🇵🇰 Pakistan Flood Situation - Updates (3 Viewers)

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Pakistan has once again been caught off-guard by devastating impact of intense rain

The government must prioritise the upgrading of infrastructure to withstand extreme weather.

PAKISTAN has once again been caught off-guard by the devastating impact of unseasonal and intense rains across its provinces, with dozens of lives lost and considerable infrastructural damage. Such natural anomalies are reflective of climate change, as rightly pointed out by PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The damage wrought by the rains, while not the annual monsoons, is symptomatic of preparedness that is perennially lacking. What is required is not just a reactive approach but proactive strategies to mitigate the impact of such disasters.

The government must prioritise the upgrading of infrastructure to withstand extreme weather. This includes reinforcing buildings, securing electrical and gas supply systems against outages, and enhancing the capacity of dams and drainage systems to manage excess water. For regions like Balochistan and KP, where fragile structures are prevalent, introducing and enforcing stringent building codes is crucial.

Furthermore, there is a dire need for flood-risk management plans that are regularly updated and rigorously implemented. These should include community-based early warning systems and evacuation plans that are well understood by the public. The efficacy of these measures depends significantly on awareness campaigns that educate people about what to do during floods and storms. Moreover, environmental degradation exacerbates the impact of heavy rains. We must not only maintain but expand our forest cover and manage watersheds and riverbanks with sustainable practices to reduce the speed and impact of run-off.

These adjustments must be complemented by a broader commitment to addressing climate change. Pakistan must advocate for stronger international cooperation on climate issues, and seek technological and financial support to execute adaptation strategies. Research institutions must be mobilised to study the impacts of climate change specific to Pakistan, and develop solutions that can be implemented at the local level.

All this requires substantial government funding and the integration of climate change into all aspects of public policy planning. Our leadership at all levels needs to be geared towards protecting citizens from the impending and ongoing impacts of climate change. This means a shift from superficial discussions to actionable policies.

Preparing for monsoon seasons or extreme weather events — like the catastrophic floods of 2022 — should not just be about managing the crisis but preventing the worst of its impacts. The time for mulling is long past. It is now time to act.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2024

 

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Lightning, downpours kill 41 people across Pakistan

AFP
April 15, 2024

Heavy machinery deployed to level the ground after damage due to floodwaters following heavy rains on the outskirts of Quetta on April 15, 2024. Photo: AFP

LAHORE: At least 41 people have died in storm-related incidents across Pakistan since Friday, including 28 killed by lightning, officials said on Monday.

Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of landslides and flash floods because more rain is expected in coming days.

Punjab, Pakistan's largest and most populous province, witnessed the highest death toll, with 21 people killed by lightning between Friday and Sunday.

Heavy rain forecasts: civic bodies asked to pull their socks up

"I have asked the NDMA to coordinate with the provinces … and for the NDMA to provide relief goods to areas where damages occurred," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday.

People living in open, rural areas are more at risk of being struck by lightning during thunderstorms.

At least eight people were killed in Balochistan province, including seven struck by lightning, where 25 districts were battered by rain and some areas were flooded.

Karachi could be hit by thunderstorm on Wednesday: PMD

Schools in the province were ordered shut on Monday and Tuesday, delaying the return of students after Eid ul-Fitr holidays at the end of the holy fasting month of Ramazan.

Four people were killed in road accidents linked to flooded roads in southern Sindh province.

Another eight people were killed in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including four children, when houses collapsed in the heavy downpours.

Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, speaking to local media, blamed climate change for the surge in lightning incidents.

Pakistan is increasingly vulnerable to unpredictable weather patterns, as well as often destructive monsoon rains that usually arrive in July.

 

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Rain continues to batter Balochistan with Sindh next in its path

Imtiaz Ali | Abdullah Zehri
April 17, 2024

Torrential rainfall continued to wreak havoc in Balochistan on Wednesday. — DawnNewsTV
As torrential rainfall continued to wreak havoc in Balochistan on Wednesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted downpours in parts of Sindh — including Karachi — as well for the next three days.

