Punjab and the federal government have agreed to establish a coordinated early warning system for forecasting extreme weather events, enhancing information-sharing and disaster response mechanisms ahead of the monsoon season. The agreement was reached during a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik in Lahore on Thursday.
Joint Early Warning System and Information Screens
The meeting decided that both governments would jointly develop an early warning system for predicting extreme weather events. It was also agreed to install centralised information screens across Punjab districts in collaboration with the federal government to disseminate weather alerts and emergency information. Authorities will begin coordinated action at least six hours before any anticipated extreme weather event. A proposal to establish climate and flood information screens at district and tehsil levels was also reviewed.
Punjab Climate Resilience Plan Presented
Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb presented the Punjab Climate and Disaster Resilience Plan 2026 and briefed the meeting on the province’s preparedness strategy. The plan includes a comprehensive three-year climate resilience strategy and the introduction of the country’s first climate-tagged budget. During the 2025 floods, around three million people and 2.5 million livestock were rescued.
Mock Exercises and Logistics Enhancement
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities to immediately begin mock exercises for monsoon and flood preparedness and instructed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to further strengthen coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). She ordered the issuance of timely advisories on expected rainfall and heatwave zones and called for controlled tourism during periods of extreme weather. The chief minister also directed officials to enhance district-level logistics for responding to floods and other natural disasters.
Past Success and Infrastructure Upgrades
Maryam Nawaz said that despite widespread flooding last year, the province had successfully prevented outbreaks of epidemics by ensuring the provision of medicines, food, clean drinking water, shelter and sanitation facilities to affected communities. She added that Clinics on Wheels and field hospitals had also been deployed in flood-hit areas. The provincial government had upgraded PDMA and Rescue 1122 on modern technical lines and was investing billions of rupees to increase water storage capacity. Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASA), once limited to Lahore, had now been established in every district, while each district had also been equipped with modern machinery and operational fleets to tackle urban flooding.
Climate Change Impact and Federal Support
Referring to the growing impact of climate change, the chief minister observed that the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events had increased significantly in recent years, making preparedness and coordinated planning more important than ever. Federal Minister Dr Musadik Malik praised the Punjab government’s efforts, saying the province had demonstrated effective governance in climate action, environmental protection and disaster management. He said even political opponents had acknowledged the government’s performance and expressed his willingness to work closely with the Punjab government on climate-related initiatives. The federal minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed all provincial governments to jointly implement climate adaptation measures under the federal government’s “Fix, Expand and Build” policy, assuring Punjab of full federal support.
Proactive Approach and Flood Protection Works
Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said timely decisions by the chief minister had helped avert a major disaster during last year’s floods. She said the government had adopted a proactive approach by placing all departments on alert well before the onset of the monsoon season. Officials briefed the meeting that all flood-damaged irrigation infrastructure had been restored, vulnerable locations had been mapped and barrage capacities enhanced. Heatwave alerts, mobile veterinary services, medicines, fodder and water supplies had also been deployed in vulnerable districts. The participants were informed that all provincial departments were working under a unified “One Government Flood Management” framework and that work on the Jalalpur Flood Protection Bund would be completed by July 31. Progress on the Nooraja Bhatta and Chandarban flood protection bunds was also reviewed.
NDMA Warning and Vulnerable Districts
The NDMA chairman told the meeting that Punjab had procured modern water-rescue drones and significantly strengthened district-level disaster preparedness. He warned that heavy rainfall in northern areas, accelerated snowmelt, cloudbursts and flash floods could increase flood risks during the monsoon season, while unusual rainfall was forecast for Chakwal, Talagang and the Potohar region. Officials also cautioned that flooding in the Chenab, Sutlej and Ravi rivers could intensify in the event of increased upstream water flows, while southern Punjab, including Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha and Mandi Bahauddin, remained among the districts most vulnerable to heatwaves. The meeting was informed that all climate-sensitive districts had already been issued advance warnings and that first responders, Rescue 1122, the military, NGOs and trained volunteers had been placed on alert for the monsoon season.
