ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: The National Disaster Management Authority warned on Monday that there were chances of urban flooding in Karachi and Hyderabad in the coming days because of global warming and the fast-changing weather and monsoon patterns.

Briefing newsmen on the 'flood situation during the current rainfalls', NDMA Chairman Zafar Qadir said the weather patterns had changed and heavy rains might inundate Karachi and Hyderabad in the next few days.

He said the climate change had an impact on the monsoon pattern because it was shifting westwards closer to Indus basin, drifting away from the Indian state of Rajasthan.

According to scientific calculations and weather forecasts, he said, 'high to severe monsoon' was expected along the areas of Indus basin in the next 20 years.

Regarding NDMA's preparedness for the likely urban flooding, Mr Qadir said: “We are prepared for the extreme weather conditions and all our units in Karachi and Hyderabad are on alert to meet any challenge.”

He said the federal government had refused to accept any assistance from international donors because there was a question mark over the transparency of spending.

The NDMA chief said during last year's floods around $1.9 billion were pledged by international donors, but the money was mainly injected through UN agencies.

Approximately one-third area of the country came under floods in July last year when severe monsoon rains had hit Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and even Balochistan, affecting around 14 million people.

Commenting on the amount of money spent on flood victims in 2010, Mr Qadir said: “We have sent them (UN agencies) a pro forma to give us (government) information about the amount pledged and where the money has been spent. But, we have received reports about $400 million only from the UN offices concerned during the last six months.”

Answering a question, he insisted: “We are not blaming them (UN agencies), but want to know where the donations were spent.”