ISLAMABAD, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan has launched a World Bank-backed project worth about 10 million U.S. dollars to modernize its early flood warning and weather forecasting system, aimed at boosting disaster preparedness and climate resilience, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported Tuesday.
The project, Modernization of Hydromet Services of Pakistan, is being implemented by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) under the Integrated Flood Resilience Adaptation Project. It will enhance the department's capacity to generate, interpret and share reliable hydrometeorological data.
The government has allocated 2.99 billion rupees (10.8 million dollars) for the initiative in the 2025-26 public sector development program. Plans include installing 110 automatic weather stations, four fixed weather radars and a high-performance computing system, along with upgrading training institutes, the agency said.
Procurement for weather stations has been finalized, while bidding for radar and consultancy services is underway. The PMD has also sought an additional 42 million dollars to cover taxes, rising costs and a financing gap.
The launch comes after one of Pakistan's deadliest monsoon seasons in years, which killed more than 1,000 people and inundated vast areas of farmland, according to the National Disaster Management Authority. ■
