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Economic development

Green Climate Fund Approves $250 Million for Glaciers to Farms Programme

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Green Climate Fund has approved a $250 million grant for a programme 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 funding will support the 'Glacier to Farms' programme, which aims to help millions of people adapt to the impacts of climate change, including glacial melt, water shortages, and extreme weather events. The programme will focus on areas such as irrigation, water storage, and watershed management, and will be invested alongside $3.25 billion from the ADB over the next 10 years.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Green Climate Fund has approved a $250 million grant for a programme 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 programme, known as 'Glacier to Farms', aims to help millions of people adapt to the impacts of climate change, including glacial melt, water shortages, and extreme weather events.
  • The programme will focus on irrigation, water storage, and watershed management in areas such as the glacier-fed river basin of Swat in northwestern Pakistan, and the Naryn and Pyanj in Central Asia.
  • The programme will benefit around 13 million people, including farmers and vulnerable populations in mountain regions.
  • The ADB will contribute $3.25 billion to the programme over the next 10 years, alongside the $250 million grant from the Green Climate Fund.
  • The programme will support social protection schemes and health services for vulnerable communities affected by water shortages and extreme heat stress.
  • It will also strengthen the capacity of local banks to support agricultural businesses.

Statistics:

  • $250 million: the amount approved by the Green Climate Fund for the programme.
  • $3.25 billion: the amount contributed by the ADB to the programme over the next 10 years.
  • 13 million: the number of people who will benefit from the programme, including farmers and vulnerable populations in mountain regions.
  • 9: the number of countries participating in the programme, including Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
  • 10 years: the duration of the programme.
  • 1,037: the number of people killed in floods across Pakistan this year.
  • 1,700: the number of people who lost their lives in floods in 2022.

Sources:

  • Arab News
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

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