data, coordination, and financing readiness for long-term resilience in the region’s water and food systems,’ stated Thomas Eriksson, GCF Director of the Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East Region Department.
The world’s largest climate fund endorsed the concessional funding for the program during its 43rd Board Meeting. The scientific and technical foundation for the initiative was established through GCF-funded glacier risk assessments conducted in 2024.