Continuous rains accompanied by thunderstorms have lashed several parts of the country over the past few days, with landslides and floods reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Ten more people, including nine children, were killed on Tuesday in various parts of KP in the aftermath of the torrential rains as the provincial government imposed an emergency in 13 districts for the provision of relief and restoration of damaged communication networks and water supply.

In a weather outlook issued today, the PMD forecast thunderstorms and rainfall in the Karachi division and other parts of Sindh from today (Wednesday) till April 19.

It further said a "westerly wave" was affecting Balochistan, which has been reeling from floods following a three-day spell of torrential rainfall.

According to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind, relevant departments have been instructed to take safety measures to deal with the "extraordinary situation" created by the rains.

"Balochistan Chief Minister [Sarfraz Bugti] has directed various commissioners and deputy commissioners (DCs) to monitor the situation," Rind said.

 

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Rain continues to batter Balochistan with Sindh next in its path

Imtiaz Ali | Abdullah Zehri
April 17, 2024

As torrential rainfall continued to wreak havoc in Balochistan on Wednesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted downpours in parts of Sindh — including Karachi — as well for the next three days.

Continuous rains accompanied by thunderstorms have lashed several parts of the country over the past few days, with landslides and floods reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Ten more people, including nine children, were killed on Tuesday in various parts of KP in the aftermath of the torrential rains as the provincial government imposed an emergency in 13 districts for the provision of relief and restoration of damaged communication networks and water supply.

In a weather outlook issued today, the PMD forecast thunderstorms and rainfall in the Karachi division and other parts of Sindh from today (Wednesday) till April 19.
It further said a "westerly wave" was affecting Balochistan, which has been reeling from floods following a three-day spell of torrential rainfall.

According to Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind, relevant departments have been instructed to take safety measures.

"Balochistan Chief Minister [Sarfraz Bugti] has directed various commissioners and deputy commissioners (DCs) to monitor the situation," Rind said.

District DC Jumma Dad Mandokhail said levies and PDMA teams rescued residents of Pishin's Hamidabad, where around 15 houses had collapsed owing to heavy rainfall.

Floodwater was being diverted to the Khushdil Khan Dam and Manzaki drain, the DC said, noting that this would keep Hamidabad, Dab and adjacent areas safe as well as replenish the dam's supply. He added that 80 per cent of the task has been completed.

 

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Karachi sees light rain as Pakistan braces for more showers

Imtiaz Ali | Dawn.com
April 18, 2024

Karachi receives light rain on Thursday morning. — DawnNewsTV
Parts of Karachi received only light rain on Thursday morning while the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast heavy downpours across the country over the next few days.

On Wednesday, the Met Office had forecast moderate showers in several districts in Sindh, including Karachi. The weather had remained dry in most parts of the province. However, Sukkur, Rohri, Larkana and Jacobabad districts received traces of rainfall, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

As per the latest weather conditions, Karachi was expected to receive only light rain/showers, Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfraz said on Thursday.

According to a rainfall report issued this morning, Keamari, North Karachi and Airport Old Area received "traces" of rainfall while other parts of the city hardly saw any showers by 8am.

Meanwhile, one millimetre of rain was reported in Larkana district and traces in Mohenjo Daro by 8am. Other districts of Sindh did not receive notable rainfall.

In a three-day weather forecast issued today, the PMD said "thunderstorm/rain of light to moderate intensity" were likely on Thursday in Jamshoro, Dadu, Naushahro Feroze, Sanghar, Hyderabad, Mitiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Kambar Shahdadkot, Larkana, Khairpur, Sukkur and Ghotki districts, as well as Karachi division.

In Karachi, the weather was expected to remain "mainly cloudy with chances [of] light rain/drizzle" today while "fair/partly cloudy" conditions were likely tomorrow (Friday) and on Saturday.

Temperatures were to remain between 30-32 degrees Celsius today and tomorrow in the metropolis, reaching 34°C on Saturday. The minimum temperature was to drop to 26.5°C today and remain between 24-27°C on the next days, the forecast stated.

 

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15 killed in Chaman, AJK as rain continues to wreak havoc

Saleem Shahid
April 19, 2024

GWADAR: Fishermen gather under a broken structure on the shore along a badly damaged road, as boats are stacked near the jetty following heavy rainfall in Balochistan, on Thursday.—AFP

QUETTA: Seven more people have been killed in accidents in Balochistan as heavy rains continue to inflict damages across the province.

