ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued a winter alert, stating that the cold season would be more intense this year.
The authority is expecting above-average snowfall in Gilgit Baltistan and other northern areas.
NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik also forecast an increase in monsoon rains of 22 to 26 percent in 2026.
Climate Change Minister Dr. Musadik Malik underlined that climate-driven disasters must be treated as a political priority.
He said, flooding has affected at least 4.7 million people in more than 4,700 villages in Punjab alone.
Dr. Malik briefed reporters on the government’s preparedness strategy after a detailed meeting presided over 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 program to construct more resilient infrastructure.
He added that the government will integrate early warning systems at the district and tehsil levels so that the local authorities get the alerts first, which would ensure better response times before extreme weather events.
Pakistan has suffered from major floods since 2010. The 2022 disaster caused losses exceeding nine percent of GDP and resulted in thousands of deaths.
