The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a winter alert on Wednesday, stating that while the number of winter days will remain unchanged, the cold season will be more intense this year.
The authority expects Gilgit Baltistan and other northern regions to receive higher than average snowfall. NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik also projected that monsoon rains in 2026 could intensify by 22 to 26 percent.
Minister for Climate Change Dr. Musadik Malik underscored the urgency of treating climate driven disasters as a political priority. He said this year’s flooding affected at least 4.7 million people in more than 4,700 villages in Punjab alone.
Since 2010, Pakistan has endured multiple major floods, including the 2022 disaster that caused losses exceeding nine percent of GDP and resulted in thousands of deaths. Dr. Malik briefed reporters on the government’s preparedness strategy following a detailed meeting chaired by the prime minister.
He said the plan includes a short term phase focused on repairing damaged flood protection structures, a one to three year expansion phase to upgrade undersized drainage systems, and a long term programme to build more resilient infrastructure.
He added that the government will integrate early warning systems at the district and tehsil levels so local authorities receive alerts first, improving response times ahead of severe weather events.
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