Brasília — At COP30, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a landmark Funding Activity Agreement to launch the Glaciers to Farms (G2F) Regional Program, a major climate-resilience initiative for Central and West Asia. The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) welcomed this milestone, highlighting its significance for long-term water, food, and livelihood security across the region.
Central and West Asia are warming at one of the fastest rates globally, with glacier systems in the Pamir and Tien Shan ranges retreating rapidly. Scientific projections indicate that more than 50% of regional glacier volume may disappear by 2100, posing severe risks for communities that rely on glacier-fed rivers for agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water.
The G2F Regional Program, approved on 30 October 2025, responds directly to these challenges. The programme integrates the latest climate science into national development planning and deploys concrete adaptation measures across glacier-dependent river basins. Its goal is to strengthen resilience for 45 million people across nine countries by improving water availability, enhancing food security, promoting climate-smart infrastructure, and fostering cross-border cooperation.
The initiative is fully aligned with countries’ National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will enhance institutional capacity for climate budgeting, support bankable adaptation projects, and introduce new financing instruments such as outcome-based resilience bonds. The programme also aims to empower smallholder farmers, women, and vulnerable communities through climate-resilient agriculture and enterprise mentoring.
Dilovarsho Dustzoda, Advisor to the Executive Director of CAREC, who participated in the signing ceremony, emphasized the importance of this regional initiative:
“The Glaciers to Farms programme represents a turning point for climate resilience in Central Asia. Our countries face accelerating water scarcity, glacier retreat, and growing pressure on rural livelihoods. This programme brings science, financing, and regional cooperation together in a way that directly supports communities that depend on glacier-fed ecosystems. For us in Central Asia, G2F is not just a climate project; it is an investment in long-term stability, food security, and shared prosperity.
Under G2F the people of our region, especially farmers, women, and youth, can benefit from stronger institutions, improved water management, and more resilient agriculture systems.”
GCF’s Project Preparation Facility previously supported extensive feasibility studies and multi-country consultations, which helped shape the programme’s final design.
CAREC underscored that G2F offers an unprecedented opportunity to:
- strengthen regional cooperation on shared river basins;
- accelerate climate-smart agriculture and food security;
- expand access to climate finance for Central Asian countries;
- support early-warning systems, climate-informed planning tools, and resilient infrastructure;
- and build long-term institutional capacity for managing climate risks.
