China and UNDP have launched the 'Tailored Intelligence for Actionable Early Warning Systems' (TIAEWS) project for Pakistan. The initiative aims to strengthen Pakistan's capacity to anticipate and respond to climate change impacts and become more resilient.
As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, Pakistan faces increasing threats from extreme weather events, including glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). The rapid melting of glaciers in the country’s northern region has resulted in the formation of over 3,000 such lakes, 33 of which are at high risk of sudden flooding.
More than 7m people in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions remain at risk, making robust early warning systems an urgent priority for protecting communities, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.
Chinese Embassy in Islamabad minister counsellor Yang Guangyuan said, “China recognises its historical responsibility in addressing the climate change crisis and has consistently taken the lead in supporting our partners.
UNDP Pakistan resident representative Dr Samuel Rizk said, “Building on UNDP Pakistan’s previous efforts through the GLOF-II and Glaciers and Students projects – that focused on early warning systems, glacier protection, and community resilience - TIAEWS presents a significant step forward in scaling up these initiatives to build a more climate-resilient Pakistan. This project will ensure that vulnerable communities not only receive life-saving alerts but also understand and act upon them.”
The TIAEWS project will strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities in Gilgit-Baltistan by improving their ability to anticipate and respond to natural hazards. It will establish 70 automatic weather stations, 70 hydrometric stations and 70 warning posts, creating a robust early warning infrastructure.
The project will focus on three major areas: developing an integrated data management system for early warnings, strengthening community awareness and disaster preparedness and improving governance and coordination for effective dissemination of critical warnings.