So far, 17 people have died and 15 injured due to roof collapses, lightning strikes and other mishaps since heavy rain and thunderstorms started last week.

Separately, eight people were killed in two accidents as rainfall continued in several areas of Azad Kashmir.

The seven new deaths in Balochistan were reported from the border town of Chaman on Thursday.

According to Chaman Deputy Commissioner Athar Abbas Raja, the victims, including four women and two children, were travelling in a car which was swept away by a flash flood.

Family washed away in Balochistan border town; dozens stranded by urban flooding

A large number of mud houses have also been swept away by flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall on surrounding mountains, Mr Abbas told Dawn over the phone.

He said gushing water has also badly damaged roads, cutting Chaman off from other areas of Balochistan and suspending transit trade with Afghanistan.
A railway track was also affected, suspending the train service between Quetta and Chaman. Damage to another track at the Spintangi area in the Sibi-Harnai section has also suspended rail service between Sibi and Harnai.

The northeastern district of Harnai, which has been receiving heavy rain with thunderstorms for the last many days, has been cut off from Quetta and other areas as link roads were washed away by flash floods.

The link of Makran division with Karachi was also cut off after a bridge on the coastal highway between Ormara and Basool collapsed.

A small dam in Chaman burst as it received excessive rainwater during a downpour which started early Thursday morning and lasted for several hours.
Officials said that Pado Dam on the outskirts of border town was washed away, causing massive destruction in old and new Chaman.

The water entered human settlements and damaged houses, forcing the residents to flee to take refuge at safer places.

Flash floods also swept away eight cars parked in a showroom at Chaman Bypass, a senior official of Levies force said.

He added that life had been virtually suspended in Chaman as all roads were inundated due to urban flooding.

Roghani Road, Killi Roozudin, Killi Salehzai and other areas were badly affected with dozens of houses damaged.

Officials said personnel of Frontier Corps, Levies and local administration had launched rescue operations in the affected areas and were shifting stranded families.

Similar destruction of houses and roads was also reported in other areas as heavy rains continued in Ormara, Pasni, Jewani, Ziarat, Loralai, Musakhail, Barkhan, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Sibi, Bolan, Noshki, Dalbandin, Washuk, Panjgur and areas bordering Iran and Afghanistan.

 

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More flash floods in Chaman as rainfall continues

Saleem Shahid
April 20, 2024

• Highway connecting border town with Quetta still closed for traffic
• Met Office predicts more downpour

QUETTA: The road link to many areas of Balochistan couldn't be restored till Friday as rains and thunderstorms continued in different areas of northern and southern Balochistan during the last 24 hours.

The border district of Chaman continued to witness disaster as flash floods entered the town from Khozak and other mountain ranges.

The deluge also damaged the Quetta-Chaman highway, cutting off traffic between the two cities.

Trucks carrying Afghan Transit Trade goods were stuck near Qila Abdullah and Chaman, and they are waiting for the road to be cleared.

Officials in Chaman said Levies and other forces had reached the people stranded in hilly areas and "are making all-out efforts" to restore traffic on the highway.

They added that the bodies of a woman and a child were recovered from a seasonal stream.

They died after the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away in flash floods as the driver tried to cross a gushing seasonal stream.

"The bodies were handed over to the family," the official added.

The provincial capital, Quetta, didn't receive any rainfall during the last 12 hours , but overnight heavy rain damaged mud houses on the city's outskirts.

Water was yet to be drained from some areas of the city as drains failed to evacuate the water due to blockages.

Some parts of the Makran region were still cut off from Karachi as a key bridge in the Basool area of Ormara, on the Makran Coastal Highway, had been washed away by flash floods.

All traffic has been suspended as an alternative route was yet to be constructed.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said a team headed by its chairman, Aurangzeb Khan, visited Daak and Mal in Noshki district, which were badly affected by the downpour.

Hundreds of people who were rendered homeless during the inclement weather were given tents, food and drinking water, the PDMA said.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Centre of Balochistan has advised the authorities to remain vigilant during the next 48 hours.

