Islamabad: Pakistan is installing 286 early warning systems across 24 vulnerable valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the USD 37 million GLOF-II project, as the government strengthens preparedness against glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other climate-related hazards.
According to information from the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, 18 of the valleys covered by the project are in GB and six are in KP. The systems are intended to improve monitoring and provide communities with timely warnings of potential GLOF events.
The GLOF-II project focuses on strengthening early warning infrastructure, reducing risks associated with glacial lake outbursts and improving climate resilience in vulnerable mountain communities. The systems installed under the project are also planned to be operationalised and handed over to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Pakistan faces significant risks from climate change, with rising temperatures contributing to glacier melt and increasing the threat posed by glacial lakes in the country’s northern regions. The UNDP estimates that more than seven million people in GB and KP are exposed to GLOF risks.
The government is also pursuing other initiatives to expand early warning and climate-monitoring capacity. These include systems under the Sustainable Action for Ecosystem Restoration in Pakistan (SAFER) project, as well as projects covering Buner and Shangla in KP. A national adaptation initiative is also assessing early warning systems installed across the country.
The measures are part of broader efforts to improve disaster preparedness, strengthen institutional coordination and protect vulnerable communities from increasingly frequent climate-related hazards.
The GLOF-II programme builds on earlier efforts to reduce risks from glacial lake outburst floods in northern Pakistan and strengthen the resilience of communities exposed to these hazards.
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