Pakistan is set to benefit from the recently approved $250 million project by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to build resilient water and agriculture systems for vulnerable communities in the glacier-dependent regions of Central Asia, the South Caucasus.
As per a press release issued on Wednesday, the program, led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will cover nine ADB developing member countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
It should be noted that all these countries rely on glacier and snow-fed rivers for agriculture, domestic water, and electricity generation.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that a new program will target four glacier-fed river basins — the Naryn and Pyanj in Central Asia, the Kura in the South Caucasus, and the Swat in Pakistan — covering about 27 million hectares.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved concessional funding for the initiative at its 43rd board meeting on October 29. The program aims to directly benefit around 13 million people, including farmers and vulnerable mountain communities, by supporting climate and glacier assessments that guide national development plans and investments.
It will also enhance monitoring and early warning systems to address hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods and droughts. Accelerated glacial melt poses growing risks to ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods.
