NDMA Warns of Active Monsoon and Rising Flood Risks Until September 10
ISLAMABAD: Lieutenant General Inam Haider, Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has warned that the current monsoon system in Pakistan will remain active until September 10, with potential for increased flood intensity.
Briefing lawmakers, General Haider highlighted the growing impact of climate change in the country, noting that floods could become 22% more severe in the coming year. He cautioned that if global temperatures continue to rise, glaciers in northern Pakistan may shrink faster, posing serious environmental and economic challenges.
So far, around 150,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas along the Sutlej River, and 2,100 tons of relief supplies have been dispatched to affected districts. Plans are underway to rebuild infrastructure damaged in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The NDMA chief expressed concern that many people continue to live in waterways and other high-risk zones, and authorities are preparing for further evacuations to reduce potential losses. Rescue efforts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were praised, alongside support from local welfare organizations.
General Haider also shared that comprehensive data on weather events from June 26 to the present has been collected. He emphasized that the coming year could bring even harsher conditions and called for collective action to protect Pakistan’s glaciers, the second largest concentration in the world, which are melting rapidly.
In response to a question about early warnings, General Haider clarified that forecasting is primarily the responsibility of the Meteorological Department, while NDMA focuses on damage assessment and relief operations. He warned that if glaciers fully melt, Pakistan could face drought-like conditions, threatening food security and water availability.
