Green Climate Fund approves major regional initiative to help glacier-fed communities adapt to climate change impacts across Asia.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $250 million in concessional financing for a landmark Glacial Melt Adaptation Programme, aimed at helping nine countries — including Pakistan — strengthen their resilience to the growing impacts of climate change.
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which will lead the initiative titled “Glaciers to Farms,” the programme will focus on protecting glacier-fed river systems and supporting sustainable agriculture in areas most affected by glacial melt and water scarcity.
The countries covered under the programme include Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Together, these regions represent some of the world’s most vulnerable mountain ecosystems, where millions rely on glacial water for farming, drinking, and energy.
The project will primarily focus on four major glacier-fed basins — including the Swat Basin in Pakistan — covering a total area of 27 million hectares. The initiative aims to benefit over 13 million people, particularly those dependent on agriculture and mountain-based livelihoods.
Officials said the GCF’s $250 million funding will be supplemented by an additional $3.25 billion in investments coordinated by the ADB and participating governments over the next decade.
Highlighting the importance of the initiative, ADB Director for Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Yasmin Siddiqi said the programme addresses one of the most complex challenges facing the region — the rapid melting of glaciers that threaten long-term water and food security.
She noted that “Glaciers to Farms” will help shift from fragmented, small-scale projects to systemic climate resilience through improved water management, flood prevention, and sustainable farming practices.
Under the plan, the programme will strengthen early warning systems, improve water storage and irrigation infrastructure, and enhance data collection for better adaptation planning. It will also promote community-based watershed management and income-generating activities to reduce vulnerability among local populations.
For Pakistan, inclusion in this programme marks a critical step toward addressing glacial melt challenges in the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya region, where rising temperatures are accelerating ice loss and triggering more frequent floods and droughts.
Environmental experts have welcomed the funding, calling it a significant boost for climate resilience in Pakistan’s northern and highland areas. They emphasize that the initiative will not only protect fragile ecosystems but also help secure long-term water availability for farming communities.
Implementation of the Glacial Melt Adaptation Programme is expected to begin in 2026, following detailed assessments and project planning across the nine participating countries.
