ISLAMABAD, May 16: A consultative meeting between five countries of the region, including India, China and Pakistan, is being held in Katmandu from May 19 to 21, to explore the possibility of forging regional cooperation on sharing of meteorological data.

A delegation comprising meteorological office director general and federal flood commission chairman will leave for Katmandu on May 17 to participate in the conference.

The initiative of establishing Hydrological Cycle Observation System (Hycos) has been taken by World Meteorological Organization.

The outcome of the conference would depend on the response of the regional countries, Flood Commission Chairman Riaz Ahmed Khan told Dawn.

Mr Khan said presently the commission had to ask the Indian government for data about rains and snowfall in the catchment areas of rivers flowing into Pakistan from India. After the establishment of this organization the data would be automatically transferred much in advance, he said.

He said a website would be established with the supply of data from the countries.

The establishment of Hycos would help the regional countries to make proper arrangements in advance to mitigate the damages of floods.