An inauguration ceremony for “the Project for Installation of Weather Surveillance Radar at Karachi”, funded by Japan, was held with ISOMURA Toshikazu, Consul General, Japan Consulate office Karachi, FURUTA Shigeki, Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan Office, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Federal Minister for Aviation and Sahibzad Khan, Director General, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
In this project, a new weather surveillance radar was installed in Karachi at an approximate total cost of JPY 1.95 billion (approx. USD 17.71 million) with the Japanese grant assistance. The radar has been operational since April 2021. Japan supported the installation of four (4) radars in Pakistan. This Karachi radar covers the southern part, for a radius of 450 km. With all the radars provided in Karachi, Islamabad, Multan (to be installed), and Sukkur (to be installed), the surveillance systems will cover more than 80% of the areas of Pakistan. The radars will be used for short-term weather forecasts, including monitoring thunderstorms and other atmospheric phenomena in the four provinces. These state-of-the-art radar systems would enable Pakistan to effectively assess the probability of precipitation around the clock. They will result in a more accurate weather forecast, delivering early warning in a timely manner. “30 years ago, Japan supported the previous Karachi radar project with enthusiasm and I am excited to build on our effort to assist the disaster risk management in Pakistan,” said ISOMURA Toshikazu. “I hope that the project enables Pakistan to forecast weather more accurately and contribute to the disaster resilience in Pakistan,” said FURUTA Shigeki. Pakistan has a high frequency of natural disasters such as floods, landslides, cyclones, and earthquakes. Quite notably, every year, Pakistan experiences heavy damages to the large parts of the country due to floods triggered by heavy rains during the monsoon season. The Government of Japan and JICA will continue to assist the disaster risk management initiatives of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
