Don’t panic about a ‘super flood’, says Pakistani government adviser

The Tribune (Pakistan): While government officials are expecting a flood in Sindh, environment experts didn’t sound an alarmist note at a conference on Monday. According to environment experts and officials of the meteorological department, there was no chance of a ‘super flood’ in Pakistan, and that hardly five to 15% more rains than the normal monsoon had been predicted this year.

The conference titled ‘Climate change – basic understanding and current issues of Pakistan’ was organised by the Coastal Development Authority of the Sindh government. “There was 70% more rain than the normal monsoon season in 2010, but now it can enhance to 15%,” said Dr Ghulam Rasool, the deputy director of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Dr Qamaruzzaman Chaudhry, an adviser to the government on climate change, presented a paper titled ‘Climate change and Pakistan’s increasing vulnerability’ and also refuted statements by officials about the flood. “I do not understand who has created the fear-like situation. The snow has now started melting and they are predicting a flood. There is no prediction of a flood, but country will witness more rains than in a normal monsoon,” he said.

Dr Chaudhry, who is also the vice president of the World Meteorological Organisation-Asia Region, said that the government of Pakistan has started consulting with different stakeholders including federal ministries, provincial departments, non-governmental organisations and the civil society to prepare a national policy on climate change....