https://arab.news/cfxzm
- Shehbaz Sharif chairs high-level meeting to review Pakistan’s monsoon preparedness
- Deadly floods triggered by heavy rains last year killed over 1,000 people across Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered an inquiry after it was found that an early warning system in northern Pakistan is still non-operational, as the country prepares to confront the challenges of the oncoming monsoon season.
Heavy monsoon rains and excess water released from dams in India triggered deadly floods during the monsoon season last year, killing over 1,000 people in Pakistan. The government estimated that the floods caused losses worth Rs822 billion (around $2.9 billion)
Islamabad ordered comprehensive measures to protect against future climate disasters for the 2026 monsoon season. These included setting up early warning systems in disaster-prone areas, especially the northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) area, home to thousands of glaciers.
Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday to review Pakistan’s monsoon preparedness, where he was informed that the early warning system in GB was still not operational.
“The prime minister ordered an inquiry into the system’s inactivity, despite clear instructions issued last year, and over the poor performance of relevant institutions,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
Sharif said incompetence and declining performance of government institutions will not be tolerated.
Early warning systems are an integrated system of hazard monitoring, forecasting and prediction, disaster risk assessment, communication and preparedness activities systems and processes. These enable individuals, communities, governments, businesses and others to take timely action to reduce disaster risks in advance of hazardous events.
The Pakistani premier stressed that ensuring public facilitation, service delivery and protection from hazards is the fundamental responsibility of all institutions, adding that they will be held accountable for it.
Sharif said during last year’s monsoon rains, illegal encroachments in riverbeds and flood pathways caused major destruction. This year, he noted that a proactive strategy has been adopted to address the issue in advance.
The Prime Minister noted that Pakistan is among the countries most severely affected by the harmful impacts of climate change, requiring urgent and immediate action. He urged all government departments to work in close coordination to prevent further disasters from happening.
“He also directed that full functionality of the early warning system and digital monitoring infrastructure be ensured without delay,” the PMO said.
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns that have led to frequent heatwaves and droughts. These have also caused water shortages, while untimely rains and floods have displaced millions in recent years, causing disease outbreaks due to poor sanitation.
Torrential rains caused heavy floods in 2022 that killed over 1,700 people and inflicted damages that Pakistan estimated over $30 billion across the country.