The Impacts of Climate Change on Monsoon Flood Situations in Pakistan

Abstract

In this study, we present a comprehensive and detailed analysis to identify and quantify spatial patterns of heavy, very heavy, and extremely heavy rainfall, as well as the trends that have developed over the past seven decades (1951 to 2020) of the monsoon months (June to September) under a warming scenario. We also project these extreme rainfall counts during the near (2036–2060) and late 21st century (2075–2099) for comparison to the historical period (1990–2014). The 5-day maximum rainfall over the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan is currently about 75% more intense than it would have been without the climate warming by 1.2 °C, and the 60-day rainfall across the basin is currently about 50% more intense. This means that heavy rainfall is now more likely to occur. Due to the high-level of rainfall variability in the area, there is significant uncertainty regarding these estimations, and the causes of the observed changes are not just limited to climate change. However, most of the models and observations we have analyzed for the 5-day rainfall extreme indicate that severe rainfall has been heavier than Pakistan has warmed. According to some of these models, the intensity of the rainfall might have increased by 50% due to climate change under the 5-day event threshold. The model predicts that rainfall intensity will greatly rise in the future for the 5-day event in a climate that is 2 °C warmer than it was in pre-industrial times, while the uncertainty is still quite high for the 60-day monsoon rainfall.

Keywords

• climate change
• floods
• heavy monsoon
• national disaster management authority
• precipitation variations