ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in the eastern Punjab province issued flood warnings for different parts of the province on Thursday, with the death toll from nearly six weeks of monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan rising to 154, officials said.
Pakistan is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change. Last month, a United Nations official warned that about 200,000 people could be affected by the ongoing monsoon season in Pakistan. In 2022, torrential rains and floods killed over 1,700 people and caused estimated losses of over $30 billion to the Pakistani economy.
Many of the 154 deaths this monsoon season have occurred in Punjab and the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to the disaster agency and provincial authorities.
“Due to the rains, the water levels in rivers, dams and streams are rising,” the PDMA said in its latest statement, predicting that the current monsoon spell would last until Aug. 14. “There is a risk that the lower to medium flood situation in the Indus River will persist for the next few days.”
“An alert has been issued regarding the flood situation in the Indus River,” it added. “There is also a risk of flooding in the streams connected to the Chenab and Ravi Rivers.”
The PDMA said there was significant flooding in Nala Aik in Sialkot, calling on the local administration of the area to remain alert.
“Preparations are complete in view of the possible flood risk,” Irfan Ali Kathia, the PDMA chief, was quoted as saying in the statement. “Citizens are advised to take precautionary measures during the rainy season.”
The PDMA said that the new spell of monsoon rains in Punjab will begin from Aug. 9 till Aug. 12.
“During August 10 and 11, most of the districts of South Punjab are likely to experience wind and thundershowers,” the authority said.
It said during this time, monsoon rains are expected in Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Sahiwal and Gujarat divisions.
“In view of the instructions of Chief Minister Punjab, the concerned departments should be alert,” the PDMA said.
BALOCHISTAN
The top PDMA official in the southwestern Balochistan province said his team was closely monitoring the rain situation and conducting assessment of crop damage to compensate affected farmers.
“The PDMA is identifying and establishing safe places to accommodate people affected by the heavy downpour,” Naveed Ahmad Sheikh was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency.
“In light of the hazardous weather conditions, the PDMA has notified Section 144 to restrict tourist activities, prioritizing the safety of visitors,” he added.
Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is often invoked to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area to maintain public order and prevent emergencies.
Balochistan suffered disproportionately during the 2002 floods in Pakistan and was hit particularly hard by heavy rains, which led to severe flooding across many districts.
The floods caused widespread destruction of infrastructure, homes and agricultural lands, displacing thousands of people and resulting in significant loss of life.
More flood warnings in Pakistan as 154 killed in six weeks of monsoon rains
https://arab.news/b4quv
More flood warnings in Pakistan as 154 killed in six weeks of monsoon rains
- Many of 154 deaths occurred in eastern Punjab, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, disaster authorities say
- Section 144 banning public gatherings imposed in Balochistan to restrict tourist activities, prioritize safety of visitors
At ECO meeting, Pakistan proposes ‘Regional Innovation Hub’ to curb natural disasters
- Pakistan hosts high-level 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction in Islamabad
- Innovation hub to focus on early warning technologies, risk informed infrastructure planning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed to set up a “Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction” that focuses on early warning technologies and risk informed infrastructure planning, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Wednesday, as Islamabad hosts a high-level meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The ECO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is being held from Jan. 21-22 at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan’s capital.
The high-level regional forum brings together ministers, and senior officials from ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and regional and international partner organizations. The event is aimed to strengthen collective efforts toward enhancing disaster resilience across the ECO region, the PID said.
“Key agenda items include regional cooperation on early warning systems, disaster risk information management, landslide hazard zoning, inclusive disaster preparedness initiatives, and Pakistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on early warning technologies, satellite data utilization, and risk-informed infrastructure planning,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by delegations from ECO member states including Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of regional and international organizations and development partners were also in attendance.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional coordination, harmonizing disaster risk reduction frameworks, and strengthening collective preparedness against transboundary and climate-induced hazards impacting the ECO region, the PID said.
ECO members states such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Afghanistan and others have faced natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes in recent years that have killed tens of thousands of people.
Heavy rains triggered catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and 2025 that killed thousands of people and caused damages to critical infrastructure, inflicting losses worth billions of dollars.
Islamabad has since then called on regional countries to join hands to cooperate to avert future climate disasters and promote early warning systems to avoid calamities in future.
