PMD Launches Project to Modernise Flood Warning System

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has embarked on a major modernisation drive to upgrade the country’s flood warning and weather forecasting systems under the World Bank-funded Integrated Flood Resilience Adaptation Project (IFRAP).

The initiative — titled Modernisation of Hydromet Services of Pakistan (MHSP) — is designed to strengthen climate resilience by enhancing the PMD’s ability to generate, analyse, and disseminate reliable hydrometeorological data, according to a press release.

Official documents reviewed by Wealth Pakistan show that the plan includes the installation of 110 Automatic Weather Stations, four Fixed Weather Surveillance Radars, and a High-Performance Computing System.

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

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

The government has allocated Rs2,998.6 million for the project under the FY2025–26 Public Sector Development Programme. Of this, Rs206 million has been earmarked for the current quarter, while cumulative spending since inception has reached Rs312.78 million.

By September 2025, significant technical progress had been achieved: the procurement process for Automatic Weather Stations had been finalised, with contract signing expected soon. Financial proposals for the System Integrator Consultancy have been evaluated, and the technical assessment for Radar Consultancy is in progress.

Procurement of Weather Surveillance Radars has reached an advanced stage and awaits final approval from the World Bank. Meanwhile, a civil works consultancy firm has been engaged since March 2025, and bids for upgrading the IMG and Meteorological Workshop are under technical evaluation.

The PMD has also requested tax exemptions and supplementary funding of USD 42 million, including USD 18.21 million for duties and taxes, USD 13.79 million for increased market costs, and USD 10 million to cover the financing gap.

A senior official at the Planning Ministry told Wealth Pakistan that once completed, the MHSP would mark a major milestone in Pakistan’s disaster preparedness and climate resilience efforts — enabling more accurate, timely forecasts crucial for agriculture, water management, and disaster risk reduction.