Pakistan launches project to upgrade early flood warning system

• 110 new automatic weather stations to be installed nationwide.
• 4 weather surveillance radars to improve forecasting accuracy.
• PMD seeks $42m supplementary funding for project expansion.
  

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has launched a major initiative to modernise the country’s early flood warning and weather forecasting systems under the World Bank-funded Integrated Flood Resilience Adaptation Project (IFRAP).

The project, titled "Modernisation of Hydromet Services of Pakistan (MHSP)", aims to strengthen the country’s climate resilience by enhancing PMD’s capacity to generate, analyse, and disseminate reliable hydrometeorological data, stated a press release.

According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the plan includes the installation of 110 Automatic Weather Stations, four Fixed Weather Surveillance Radars, and a High-Performance Computing System.

The project also entails hiring System Integrator and Radar Consultancy firms, upgrading the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (IMG) and the Meteorological Workshop in Karachi, modernising observatories, establishing Regional Climate Data Processing Centres, and formulating both a National Framework for Climate Services and a National Hydromet Policy.

Led by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, the MHSP is designed to enhance flood forecasting, early warning systems, and climate risk management mechanisms nationwide.

The project has been allocated Rs2,998.6 million under the FY2025–26 Public Sector Development Programme. For the current quarter, Rs206 million has been earmarked, while total expenditure so far for FY2025–26 stands at Rs32.78 million, bringing cumulative spending since inception to Rs312.78 million.

As of September 2025, significant technical progress has been achieved. The procurement process for Automatic Weather Stations has been finalised, and contract signing is expected shortly. Financial proposals for the System Integrator Consultancy have been opened and evaluated, while technical assessment for the Radar Consultancy is under way.

Procurement of Weather Surveillance Radars has reached an advanced stage and is awaiting the World Bank’s approval of the finalised technical specifications. A civil works consultancy firm has been engaged since March 2025, and bids for upgrading the IMG and the Meteorological Workshop are under technical evaluation.

The PMD has also sought tax exemptions and proposed supplementary funding of USD 42 million — comprising USD 18.21 million for duties and taxes, USD 13.79 million for increased market costs, and USD 10 million to fill the financing gap.

A senior Planning Ministry official told Wealth Pakistan that upon completion, the MHSP will represent a major milestone in Pakistan’s disaster preparedness and climate resilience — enabling more accurate, timely forecasts crucial for agriculture, water resource management, and disaster risk reduction nationwide.