It has forecast more rain with thunderstorm in Quetta, Ziarat, Chaman, Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Mastung, Sherani, Zhob, Musakhail Barkhan, Khuzdar, Kalat, Noshki, Sibi, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Loralai and Harnai in next 24 hours.

During the last 24 hours, the weather remained cloudy and it rained in most parts of the province.

The highest rainfall was recorded in Samungli at 25mm, Kalat 23mm, Dalbandin 21mm, Barkhan 16mm, Zhob13 mm and Panjgur 5mm.

More than 20 people have died and 15 injured due to roof collapses, lightning strikes and other mishaps since heavy rain and thunderstorms started in the province last week.

The situation is grim in Chaman, where a large number of mud houses were swept away by flash floods on Thursday triggered by heavy rainfall on surrounding mountains, Deputy Commissioner Atha Abbas Raja had told Dawn over the phone.

He said gushing water has also badly damaged roads, cutting Chaman off from other areas of Balochistan and suspending transit trade with Afghanistan.

 

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Four including two girls killed as another rain spell hits KP

Dawn Report
April 20, 2024

A rescue official examines the debris of a house that collapsed in Bannu on Friday. (Right) Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road blocked by a landslide in Kawai area of Kaghan Valley. — Dawn

PESHAWAR: Four persons, including two minor girls, were killed and eight others injured in separate incidents in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as another spell of heavy rain started lashing the province on Friday.

A Khal police station official said a house collapsed in Toormang area of Lower Dir due to heavy rain, killing an 11-year-old girl. The deceased was staying as guest in the house.
Separately, Amir Mohammad, a resident of Toormang, also informed the Khall police his son, Hidayatullah had been missing for last three days. He said his son had gone to a nearby stream to collect firewood on Tuesday, but did not return. He said it seemed his son had drowned in the flooded stream.

Besides, heavy rain continued to lash Upper and Lower Dir districts, disrupting traffic on the main Timergara-Peshawar Road on Friday evening due to flood in Shamshi Khan Khwar. The traffic was diverted to the Talash Bypass Road, but it also remained blocked due to mud brought on by flash floods.

Landslide blocks MNJ Road, stranding passengers for hours

Meanwhile, Lower Dir deputy commissioner Wasil Khan imposed ban on collection of firewood and gathering on the banks of Panjkora River.

Separately, a woman was injured in roof collapse incident in Hasilkhan Jafer area of Bannu district as light rain continued to lash Lakki Marwat and Bannu on Thursday.

A team of Rescue 1122 rushed to the locality and shifted the woman to the District Headquarters Hospital.

A rescue official told Dawn that a minor girl was killed and a woman was injured in a roof collapse incident in Khyber tribal district.

Similarly, another person died and three others injured in Bajaur district.

Two persons were injured in roof collapse incident in Charsadda.

Heavy rain continued to batter the provincial capital on Friday, inundating roads and low-lying areas.

Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar, in a statement said heavy rain led to increased pressure on city's drainage system. It said due to limited capacity, water overflowed drains and accumulated on roads.

The civic agency said its staff was working round the clock to open drains clogged with polythene bags and solid waste and was monitoring the hotspots across the city.

Peshawar Electric Supply Company, in a statement said the rain affected power supply in several parts of the province.

It said 124 feeders tripped due to heavy rains, including 48 in Peshawar, 22 in Khyber and 12 in Swat circles. The power utility said its staff was working to restore power supply to the affected areas.

A landslide triggered by heavy downpour on Friday blocked the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road to traffic in Kawai area of Kaghan Valley.

Heavy boulders detached from a mountain rolled down on the road, blocking it to traffic.
A local told reporters that following the landslide traffic remained blocked, stranding passengers for over two hours.

The rain, which started earlier this week, continued to lash Mansehra, Torghar, Kolai-Palas, Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan, swelling Kunhar, Indus and Siren rivers.

Residents living along the riverbanks were directed to move to safer places.

The continued rains caused severe cold in the Hazara division.

