STAFF REPORT ISB: UNESCO, PCRWR and PMD have jointly organised a two-day international workshop aimed at setting up a common understanding and direction for river modelling data requirements.


The workshop is part of the UNESCOs Strategic Strengthening of Flood Early Warning and Management Capacity of Pakistan” Project, phase 2 which was launched in March 2015.


Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata, who was the chief guest, commended the immense efforts of UNESCO, PCRWR, JICA for their efforts.


He said that the workshop will further accelerate efforts for improving Strategic Strengthening of Flood Warning and Management Capacity Project.


In his remarks, Dr. Shahbaz Khan, Director, UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, though capacity of Pakistan Meteorology Department (PMD) is enhanced but it needs further support to enhance flood forecasting capacity in the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej Rivers.


These rivers have trans-boundary catchments which can use satellite based rainfall estimates developed under phase-I of the flood project to improve forecasting ability. Phase-II of this project will focus on the Eastern Rivers of Pakistan.


JICA Representative Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki said that JICA is contributing to the Grant Aid (GA) Project through UNESCO to protect and mitigate flood damages since 2011 through developing Indus IFAS (Integrated Flood Analysis System) Models.


Dr. Ghulam Rasool, Director General PMD, expressed that till 1991, there was only one weather radar in Pakistan, and during 90s Government of Japan assisted PMD to deploy further three (3) radars, which are very crucial in predicting the monsoon floods.

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