Monsoon rains could cause ’emergency situation’ in Pakistan, disaster management official warns
ISLAMABAD: The head of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Wednesday warned that heavy rains during the upcoming monsoon season could create an “emergency situation”, especially in Sindh and Punjab provinces.
Pakistan’s monsoon season usually lasts from July to September. The NDMA warned last week that heavy rains are expected this year in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, which could lead to urban flooding this monsoon season.
In 2022, the South Asian country saw vast areas submerged by torrential monsoon rains and melting glaciers, a phenomenon linked to climate change that damaged crops and infrastructure, killed at least 1,700 people, forced millions to flee and caused billions of dollars in losses.
NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik said the authorities had completed early preparations as part of proactive efforts to minimise damage during the upcoming monsoon season.
“Currently, the impact of the monsoon is being felt in India, particularly in central India and Bangladesh, and parts of the Indian Ocean region,” Malik said at an event in Islamabad on the impact of climate change.
“If this trend continues, it is expected to affect Pakistan, especially Punjab and Sindh provinces,” he said. “Heavy rain emergency situations are also possible.”
He said the NDMA had consulted with provincial governments of Pakistan to prepare for any emergency and had disseminated advisories and information to the authorities concerned.
“NDMA has taken several steps recently, including providing early warning, conducting training, promoting cooperation and coordinating with state authorities,” Malik said.
He said natural disasters affect around 4 percent of Pakistan’s population every year. However, the NDMA chief said new technologies from around the world have brought hope for economic relief and helped shift the government’s response from a reactive to a proactive one.
“Our traditional response is reactive and often insufficient when disasters strike. We aim to strengthen this through a more holistic approach that combines reactive and proactive responses,” he added.
Malik said Pakistan has developed a state-of-the-art National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to prepare for such disasters.
NEOC, which will be established in October 2023, will be equipped with the latest tools and technology, including real-time satellite imagery, to predict disasters up to three months in advance.
“The centre has over 220 satellites and feeds installed to collect all climate disaster data and forecasts across the world and respond to any emergency,” Malik explained.
The NDMA chief said a recent analysis of Pakistan’s river systems showed that Pakistan’s floodplains were facing severe challenges as river volumes were declining due to waterlogging, erosion and siltation in the area.
He said the NDMA was trying to collaborate with several non-governmental organisations and humanitarian organisations to avert a possible water crisis in the country.
The 2022 devastating floods were preceded by floods in Pakistan in 2010 that affected 20 million people, caused billions of dollars of damage to infrastructure and destroyed vast swathes of crops.