The Met Department said during past 24 hours provincial capital received 44mm of rain, Cherat 70mm, Malam Jabba 58mm, Upper Dir 49mm, Lower Dir 34mm, Takht Bhai 35mm, Drosh, Dera Ismail Khan 24mm, Patan 15mm, Parachinar 13mm, Bannu 12mm and Balakot 8mm of rain.

Besides, the Met department also predicted more rain with snowfall over mountains in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Kohistan, Shangla, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Kurram, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Waziristan, Tank, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan on Friday night and Saturday.

On the other hand, Provincial Disaster Management Authority said on Friday the rain spell from April 12-18 resulted into deaths of 36 persons and injuries to 46 others.
PDMA said 20 of the deceased were children.

Similarly, a total of 2,391 houses were damaged.

In Swat, a woman was electrocuted in Ghwari Masta area of Fizagat as intermittent rain persisted throughout the day. She was identified as Malia. The woman got an electric shock while putting fodder to cattle in her house. She was immediately transported to Saidu Sharif Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Snowfall also lashed the higher places.

Due to rise in water level in the Swat River and streams, deputy commissioner Dr Mohammad Qasim Khan banned people from going near them.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2024

 

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Twin cities to receive more rains, landslides predicted in Murree

Wasa declares emergency, staff deputed to drain out water from Murree Road, Committee Chowk underpass.

 

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Heavy rains paralyse life in Hazara division

Flash floods have also breached defences, entered homes and caused widespread destruction.

Our Correspondent
April 22, 2024

PHOTO: EXPRESS

ABBOTTABAD: During the second three days of continuous torrential rain spell in Hazara division, life has been paralysed, severing many road connections and triggering landslides that have blocked several roads, including the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Kohistan.

According to details, the persistent heavy downpours across Hazara division, including Haripur, Abbottabad city, Galyat, Kaghan, Naran, Kohistan, Battagram and Thandyani have resulted in numerous road blockages due to landslides.

Flash floods have also breached defences, entered homes and caused widespread destruction.

In Havelian, Abbottabad, Qalandar Abad and Mansehra, the KKH has been blocked at multiple points by flash floods, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded in the water.

Heavy rain, coupled with thunder and hailstorms, has caused significant damage to electricity transmission lines and telecommunication systems across most parts of the Hazara division. Several link roads throughout the division have been cut off due to flash floods and landslides.

In Abbottabad city, once again flash floods, swept away furniture and household items in various parts of the city. Key roads such as KKH, Main Murree Road, Kakul Road, Mandian, Supply Bazaar and Link Road Abbottabad have turned into virtual cesspools.

Numerous thoroughfares and connecting roads in Galyat, Thandiani, Mansehra, Battagram and the Kaghan Valley have been destroyed by heavy rain, landslides, and flash floods.

In Mansehra, structural collapses and other incidents triggered by windstorms and heavy rain have been reported.

 

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A general view of the submerged houses, following rains and floods during the monsoon season, in Dera Allah Yar, Jafferabad, Pakistan August 30, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

Future-proofing Pakistan's development pathways: From recovery to resilience

Imagine a Pak that not only survives crises but thrives despite them; where floods don't devastate but spark solutions

Kanni Wignaraja
April 22, 2024

Pakistan knows crisis and adversity. Yet, recent years have seen an intensity in the country's multidimensional socio-economic and climatic challenges: climate and environmental shocks as witnessed in the 2022 floods, economic pressures with an increased debt overhang, a challenging security landscape, all happening within a context of a political transition.

Being among the 10 countries most affected by climate change (while contributing less than one per cent to greenhouse gas emissions), the impact of these pressure points will not diminish easily.

Now, imagine a Pakistan that not only survives crises but thrives despite them. A nation where, for instance, floods don't devastate livelihoods but spark innovative solutions instead. This isn't a distant dream, but a very real possibility.

The key lies in building up resilience. This may be a somewhat overused term, so what would it take? The choice to invest more intentionally in prevention and preparedness, even amidst fiscal constraints, shift policies and capabilities from reactive measures towards proactive solutions. It calls for more coordinated and integrated approaches, given the interconnected nature of the world's contemporary crises. This takes leadership that persists to reform the public sector as well as the private sector, and to work across vertical management lines and traditional sector spaces. The cost of limited action, or worse still, inaction, is staggering. The 2022 floods caused $30 billion in damage and pushed nearly nine million people into poverty. Investing in resilience can break this cycle.

