‘Weather observatories need restoration’

Islamabad : Almost 48 per cent of the government observatories still need complete restoration after devastating floods last year due to which flood-hit weather monitoring stations are likely to impair weather forecasting and flood warning capacity of the relevant departments.

According to a Post-Disaster Needs Assessment Report, an expanded environmental recovery strategy is required to achieve an appreciable level of resilience to climate change induced disasters and check the pace of environmental degradation and pollution.

“Such a strategy should be aligned with the government’s stated environmental strategies and policy objectives for ecological restoration such as the “Living Indus Initiative.” This broader environmental resilience strategy has an estimated cost of at least Rs390 billion. Its three main components are: (i) ecosystem-based restoration and adaptation in vulnerable landscapes and watersheds (Rs172 billion) (ii) pollution reduction and waste management (Rs140 billion) and (iii) strengthening environmental governance (Rs78 billion).

It pointed out that “Forestry accounts for approximately 60 per cent of total environmental damages and almost 99 percent of losses. Sindh sustained the highest damage in the forest sector, amounting to Rs1.8 billion, representing 77 per cent of total forest damages.”

“Damages from landslides and soil erosion in residential areas represent 29 per cent of total environmental damages. Protected areas, wildlife, and infrastructure in national parks account for around 11 per cent of overall damages,” it said.

The recovery needs strengthening hazard mapping, monitoring, and early warning systems; mainstreaming disaster risk reduction, disaster risk management, and climate resilience in planning systems and processes; and upgrading evacuation shelters and warehousing.