JICA’s contribution also includes the establishment of a data center to enhance the country’s early flood warning system, managed by the PMD.
Pakistan to procure weather monitoring system from Japan. The government has finalized an agreement with Japan to procure and install 45 telemetry stations and five automatic weather stations, aiming to enhance flood forecasting and weather monitoring systems. The project, costing an estimated Rs5.2 billion, will be implemented over two and a half years.
The number of weather monitoring stations is expected to increase to 110, with 84 sites shortlisted in Punjab and 26 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will provide Rs4.11 billion (around 80% of the project’s cost), while the remaining Rs1.01 billion will be covered by Wapda, the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), and provincial irrigation departments.
JICA’s contribution also includes the establishment of a data center to enhance the country’s early flood warning system, managed by the PMD.
The Rs5.2 billion project entails the installation of 45 telemetry stations and five automatic weather stations, along with the improvement of a 1,543-meter flood protection infrastructure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has already approved the Rs5.178 billion “Project for Flood Management Enhancement in the Indus Basin,” which will cover flood-prone districts including Attock, Gujranwala, Jhang, Jhelum, and Sialkot in Punjab, as well as Haripur in KP.
JICA will appoint supervisory consultants to oversee the project’s execution and operation, while the FFC, as the administrative agency, will monitor progress and submit monthly reports to stakeholders, including JICA. The project is part of a broader Rs200 billion Flood Protection Programme, jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, with international lender support.
Following field visits by a JICA technical team last year, 45 out of 110 sites were selected for the flood telemetry stations. These stations will provide real-time flood flow data and improve early flood warning capabilities, allowing reservoirs to manage excess water more effectively by flushing out surplus water in advance.
The project will also support the optimal operation of existing hydropower projects and future developments within the Indus Cascade. The telemetry stations will collect real-time data on rainfall, river levels, flow rates, temperature, humidity, and other parameters. This data will feed into a unified digital monitoring system, water data management, and a decision support system, allowing for more precise water resource management at key locations such as Tarbela, Mangla, and Kabul.
The advanced technology, sourced from Japan, will include data loggers, temperature and humidity probes, rain gauges, solar radiation equipment, wind speed and direction sensors, and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP). The benefits of this project, which include saving lives, property, and livestock, far exceed financial costs and will help minimize panic during sudden floods in vulnerable areas.
The project will also assist the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) in launching faster rescue and relief operations, reducing human errors during flood emergencies.
