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ISLAMABAD, Oct 07 (APP):The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has launched an initiative to upgrade the country’s early flood warning and weather forecasting network.
The initiative titled “Modernization of Hydromet Services of Pakistan (MHSP)” has been launched under the World Bank-funded Integrated Flood Resilience Adaptation Project (IFRAP), said a press release.
The project aims to strengthen climate resilience by improving the PMD’s capacity to generate, interpret, and disseminate reliable hydrometeorological information.
According to documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the plan includes the installation of 110 Automatic Weather Stations, four Fixed Weather Surveillance Radars, and a High-Performance Computing System.
The project also covers engagement of System Integrator and Radar Consultancy firms, upgradation of the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics and the Meteorological Workshop in Karachi, modernization of observatories, establishment of Regional Climate Data Processing Centres, and formulation of a National Framework for Climate Services and a National Hydromet Policy.
Led by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, the MHSP is designed to improve flood forecasting, early warning systems, and climate risk management.
In terms of financing, the project has been allocated PKR2,998.6 million under the FY2025–26 Public Sector Development Programme. For the current quarter, the financial requirement stands at PKR206 million, while expenditure for FY2025–26 so far is PKR32.78 million. This brings total spending since the start of the project to PKR312.78 million.
As of September 2025, significant technical progress has been reported. The procurement process for AWS has been finalized, and contract signing is expected soon. Financial proposals for the System Integrator Consultancy have been opened and evaluated, while technical evaluation for the Radar Consultancy is in progress.
The procurement of Weather Surveillance Radars has reached an advanced stage and is awaiting the World Bank’s approval of finalized technical specifications. A civil works consultancy firm has been engaged since March 2025, and bids for the upgradation of the IMG and the Meteorological Workshop are under technical evaluation.
The PMD has also sought tax exemptions and proposed supplementary funding of USD42 million, including USD18.21 million for duties and taxes, USD13.79 million due to increased market costs, and USD10 million to fill the financing gap.
A senior Planning Ministry official told Wealth Pakistan that once completed, the MHSP will mark a key milestone in Pakistan’s disaster preparedness and climate resilience, providing timely and precise weather forecasts essential for agriculture, water resource management, and disaster risk reduction across the country.