NDMA Chairman Reviews Monsoon Preparedness in Gilgit-Baltistan on PM’s Directions

On the directions of the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority visited the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority to review monsoon season preparedness, with a focus on flash floods, glacial lake outburst National Disaster Management Authority s, and tourist safety.

The Chairman of Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) visited the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority on the directions of the Prime Minister, conducting a comprehensive review of the region’s readiness ahead of this year’s monsoon season. The visit comes as authorities across Pakistan intensify preparations for what is expected to be another challenging monsoon period, particularly in the country’s mountainous northern regions.

A Region Vulnerable to Monsoon Hazards

Gilgit-Baltistan, home to some of the world’s highest peaks and largest glacier concentrations outside the polar regions, faces a distinct set of climate-related risks during the monsoon season. The region’s steep terrain, glacial systems, and dense network of rivers make it particularly susceptible to flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) — a phenomenon in which a glacial lake’s natural dam suddenly fails, releasing a massive, fast-moving surge of water and debris downstream.

Pakistan has experienced a marked increase in climate-related disasters in recent years, with scientists pointing to rising temperatures accelerating glacial melt and increasing the frequency and severity of extreme rainfall events. The catastrophic floods of 2022, which submerged roughly one-third of the country and displaced millions, underscored the scale of destruction such events can cause. Gilgit-Baltistan, along with neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is considered one of the regions most exposed to GLOF risk, with hundreds of glacial lakes identified as potentially hazardous by disaster management authorities and international monitoring bodies.

Compounding these risks, Gilgit-Baltistan is also one of Pakistan’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing large numbers of domestic and international visitors during the summer months — precisely when monsoon-related hazards are at their peak. This overlap between peak tourism season and heightened disaster risk has made visitor safety a growing priority for disaster management authorities in the region.

Reviewing Preparedness and Resources

During the visit, the NDMA Chairman was briefed in detail on advance preparations, contingency planning, and the availability of resources at the local level. Officials presented a comprehensive review of measures in place to address flash floods, urban and riverine flooding, landslides, and GLOFs — the range of hazards most likely to affect the region during the monsoon months.

The briefing covered current stockpiles of emergency equipment, coordination mechanisms between local and federal disaster response agencies, and existing contingency plans designed to guide rapid response in the event of a disaster. Such reviews are a standard part of Pakistan’s pre-monsoon protocol, aimed at identifying gaps in readiness before the season’s heaviest rains and glacial melt begin.

Directives on Resource Allocation and Tourist Safety

Following the briefing, the NDMA Chairman directed all concerned agencies to ensure the availability of resources at the local level, emphasizing that on-the-ground readiness is critical given the remote and mountainous terrain that can delay external assistance during emergencies.

The Chairman also placed particular emphasis on promoting safe tourism practices during the monsoon season, directing authorities to take proactive steps to protect the large numbers of visitors who travel to Gilgit-Baltistan’s valleys and mountain routes each year. With tourist traffic in the region continuing to grow, officials have increasingly recognized the need to integrate visitor safety measures directly into broader disaster preparedness planning, rather than treating it as a separate concern.

Public Awareness as a Frontline Defense

A central theme of the visit was the importance of public communication in disaster risk reduction. The NDMA Chairman directed that all available media platforms be used to run public awareness campaigns, ensuring that residents and visitors alike are informed of potential hazards and know how to respond in the event of flooding, landslides, or a GLOF event.

Public awareness campaigns are widely regarded by disaster management experts as one of the most cost-effective tools for reducing casualties during climate-related disasters, particularly in remote areas where formal warning systems may have limited reach. By combining early warning systems with sustained public messaging, authorities aim to give communities and travelers the information they need to evacuate or take shelter quickly when hazards develop.

Looking Ahead

The visit reflects a broader push by Pakistan’s federal and provincial disaster management authorities to strengthen coordination ahead of the monsoon season, following several consecutive years of severe weather-related disasters across the country. With climate change continuing to intensify glacial melt and extreme rainfall patterns in mountainous regions like Gilgit-Baltistan, officials say sustained investment in local preparedness, resource distribution, and public awareness will remain essential to reducing the human and economic toll of future monsoon seasons.

Source: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan.