Latest news with #GLOFs
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Climate
- Business Recorder
PMD issues seasonal outlook for monsoon
KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued its seasonal outlook for the upcoming monsoon season, forecasting normal to slightly above-normal rainfall in large parts of the country, alongside above-normal temperatures expected to persist nationwide. According to the PMD, the monsoon rainfall pattern from July to September 2025 is likely to bring normal to slightly enhanced precipitation across the central and southern regions, with the north-eastern parts of Punjab and Kashmir seeing the highest deviations from average. In contrast, northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) may experience normal to below-normal rainfall, setting a potentially dry trend for these upper mountainous regions. Adding to the climate concern, higher-than-normal temperatures are forecast throughout the country, with the most significant departures expected in Kashmir, GB, and adjoining parts of KP. These elevated temperatures pose serious risks by accelerating snowmelt, which could cause rising river levels and an increased chance of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). The PMD cautions that the combined effect of intense rainfall and heat could trigger extreme hydro-meteorological events, especially over catchments' areas. These conditions may lead to riverine flooding in major river systems. Additionally, flash flooding and urban inundation are anticipated in hill torrent regions and major urban centers of Sindh, Punjab, Kashmir, and KP, particularly during the first half of the monsoon season. Communities should also prepare for strong winds, dust storms, and hailstorms resulting from sharp temperature gradients. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Recorder
PDMA issues GLOF warning for northern districts of KP
PESHAWAR: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued an alert for northern districts of the province amid fears of potential Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) on Friday. The warning comes in response to an unusual rise in temperatures in recent days, increasing the risk of glacial lake bursts and subsequent flooding. The PDMA had directed deputy commissioners of Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat, and Upper Kohistan to take precautionary measures and ensure emergency preparedness. According to the official notification, local administrations in the vulnerable areas have been instructed to keep residents alert and to ensure the readiness of emergency services, rescue teams, and relief workers. Essential supplies and available resources were also to be pre-positioned to allow for a swift response in case of any untoward incident. The advisory also urged tourists to take necessary precautions and avoid unnecessary travel to the affected regions. A PDMA spokesperson stated that the authority's Emergency Operations Center was fully operational 24/7, and the public can report any emergencies by calling the helpline at 1700. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
PMD chief warns temperatures could soar up to 5°C above normal
Daytime temperatures may rise by 3°C to 4°C above normal levels in Karachi. PHOTO: PIXABAY Listen to article The chief meteorologist of the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of significant temperature rise in the coming months in the country, saying forecasts indicate temperatures may rise by 3°C to 5°C above normal levels. Speaking at a press conference, Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Afzal revealed that winter rainfall was recorded 42% below normal, with Sindh receiving 63% less rain, Balochistan 53%, and Punjab 41%. The alarming decline in rainfall has pushed dams and water reservoirs to dead levels, raising concerns over water availability for agriculture and domestic use. Afzal further cautioned that below-normal rainfall is expected in the northern regions, exacerbating the water crisis. The shortage could lead to crop failures, the spread of diseases, and a negative impact on wildlife. He urged the public to use water wisely to mitigate the crisis. Major metropolitan areas will experience heatwave conditions due to the urban heat island effect, accelerating drought conditions. The intense heat may also accelerate the melting of glaciers, increasing river flows temporarily but raising the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and flash floods in northern areas. Pakistan typically receives 19.4% of its annual rainfall between April and June, but below-average rainfall is expected this year, which could contribute to groundwater depletion, particularly in rain-fed regions. Additionally, cyclone formation over the Arabian Sea cannot be ruled out in May due to the rising sea surface temperatures. During the Eidul Fitr holidays, most parts of the country will experience hot and dry weather, with temperatures likely to remain 2 to 3°C above normal. In Karachi, daytime temperatures may rise by 3°C to 4°C above normal levels, adding to the discomfort for citizens. A wet spell with rain, thunderstorms, and snowfall over mountains is expected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and northern Punjab on March 26-27. Areas such as Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, and Mansehra may receive moderate to heavy rainfall, while dust storms and thunderstorms are also likely over the plains of Punjab. Heavy rainfall in northern areas could lead to flash floods in some regions, while windstorms, hailstorms, and lightning pose a risk to electric poles, trees, vehicles, solar panels, and standing crops. Landslides and slippery conditions may also affect mountainous areas. The authorities and relevant stakeholders have been advised to implement precautionary measures to address the impacts of rising temperatures, heat waves, and water shortages. Public awareness campaigns should be launched to inform communities about heatwave preparedness and water conservation strategies. The Met Office has urged the public to stay hydrated, avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure, and conserve water to reduce the impact of the looming crisis.
Express Tribune
17-02-2025
- Express Tribune
Mass tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan raises economic hopes and environmental fears
The Gilgit-Baltistan has the potential to attract tourism in the region, the region become tourism destination to tourists after East Indian company came to subcontinent in 18 th century. The British officer came to north for the research and spying purpose, because the region has important geographic location. Meanwhile other international tourists came into the region along with Britishers to monitor the climate. In the meantime, their interest increased with the mountains of north and gradually, people went to the mountain's sites, basecamps, and trekking towards glaciers. Thus, tourism activities started in the north region at that time currently Gilgit-Baltistan. Further the tourism industry gradually developed in the Gilgit-Baltistan and after 2013 the tourism boom is started in Gilgit-Baltistan with the huge number of mass tourists came to the north and large infrastructure of hospitality industry were started to build. The tourism industry provides employment opportunities to local communities and creates a business market. The potential of adventures tourism has also got famous in the region and attract hundreds of international mountaineers, climbers, and trekkers groups. Which provide economical assistance to the local economy, reports argue that in 2017 tourist contribute 300 million revenue in the regional economy. The region expecting more tourists into the region in coming years. To accommodate the influx of tourist's the development has been done unsustainably and unwanted, especially the areas that are fragile and ecologically sensitive and the development is in progress. The unwanted development has taken place in the river beds and near to sensitive glaciers sites, lack of township planning leads towards deforestations, water contamination, artificially product incorporated in the construction, builds concrete forest around the tourism destinations and main city of Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Gilgit, Karimabad, and Gahkuch are faces urban threats due to mushrooming. The region already faces climate crisis, without contributing in gobble carbon emission because of its geographic location, the neighbored countries China and India are the world largest carbon emitter. And the mass tourism in the region triggers further environmental catastrophes in the sensitive ecology. The tourism industry is becoming double-edged sword for Gilgit-Baltistan. It provides economic margins and uplifts the life standard of native communities, but the other hand poses significant environmental concerns to the highly fragile ecosystem. The region Gilgit-Baltistan faces many environmental challenges by hospitality industry, pollutions, resources debilitation, overpopulated, destroyed natural landscapes, biological diversity habitat loss. The ecosystem disruption in the mountainous areas especially in the Hindu Kash, Himalayas, and Karakoram ranges are leading the GLOFs events, the land erosion process is faster than other mountains range around the globe. In the recent years the Gilgit-Baltistan has face frequent GLOFs events and temperature raised, cause glaciers retreating, which means the glaciers lakes expand in the region. The tourism industry has the main carbon emitter in the region, due to its unsustainable expansion and activities. Ill transportation, green energy crisis are the main reasons. Behind these all challenges and concerns has the policy gap and lacking of governance mechanism. In Gilgit-Baltistan the government failed to provide good governance mechanism and service delivery, the region faces policy gaps badly there is no effective polices on ground that address the challenges. Thus, no governance mechanism, the local governments are missing from more than one decade, there is no community engagement in the whole process and tourism activities. The government should engage the native communities in policy formulation and provide awareness regarding environmental concerns that lead the communities take the ownership and act accordingly. Another major factor that needs to address is awareness and sensitizations among the administrative structure regarding the sensitive of the ecosystem and how to act and policy implementation in the locality. The well-developed countries have facing challenges of environmental degradation by mass tourism, and express protesting against tourism and been inti-tourist violences in well off and educated communities. The communities argues that the tourism is diluting the diversity of culture and history. This will happen in the most educated societies. When it's come to Gilgit-Baltistan the region is less educated, less developed and contain highly fragile ecology with the most vulnerable communities, so it can be inferred from this how uncontrol tourism impact the region. Gilgit-Baltistan is most accessible region for domestic mass tourists, put pressure on the nature resources and degrade the environment. Requires robust policy and strategies to control mass tourism according the caring capacity of the region, and allow high end tourists that spend maximum and left minimum footprints. The development should be controlling that ecofriendly material should be used, match with local architecture, and the environmental Impact Assessments should be compulsory for the development along with NOCs regulatory bodies, that the ecotourism practices should be incorporated in the hospitality entities. In addition, CNN travel staff has included Gilgit-Baltistan as a top 25 five destinations around the globe to worthy visits in 2025. Obviously, it's a landmark for tourism industry in the region. But the hospitality sectors should be regulated as per the native environmental conditions. The hospitality industry creates environmental concerns and pose pressures on resources of the region without any economic support to local economy, need to impose taxes on hospitality sectors and tourism markets, the revenue will be utilized within the region to support local communities' wellbeing and sustainable development of Gilgit-Baltistan. It will overcome the dependency of the region to federal government. Furthermore, the step towards sustainability of the ecology and reduction in environmental degrading, community awareness and engagements of all stakeholder in policy consensus, subject of tourism and environment should be incorporate in curricula. Effective policies and governance mechanism should be implemented in the Gilgit-Baltistan to regulate the tourism industry and its footprints efficiently. Ecofriendly practices incorporate in the tourism sector as well in government structure to reduce environmental degradation.
