Pakistan: $250m projects to shield farmers from melting glaciers

Dubai: The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $250 million for a landmark adaptation initiative, ‘Glaciers to Farms,’ aimed at building resilient water and agricultural systems in glacier-dependent regions, including Pakistan.

The program, led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will support vulnerable communities facing the growing impacts of accelerated glacial melt.

Pakistan is one of nine countries benefiting from the program, which also covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The initiative will focus on four glacier-fed river basins, including the Swat River basin in Pakistan, covering a total of roughly 27 million hectares.

The GCF funding, mostly in the form of grants, will be invested alongside $3.25 billion from ADB over the next decade in projects that improve irrigation efficiency, water storage, and watershed management. These efforts aim to protect agricultural productivity while reducing the risks posed by droughts, floods, and glacial lake outburst events.

“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 move the region beyond fragmented projects toward systemic, long-term resilience that protects lives and livelihoods now and for future generations,” she added.

The program is expected to directly benefit around 13 million people, including farmers and vulnerable populations in fragile mountain regions. It will also support climate and glacier assessments to inform national development plans, strengthen monitoring and early warning systems, and provide adaptive social protection and health services for communities affected by water shortages and extreme heat.

Thomas Eriksson, GCF Director for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, said the initiative sets a “transformative benchmark by improving data, coordination, and financing readiness for long-term resilience in the region’s water and food systems.”

The funding was approved at GCF’s 43rd Board Meeting on October 29. The program represents a significant step toward protecting Pakistan’s glacier-fed ecosystems and securing the livelihoods of millions in the country’s northern and mountainous regions.