KARACHI: Building more dams and enhancing the country’s forest cover are two vital steps Pakistan must immediately take to counter the growing threat of climate change.

This was stated by Dr Ghulam Rasul, the Director General of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a programme held to mark the World Meteorological Day at the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics on Thursday.

“Right now, the country has a low water storing capacity which we must enhance by building more dams and properly maintaining the already existing reservoirs.

“This will not only save the nation from recurring floods, but help us meet our water and electricity requirements,” he explained, appreciating government campaigns for increasing forest cover.

Forests, he pointed out, were a precious asset and investing in trees was like investing in human life and its survival. “Their benefits are countless: they reduce temperature; absorb carbon; release oxygen; prevent floods; increase rain and above all, create an ecosystem that provides food for birds and other animals. But, it takes time — at least a decade — after their plantation to see their impact.”

Longer summers

To a question, he said undoubtedly the period of spring season had reduced as summers now remain for a longer period.

“We are experiencing prolonged summers, delayed winters followed by brief spring. For some years, the snowfall period has shifted from December-February to February-March. But, fortunately, this year we had snowfall in January, which will replenish our resources as snow melting will start by end of April,” he said, adding that though snowfall only lasted for a month, it was 15pc more this year.

On the possibility of a heatwave this year in Karachi, he said it was too early to predict as there was ‘high variability in weather trends’.

“What is important is to have an efficient early-warning system, on which we are working. The PMD is going to sign accords with France and Oman to exchange expertise and strengthen weather forecast and early-warning systems. A proposal to replace old radars and install new ones and establish automatic weather stations has also been submitted to the government,” he said.

Smoggy winter

When asked about the smog and prolonged fog experienced this winter, he said trans-boundary pollution had become a big issue and Pakistan should take up this issue at international forums if research indicated that pollution was coming from another country.

According to the information shared during the event, high-resolution future climate scenarios for the country indicate notable changes in the basic climate parameters and the long-term trend of mean temperature over Pakistan shows a warming of 1.16 degree centigrade, which is more than the global warming trend.

Pakistan, it was stated, had some of the oldest met observatories in the region, a few of them dating back to the 1860s. The oldest one, however, was set up in Manora, Karachi, in 1856. Other old stations, totalling 19 in number, are located across Pakistan which included areas like Sibi, Cherat, Kalat, Pasni and Dalbandin.

The number of old and new observatories now stands at 67.

Speaking on this year’s World Meteoro­logical Day theme of ‘Understanding clouds’, chief meteorologist Abdul Rashid said clouds played an important role in regulating the earth’s energy balance, climate and weather.

On this day, he said, the World Meteorological Organisation had published an updated International Cloud Atlas, the single most authoritative and comprehensive reference for identifying clouds.

Former PMD director Mohammad Muslehuddin underscored the need for sharing the climate knowledge provided by PMD, with government agencies and civil society for more comprehensive action against climate change.

Country manager of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development-Pakistan Dr Abdul Wahid Jasra also spoke at the event.

The ceremony was followed by an exhibition featuring meteorological instruments including various types of thermometers, a whirling hygrometer for measuring humidity, a nephoscope for measuring cloud velocity, altitude and direction, siphon rain gauge and anemometer (a device for measuring wind speed). Many of the instruments, according to the PMD staff, were obsolete and had been replaced by modern gadgets.

Visitors were also briefed on the PMD weather forecast and seismic network system.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2017