Pakistan to Receive $250 Million Climate Funding for Glacier-fed Rivers

Pakistan is set to benefit from $250 million in new climate financing approved by the Green Climate Fund. The funding is part of the Glaciers to Farms adaptation program led by the Asian Development Bank. It aims to protect water and agriculture systems in glacier-dependent regions across Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Pakistan. The GCF support will be provided mainly as grants. It will be invested alongside USD 3.25 billion from ADB over the next decade across a series of climate-resilience projects. ADB said rapid glacial melt is threatening water supply, agriculture and hydropower in the region. One in four jobs in these countries depends on agriculture. The program will focus on four major glacier-fed basins, including the Swat River in Pakistan, covering a total of 27 million hectares. About 13 million people are expected to benefit directly, including farmers and vulnerable mountain communities. Investments will include improved monitoring and early warning systems to respond to glacial lake floods and droughts. The program will also support national planning, adaptive social protection and better access to finance for agriculture businesses, especially women-led enterprises. “This is a transformative investment that will help safeguard water security and food production for millions, while enabling communities to adapt to a rapidly changing climate,” said ADB’s Yasmin Siddiqi. GCF officials described the initiative as a long-term solution for climate resilience and protection of ecosystems that sustain lives and economies across the region.