The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued an advisory warning of an escalating drought risk amidst significant rainfall deficits in three provinces.
Noting an earlier drought advisory issued on Dec. 9, 2024, the PMD said a recent rainfall spell had failed to yield significant rainfall in plains areas, aggravating the drought conditions. “Below normal rainfall (-40%) across Pakistan has been received from Sept. 1, 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025 across the country,” it said.
The greatest shortfall of 52% was observed in Sindh, with Balochistan recording a 45% shortfall and Punjab 42%.
According to the PMD, various regions are facing mild drought conditions. In Punjab, the affected areas are the Potohar region (Attock, Chakwal, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad), Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Rajanpur, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and Dera Ghazi Khan.
In Sindh, “mild meteorological drought” has emerged in most areas of Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Padidan, Sukkur, Khairpur, Tharparkar, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin and Karachi. In Balochistan, mild drought conditions are visible in Ormara, Kharan, Turbat, Kech, Panjgur, Awaran, Lasbella, Nokkundi, Dalbandin and adjacent areas.
“The ongoing drought conditions are likely to aggravate further as no significant rainfall is expected in rain-fed areas of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan,” the PMD has warned, noting it expects the dry spell to persist through March. “The above normal temperatures forecast may favor the turning of mild drought conditions to moderate drought, especially in the rain-fed areas of country,” it added.
Noting the PMD’s National Drought Monitoring and Early Warning Center was continuously monitoring the situation, the advisory warned the emergence of flash drought was also anticipated in upcoming months due to the lasting rainfall deficit and increasing temperatures in months to come.
The PMD has advised all stakeholders to take preemptive measures for drought prone areas.