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Hina Durrani
ISLAMABAD, Nov 09 (APP): Residents of Islamabad have noticed a subtle yet significant change in the city’s winter mornings this year — less frequent dew formation and reduced visibility, indicating ongoing shifts in the region’s climate patterns.
According to meteorologists and environmental experts, early morning dew — once a common feature during the capital’s cooler months — has been forming less frequently in recent winters. This decline, combined with persistent fog and haze, is not only affecting visibility but also signaling changes in temperature, humidity, and air circulation.
Talking to APP, Dr. Tahir Khan, Director at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), explained that dew forms on surfaces when ground temperatures drop significantly, a process known as ground-level inversion.
“Moisture in the air condenses into liquid droplets when the ground cools sufficiently,” he explained.
He added that rapid urbanization in the capital is contributing to the reduction in dew formation.
“With increasing cemented surfaces and reduced vegetation, ground temperatures no longer drop low enough to support dew formation,” Dr. Khan noted. “Earlier, Islamabad was known for its greenery and serene environment, which naturally encouraged dew formation. Now, in areas where urbanization has expanded, dew can no longer form as easily.”
Dr. Khan further highlighted that large-scale deforestation in Islamabad has disrupted the local ecosystem.
“Many native bird species have disappeared, pollution levels have risen, and the ecological balance has been disturbed. Urbanization, if unplanned, brings adverse environmental consequences,” he cautioned.
He emphasized the need for planned urban development to protect the environment and preserve agricultural land.
“Agricultural areas are shrinking as developers purchase fertile land to build housing societies and farmhouses,” he said. “We must adopt vertical construction models — like China — to conserve agricultural land. China has learned from its environmental challenges and is now actively working to restore its ecosystems. Pakistan should follow a similar approach to safeguard its environment, ecosystem, and agricultural resources for future generations,” he concluded.
Syed Munir Ahmed, a well-known environmentalist and climate change advocacy expert, who is the Founder and Executive Director of Devcom-Pakistan — an organization that has launched several environmental conservation and climate advocacy initiatives, including the Pakistan Green Initiative, Green Neighbourhood Campaign, Pakistan Mountain Festival, and Pakistan Environmental Awards and Conference on Best Environmental Practices — told APP that in recent years, Islamabad has been experiencing a noticeable decline in early-morning dew, and its impacts are far more serious than most people realize.
According to him, reduced dew formation directly affects soil moisture, especially the thin top layer that nourishes local grasses, shrubs, and seedlings.
“Dew has always acted as a natural micro-irrigation system. Many native plants, ground vegetation, and even small birds depend on this early-morning moisture for hydration. When dew decreases, the soil dries faster, stressing plants and forcing birds to fly longer distances for water — particularly during prolonged dry spells,” he explained.
He added that the declining moisture may already be contributing to the drying of home gardens, lawns, forest floors, and undergrowth around the Margalla Hills.
“Residents often wonder why their lawns wilt despite regular watering. The answer lies partly in shrinking night-time humidity and warmer nocturnal temperatures. Margalla’s undergrowth, which depends heavily on dew during rain-short months, is thinning out — affecting insects, birds, and the entire food chain.”
Ahmed warned that Islamabad might be losing the natural cooling cycles that once defined its famously pleasant mornings.
“Our nights are warmer, humidity levels are shifting, and the cooling effect of dew is fading. These are subtle but powerful signs of a changing microclimate driven by rapid urbanization, unchecked emissions, and declining green cover,” he added.
Looking ahead, he emphasized the need for urgent ecological restoration.
“Increasing green cover, planting indigenous trees, and curbing emissions can help restore the local water balance and bring back some of these natural processes. Trees moderate temperatures, trap moisture, and help regulate dew formation. Cleaner air also improves the conditions necessary for these microclimatic cycles to function,” he advised.
He concluded by urging authorities and citizens alike to take the issue seriously.
“If we want to preserve Islamabad’s climate identity — its cool mornings, lush greenery, and rich biodiversity — we must restore our natural systems now. The revival of dew is just one small indicator of a much larger environmental balance that urgently needs our attention.”
Experts also warned that reduced visibility caused by fog and haze during early mornings increases the risk of road accidents and disrupts daily commuting. The problem is exacerbated by urbanization and air pollution, which trap particulates close to the ground during colder months.
Residents are advised to exercise caution during foggy mornings, while city planners are encouraged to increase green spaces and reduce emissions — measures that could help stabilize microclimatic conditions in the Capital.