Pakistan installs 286 early warning systems across 24 valleys in KP, GB

ISLAMABAD, Aug 16 (APP):Pakistan is installing 286 early warning systems across 24 vulnerable valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the $37 million GLOF-II project, as the government moves to strengthen preparedness against glacial lake outburst floods and other climate-related hazards.

According to a document available with Wealth Pakistan, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) has undertaken a series of initiatives focused on early warning systems, GLOF risk reduction and glacier preservation.

Of the 24 valleys covered under GLOF-II, 18 are in Gilgit-Baltistan and six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The document puts the total cost of the project at $37 million.

The operationalisation and handing over of early warning systems installed under GLOF-II to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) is also among the initiatives listed by the ministry.

To strengthen the institutional mechanism for addressing GLOF risks, a Technical Committee on GLOF Risk Reduction was established in May 2026. The ministry also submitted a Regional Glaciers Preservation Initiative to the PMO in August 2025. According to the document, the initiative proposes scaling up adaptation finance, strengthening regional cooperation and data sharing, deploying satellite monitoring and advanced sensors, expanding multi-hazard early warning systems, and promoting nature-based and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Apart from GLOF-II, five early warning systems are covered under the Sustainable Action for Ecosystem Restoration in Pakistan (SAFER) project — four in Gilgit-Baltistan and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The document puts their cost at $1.86 million out of the project’s total $10 million cost.

Another two early warning systems are covered under the Buner and Shangla project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with one system each for Buner and Shangla districts. Their cost is listed at $0.45 million out of the project’s total cost of $9 million.

The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) project, meanwhile, includes an assessment of all early warning systems installed across the country. The document puts the cost of this component at $1.4 million out of the project’s $2.9 million cost.

The document also lists the UNDP-Tailored Intelligence for Actionable Early Warning System (TIAEWS) among the initiatives being pursued in this area.

Together, the initiatives cover early warning infrastructure, assessment of existing systems, glacier monitoring, institutional coordination and measures aimed at strengthening preparedness against climate-related hazards.