ADB opens $100-mn green bond issue to manage glacier melt impacts
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has issued $100 million green bonds to raise awareness of glacier melt across the region. The bonds will assist the multilateral lending agency in engaging with investors on its projects and programmes aimed at climate adaption and water resource management and helping communities in Asia become more resilient against the impacts of melting glaciers.
The five-year issue was arranged by BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley and its proceeds will be used in accordance with ADB’s Green and Blue Bond Framework. The notes will be listed on the Luxembourg Green Exchange (LGX).
“Glaciers are among the most critical yet climate-sensitive natural systems in Asia. Their accelerated retreat is reshaping river flows, increasing hazard risks, and threatening the water security and livelihoods of the hundreds of millions of people who rely on mountain rivers for drinking water, agriculture, and energy”, said ADB Vice-President for Finance and Risk Management Roberta Casali.
“Through this green bond, ADB is mobilizing global capital to strengthen climate adaptation and water resource management as well as disaster risk reduction in high‑mountain regions. This innovative issuance reflects ADB’s commitment to supporting communities in vulnerable regions as climate pressures intensify”, said Casali
Glacier- and snow-fed river basins support water security for around 2 billion people in Asia. Rising temperatures are accelerating glacier retreat and altering snowfall patterns, intensifying both near-term flood risks and long-term water stress, particularly in South Asia and Central and West Asia. As these hydrological shifts become more pronounced, investments in climate adaptation and resilient water systems are increasingly urgent, an official statement said.
Projects eligible for financing under ADB’s Green and Blue Bond programme include but are not limited to those supporting climate-resilient infrastructure and livelihoods, integrated water resource management, early warning systems, and disaster risk reduction.
The financing complements ADB’s portfolio of initiatives that integrate glacier monitoring, risk assessment, resilient infrastructure, and water governance into national strategies. These include Building Adaptation and Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, Glaciers to Farms, Resilient River Basins, and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Water Pillar. Since launching its green bond program in 2015, ADB has raised $15 billion in green bonds to support mitigation and adaptation projects across the region, the statement added.
