The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has issued a drought alert for Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab, warning that the situation could deteriorate further due to a significant rainfall deficit and rising temperatures.
According to official data, between September 1, 2024, and March 21, 2025, the country received 40% less rainfall than normal. Sindh recorded the highest deficit at 62%, followed by Balochistan at 52%, Punjab at 38%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 35%, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir at 29%.
The PMD noted that while recent rainfall spells have improved conditions in central and upper regions, drought conditions persist in southern Sindh, parts of Balochistan, and the lower eastern plains of Punjab. The situation is further exacerbated by unusually high temperatures, with March 2025 temperatures in the lower half of the country recorded at 2-3°C above normal.
“There is severe water scarcity in Tarbela and Mangla Dams,” the PMD stated, adding that the current water levels in Tarbela and Mangla stand at 1,402 feet and 1,061.75 feet, respectively—both at dead levels. The flow of water in major rivers has also dropped to critically low levels.
Worsening drought conditions
The PMD’s National Drought Monitoring and Early Warning Center (NDMC) has warned that the drought situation is expected to intensify in the coming months, particularly in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab. In several parts of southern Pakistan, consecutive dry days have exceeded 200, significantly depleting soil moisture and increasing water demand.
In Sindh, moderate drought conditions are expected in Paddidan, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, and Karachi, while mild drought is likely in Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, and Sanghar.
Balochistan’s most affected areas include Gwadar, Kech, Lasbela, Panjgur, and Awaran, where moderate drought conditions prevail. Other affected districts, including Chagai, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Sibi, Nushki, and Washuk, are also experiencing deteriorating conditions.
In Punjab, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan are expected to face mild to moderate drought conditions.
Emerging flash droughts
The PMD has also warned of the emergence of flash droughts—rapidly intensifying dry spells caused by fluctuations in precipitation, temperature, wind, and radiation. “This rise in temperature is expected to increase water demand, adversely affecting crops and putting extra pressure on already strained water resources,” the NDMC report stated.
The outlook for the last week of March indicates dry weather in most parts of the country, with some rain, wind, and thunderstorms expected in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and northern Balochistan on March 26. Isolated rain and hailstorms may also occur in lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper and southern Punjab.
With water shortages worsening and high temperatures persisting, the PMD has urged authorities to take precautionary measures to mitigate the impact of the drought, particularly in the agriculture and water management sectors.
