ains in various parts of Pakistan have become major news, splashed across news television screens for the past several weeks. Climate change has resulted in unexpected weather events such as unpredicted scattered thunderstorms and rainfalls in the recent months, particularly during the monsoon period.
Unexpected heavy rainfalls have raised the risk of landslides in mountainous regions, flash flooding and hill torrent floods in vulnerable areas. Besides property, crops and vegetation are also damaged due to heavy rainfalls, hailstorms.
According to the data gathered from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), a deviation from 23 percent to 170 percent in the average rainfall has occurred in some regions of the country. The report suggests that overall Pakistan has had a 59 percent deviation from the average rainfall of 48.9 millimetres. In Gilgit Baltistan, this deviation went up to 250 percent and in Sindh 170 percent in the 2023 monsoon spell between July 1 and July 25. In the Punjab, the deviation reported was 35 percent. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it reached 23 percent during the current monsoon spell.
Similarly, a separate report suggests that rainfall recorded from July 1 to July 25 was higher than average in several cities. These cities include Badin (140 percent); Bahawalpur (107 percent); Chhor (170 percent); Gilgit (236 percent); Hyderabad (167 percent); Jacobabad (256 percent); Lahore Airport (163 percent); Lahore City (105 percent); Padidan (284 percent); and Rohri (116.9 percent).
The unexpectedly heavy rainfall affected city life, infrastructure and food security.
Dr Ejaz Ahmad, an environmentalist, says changing patterns of rain will be more challenging in the future and may affect food security and water storage. He stresses the need to review policies that seek benefit from such rains rather than turning them into a problem for the people.
A couple of years ago, in Sector E-11 of Islamabad, a cloudburst caused flash flooding that devastated the infrastructure.
“We have to be careful about water ways. We have to clean them and remove encroachments,” Dr Ejaz says adding that the E-11 flash flood was due to encroachment on an old water way. Similarly, in Rawalpindi and other cities we have seen nullahs choked with garbage and encroachments.
As a positive impact, the environmentalist says, these rainfalls will help recharge the lowering water tables in many regions. If stored, this water can have a good impact on crops. “For that we need water recharge wells and water storages,” he says.
Although, the early warning system of rainfall has improved in Pakistan, the country still lacks planning to store and use the rainwater.
“Such rains can have an impact on livelihoods causing urban flooding in plains and land sliding in hilly areas,” Sardar Sarfaraz, the chief metrological officer of the PMD tells The News on Sunday. “Such flash floods can affect crops and agriculture.”
He says people should be prepared for such monsoon variabilities in the future. He says that the frequency of rain surprises can increase as a result of climate change.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), last month, also issued a warning regarding the possible impact of light to moderate showers in central and northern regions of the country because of isolated heavy falls and hailstorms in some areas.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi are at risk of urban flooding. The twin cities have seen urban flooding in low-lying areas.
Experts urge the authorities to reconsider master plans of urban areas keeping in view drastic changes in climate change patterns. This includes reviewing drainage system, redesigning infrastructures and enhancing water storage capacities.
“This is an opportunity, too, through rainwater harvesting. We have to be ready and equipped in the future for such rains, flash floods and land sliding at anytime during the rainy seasons,” the Met Office has said.
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