Green Climate Fund Approves $250 Million for Adaptive Agriculture and Water Management in Central Asia and South Caucasus

The Green Climate Fund has approved a significant $250 million funding package for the Glaciers to Farms programme, a flagship adaptation initiative led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aiming to build resilient water and agriculture systems in vulnerable communities across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan. This investment, complemented by $3.25 billion from the ADB, will focus on efficient irrigation, water storage, and watershed management to improve agricultural productivity and protect against the impacts of glacial melt. The programme will cover nine ADB developing member countries, benefiting approximately 13 million people, including farmers and vulnerable populations.

Key Takeaways:

• The Green Climate Fund has approved a total of $250 million for the Glaciers to Farms programme to support adaptation and resilience-building in Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan.
• The programme is led by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and aims to build resilient water and agriculture systems for vulnerable communities.
• Glaciers to Farms covers nine ADB developing member countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
• The programme will focus on efficient irrigation, water storage, and watershed management to improve agricultural productivity and protect against the impacts of glacial melt.
• The initiative will benefit approximately 13 million people, including farmers and vulnerable populations in fragile mountain regions.
• The programme will also support climate and glacier assessments, strengthening monitoring and early warning systems, adaptive social protection schemes, and health services for vulnerable communities.
• Glaciers to Farms will strengthen local banks' capacity to support agricultural businesses, especially those led by women.

Statistics:

• Total funding approved by the Green Climate Fund: $250 million
• Total funding to be invested by the Asian Development Bank: $3.25 billion
• Total area to be covered by the programme: approximately 27 million hectares
• Number of people benefiting directly from the programme: approximately 13 million
• Number of ADB developing member countries covered by the programme: nine

Sources:

• Green Climate Fund (https://www.greenclimate.fund/)
• Asian Development Bank (https://www.adb.org/)
• "Green Climate Fund Approves $250 Million for Glaciers to Farms Programme" (actual link not provided)