There is no easy way forward, and no policymaker, business nor civil society organiser expects one. The 2024 UNDP Human Development Report ranks Pakistan 164th out of 193 countries in the 'low development' category on the Human Development Index, a key metric assessing a nation's progress in improving its citizens' well-being. The country lags behind most of its South Asian peers on some critical development measures, such as gender equality, multidimensional poverty, inequality and environmental sustainability. With national forecasts projecting a modest growth outlook, and carrying a heavy debt burden, it is not a leap to say that Pakistan's current challenges have derailed its own SDG ambitions.

With less than six years left to 2030, UNDP's Integrated SDG Insights Report 2023 for Pakistan shows that the country is on track to achieve 35 out of 169 SDG targets. With an annual SDG financing gap of US$3.72 billion, Pakistan would need to spend 16 per cent of its annual GDP to achieve all the SDGs by 2030.

To accelerate SDG progress by 2030, the country would need to consider targeted high-intensity economic reforms and accelerator pathways, some of which are already underway. Expanding the tax revenue base, and preventing tax avoidance and leakages is one path. Another is long-term sustainable and efficient debt management through innovative financing solutions, such as debt swaps, and reducing the debt service burden that is currently untenable. Pakistan spends more on debt servicing each year than it does on public health and education today. A third, is expanding a fair playing field for private sector investments to thrive. A competitively diverse base of businesses will be critical to creating new jobs, expanding tech usage and digital access, and deepening the industrial and services base for a more inclusive progress. And finally, as Pakistan is doing, to urge global attention to its climate action needs with more affordable climate finance. These pathways cannot take off and thrive without the accompanying requisite governance reforms.

Pakistan's lift out of the 'low-income country' category, taking along almost 250 million people, is no doubt a difficult one, but the moment to do so is now. A newly elected government has a unique opportunity to rewrite Pakistan's narrative and rally international partners in the process of moving from recovery to resilience. Following the 2022 floods, the international community mobilised in solidarity with Pakistan, pledging nearly $11 billion (with close to 70 per cent of that amount received) for the implementation of a national Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF). This, coupled with a national economic recovery plan, provides a sound basis for furthering reforms and implementing development actions.

UNDP Pakistan and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), with other development actors and partners in Pakistan, have been engaged in such initiatives, which must build on a solid, hopefully irreversible, commitment to reforms as the foundation for a future-proof Pakistan. These collective efforts include:

- Ensuring that institutional capabilities, particularly at sub-national levels, are as resilient as the people they serve in the face of inevitable reoccurring crises. This includes investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, and early warning systems, and expanding the skills and livelihoods base in productive sectors.

- Economic reforms that are people-centred, including those on taxation, sustainable debt management, and opening up new private sector investments. A concrete application is investments in digital transformation of public services and local businesses, to reach more people otherwise left behind.

- Changing the development financing mix for the future. UNDP's SDG Investment and Climate Finance Facility has identified bankable projects worth $8.8 billion that look ahead and are quality-assured, as a springboard for sustainable growth. Along with JS Bank, we are testing a model of co-investing in micro and small businesses, with blended financing, for environmentally sustainable economic opportunities.

The Pakistan 2024 National Human Development Report "Doing Digital for Development", to be launched this week, focuses on digital transformation, as one way to connect the recovery-to-resilience dots and strengthen the rebound capabilities of individuals, communities and the institutions that serve them. For a country where more than half of the population (54.3 per cent) still do not have access to the internet, digital inclusion and transformation will be key to accelerating the country's path to sustainable development. It can also bring the other half of the population in and improve Pakistan's overall HDI ranking.

Strong political will behind the necessary policy and governance reforms will pave the way. People's ability to innovate, connect and strive for hope and a better future for themselves and their children will do the rest. UNDP accompanies Pakistan on this journey in the search and application of bold new pathways to progress, where everyone thrives and not just survives.

