ISLAMABAD: The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $250 million for a program led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to strengthen water and agriculture systems in glacier-dependent regions of Pakistan, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, the ADB said on Wednesday.
The funding part of the “Glacier to Farms” program will focus on the glacier-fed river basin of Swat in northwestern Pakistan along with the Naryn and Pyanj in Central Asia, the Kura in the South Caucasus.
It will be invested alongside $3.25 billion from the ADB over the next 10 years in projects spanning irrigation, water storage and watershed management. The program aims to help millions of people belonging to climate-vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of climate change including glacial melt, water shortages and extreme weather events.
Pakistan is consistently ranked among the countries most adversely affected by climate change, which has triggered irregular weather patterns in the country including unusually heavy rains, floods and glacial lake outbursts.
“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.”
