ISLAMABAD: Due to rising temperatures and predicted heavy rainfall, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a warning on Wednesday regarding the possibility of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in the mountainous regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan.
According to the weather authority, this is probably going to cause landslides, flash flooding, and higher water levels in nearby rivers and streams.
The NDMA has ordered the Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to work with pertinent ministries to guarantee the required preparations and emergency response measures.
Furthermore, departments have been directed to carry out their assigned responsibilities in order to notify nearby communities, visitors, and travelers in the areas that are under danger. Avoiding needless travel has also been recommended to both locals and visitors.Notably, over the past few years, a large number of glaciers in Gilgit Baltistan’s mountainous regions have melted. Millions of cubic meters of water are being stored in newly formed glacial lakes as a result of the glaciers melting. These lakes carry a risk of flash floods, which are typically prevented by dams made of loose rock and dirt.
In 2022, floods brought on by massive monsoon rains and glacial melt in the northern mountains claimed the lives of almost 1,700 people. Of the 220 million persons in the population, 33 million were affected.