 

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Death toll reaches 22 in Balochistan amid heavy rain

Saleem Shahid
April 28, 2024

QUETTA: Heavy rains, thunderstorms, and hailstones continued to lash various districts of Balochistan, including its capital, on Saturday, pushing the death toll to 22.

The Quetta valley received heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hailstones throughout the day with short intervals, resulting in flooding of the main roads and streets.

Numerous houses were washed away in the flash floods that also caused massive traffic blockade in different areas.

A huge tanker carrying liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Iran overturned and fell into a seasonal stream as floodwater submerged parts of the Quetta-Taftan highway in Noshki district. The flash flood pushed the tanker away from the main highway, causing the driver to lose control, with the result that it steered into the stream. However, the driver and other people in the vehicle managed to flee to safety.

Downpour worsens flood risks in province; main roads submerged in Quetta

Bolan River, Nari Gaj-Mula River, and other seasonal rivers were carrying heavy floodwater as their catchment areas were also receiving rains.

Temperature dropped in Ziarat, Quetta, Kalat, Kan Mehtarzai, Pishin, and some other areas of northern Balochistan, forcing people to turn on their gas heaters to keep their houses warm and to wear warm clothes.

Ziarat, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Sherani, Khanozai, Harnai, Sibi, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, Jhal Magsi, Dera Murad Jamali, Kharan, Chagai, Noshki, Washuk, Chaman, Mach, and many other areas also received heavy showers.

The provincial capital, which was badly affected during the last two spells of rains, once again witnessed urban flooding. The overnight heavy rain had caused massive destruction not only in low-lying localities but also in main parts of Quetta.

Almost all roads in the main city, including Jinnah Road, Kandahari Bazaar, Liaquat Road, Prince Road, Zarghoon Road, Sirki Road, and Gawalmandi, were submerged by knee-deep rainwater.

Meanwhile, the meteorological department has predicted more rains with thunderstorms and lightning in different areas of Balochistan, including Quetta.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2024

 

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At least 143 killed in Pakistan's unusually heavy April rains

• Country see a rainfall increase of 164% above normal levels in April, says MET spokesperson

A general view of an overflowing Jhelum River after heavy rainfall in Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir on April 29, 2024. Photo: AFP

AFP
April 30, 2024

ISLAMABAD: At least 143 people died in Pakistan from lightning strikes and other storm-related incidents in April, with the country receiving more than twice as much rain as usual for the month, officials said Tuesday.

April brought flash floods, landslides and inclement weather that caused houses to collapse in some areas and destroyed crops in others.

Pakistan saw a rainfall "increase of 164 percent above the normal levels in April, which is very unusual", said Zaheer Ahmad Babar, spokesperson for the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

"We've observed these erratic weather patterns as a direct result of climate change," he told AFP.

Pakistan is increasingly vulnerable to unpredictable weather, as well as often-destructive monsoon rains that usually arrive in July.

The largest death toll for April was in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 83 people died, including 38 children, and where more than 3,500 homes have been damaged.

"The fatalities resulted from roof collapse and landslide incidents," Anwar Shahzad, spokesman for the province's disaster management authority, told AFP on Tuesday.

In some northern parts of Punjab, the country's most populous province, harvests of wheat, a staple food, were spoiled by hailstorms.

Environmental expert Maryam Shabbir Abbasi told AFP that overall weather patterns had shifted by "about a month and a half, and we should shift our calendars for the agriculture sector accordingly to avoid damages caused by unprecedented rainfall".

Officials earlier this month said several people, including farmers harvesting wheat, were killed by lightning in Punjab, and that a total of 21 people were killed in different rain-related incidents.

Another 21 deaths were reported in Balochistan province in April, including seven people who were struck by lightning, with rain disrupting life in some districts and causing school closures.

In parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, 14 people were killed, and at least four were killed in road accidents linked to floods in southern Sindh province.

In the summer of 2022, a third of Pakistan was submerged by unprecedented monsoon rains that displaced millions of people and cost the country $30 billion in damages and economic losses, according to a World Bank estimate.

As several parts of the country were battered by heavy rains this month, Karachi, the largest city, experienced its hottest day of the year on Sunday, with temperatures soaring to 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit).