Melting Glaciers Threaten Central Asia’s Food and Water Security

ADB’s Program Will Help Address These Impacts

According to a report by the Eurasian Development Bank, between 14 and 30% of glaciers in the Tian-Shan and Pamir—the two main mountain ranges in Central Asia—have melted over the last 60 years.

The Tian Shan range stretches to 4,000 metres in China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Scientist Gulbara Omorova, who is recording the rate of glacial melt in Central Asia, observes that glaciers in the region are melting at an alarming rate and more intensely than in previous years. The melting glaciers pose a serious water threat to people living in the landlocked region who depend on glaciers as their primary water source.

According to Omorova, mountainous Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan—home to around 10,000 glaciers each—are the leading water providers for Central Asia.

Glaciers act as water towers, crucial for the region’s food and water security. However, rising temperatures are making it hard for glaciers to regenerate due to climate change.  

Receding glaciers have also created a new hazard for Kyrgyz towns and cities. Meltwater forms new lakes before tumbling down mountains in dangerous torrents, including toward the capital, Bishkek.

Mountain glaciers act as reservoirs of water that persist through summer. Their meltwater is a source of drinking water, irrigation, and energy for two billion people across Asia. However, climate change is accelerating glacial melt and threatening glaciers’ essential services.

The Asian Development Bank presents a photo essay depicting the wide-ranging impacts of melting glaciers and permafrost on the countries and communities that depend on them for food, water, and energy. For instance, rapidly melting glaciers could worsen flooding. In the mountains, earthquakes and thawing permafrost can destabilise the ground and, with excess water, cause landslides and mudslides.

View the ADB’s photo essay: The Roof of the World is Melting

In response to the climate change threat to glaciers and its implications for water and food security in Asia, the Asian Development Bank launched a new regional programme, Glaciers to Farms, to promote sustainable water use in Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan.

Glaciers to Farms envisages mobilising up to $3.5 billion from ADB, GCF, governments, development partners, and the private sector, subject to the participating institutions’ board approvals. In addition to water and agriculture investments, the programme will support vulnerable communities threatened by glacial melt, particularly in fragile mountain regions (ADB Launches, 2024).

Learn more about ADB’s regional programme, Glaciers to Farms for Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Pakistan.