Have Deadly Monsoon Floods Replenished Groundwater to End Long Drought in Pakistan?

[RiazHaq]

Have Deadly Monsoon Floods Replenished Groundwater to End Long Drought in Pakistan?

Pakistan has seen unprecedented rains followed by massive floods in the current monsoon season. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and...

www.southasiainvestor.com

Pakistan has seen unprecedented rains followed by massive floods in the current monsoon season. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and tens of thousands have been rendered homeless. After the unfolding of the tragedy, it's now time for renewal. New green shoots are growing in Thar desert, indicating the end of the long-running drought in Pakistan. The large Indus Basin aquifer has been significantly recharged. Groundwater has been replenished to a large extent for many years of come, raising hopes for more water for growing crops and raising livestock.

Greening of Thar Desert in Sindh, Pakistan. Source: Emmanuel Guddu The heavy monsoon rains will help to kick-start the sowing of major Kharif (autumn) crops including rice, cotton, sugarcane and corn after about a month's delay. “There was 40% less water available for the Kharif season (during May-June 2022),” an official of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said while talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday. Earlier in March this year, Pakistan's Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) had said “for the Kharif year 2022, the water availability in canals head will be 65.84 million acre feet (MAF) against last year’s 65.08 MAF”. Recent rains have helped fill up major water reservoirs across the country. About 150,000 cubic feet per second of water is being released from Pakistan's largest Tarbela dam which is more than the combined irrigation needs of the two provinces. It is also generating over 3,000 MW of electricity, according to media reports.

Pakistan Monsoon Rainfall July 2022. Source: PMD

Pakistan Drought Monitor. Source: NDMC, PMD

Pakistan Meteorological Department data shows that Pakistan has seen far more rainfall than normal. About 178 mm of rain has fallen in the country, an increase of 180.5% of normal for the month of July.

NASA Groundwater Map of August 8, 2022. Source: NASA GRACE

Recent satellite maps from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) confirm significant groundwater growth in Pakistan. The improvement becomes much more apparent when the latest map is compared with one from 2014.

Satellite Groundwater Map of 2014. Source: NASA

Pakistan’s Indus Basin Irrigation System is the world's largest artificial groundwater recharge system, according to the World Bank. A network of canals dug since the 16th century have recharged the Indus Basin aquifer in Pakistan which now has about 1.2 million tube wells extracting 50 million acre feet of water every year. NASA satellite maps show that Pakistan is among the places worst affected by rapid depletion of groundwater. Improved groundwater management is crucial for a healthy, prosperous, and green Pakistan. It appears that the groundwater in the Indus Basin has been replenished to a large extent for many years to come, raising hopes for more water for farmers to grow crops and raise livestock.
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Have Deadly Monsoon Floods Replenished Groundwater to End Long Drought in Pakistan?

Pakistan has seen unprecedented rains followed by massive floods in the current monsoon season. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and...

www.southasiainvestor.com

 

[jamal18]

I'm told that after a major flood there is always a bumper harvest.

 

[Catalystic]

Allah swt works in mysterious ways, may His blessings conttinue onto Pakistan inshAllah, Aameen

 

[PakSarZameen47]

Allah swt works in mysterious ways, may His blessings conttinue onto Pakistan inshAllah, Aameen

I was going to comment the exact same thing!

 

[Gripen9]

Unfortunately we have not built any reservoirs to harness this resource. Majority will wash away into the seas after causing destruction. Due to drought, your soil turns into clay and does not absorb much. Water has to stay on it for a longer period of time.

Hopefully it does alleviate the drought conditions.

 

[RiazHaq]

Unfortunately we have not built any reservoirs to harness this resource. Majority will wash away into the seas after causing destruction. Due to drought, your soil turns into clay and does not absorb much. Water has to stay on it for a longer period of time.

Hopefully it does alleviate the drought conditions.

The huge Indus Basin's underground aquifers represent the biggest water storage Pakistan has. Tube wells provide bout 50 million acre feet of groundwater a year from these aquifers. They have been severely depleted. The recent floods have hopefully replenished these aquifers.

Groundwater Depletion in Pakistan

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[Goenitz]

The huge Indus Basin's underground aquifers represent the biggest water storage Pakistan has. Tube wells provide bout 50 million acre feet of groundwater a year from these aquifers. They have been severely depleted. The recent floods have hopefully replenished these aquifers.

Groundwater Depletion in Pakistan

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@Gripen9 is right

poorly conducted test btw

 

[Gripen9]

The huge Indus Basin's underground aquifers represent the biggest water storage Pakistan has. Tube wells provide bout 50 million acre feet of groundwater a year from these aquifers. They have been severely depleted. The recent floods have hopefully replenished these aquifers.

Groundwater Depletion in Pakistan

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Lets hope so too.

Here is western US, extreme drought in California has turned the soil into clay. When rains happen water just run through without much absorption and you end up with flash flooding and erosion since much of vegetation has suffered. You need to have continuous low grade rain over a period of time instead of fast torrential rains to build back the water tables (or so I have been told).

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

If network of Lakes was created we could have captured 10-15% of this precious gift of water
The Coal mins of Sindh where coal is being dug up in 1-2 years have created a massive hole in Ground

A similar dug up could create Lakes across certain areas where we could have scored access water

But yea ...need a competent Leader at top

 

[RiazHaq]

Pakistan floods kill 580 and bring misery to millions
Government accused of inaction as downpours leave schools destroyed, homes ruined, crops failing and cholera on the rise

Pakistan floods kill 580 and bring misery to millions

Government accused of inaction as downpours leave schools destroyed, homes ruined, crops failing and cholera on the rise

www.theguardian.com

More than 580 people have died and thousands have lost their homes across Pakistan as torrential rains batter the country.

An estimated 1 million have been affected by heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides since July as Pakistan endured more than 60% of its normal total monsoon rainfall in three weeks.

Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces have been the worst affected, with heavy rainfall predicted across Pakistan until Friday. At least one man was killed in Karachi on Tuesday as non-stop rains hit Pakistan’s largest city for two consecutive days.

More than 40 people have died in Karachi due to heavy rains since July.

Approximately 200 people have died in Balochistan – Pakistan’s biggest and poorest province – which is suffering its worst floods in more than 30 years. The National Disaster Management Authority said the province had received 305% more rain than the annual average.

Eighteen of Balochistan’s 26 districts have been declared “calamity-hit” by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority. People have been forced to abandon their homes as crops and livestock were washed away across the province. Hundreds of miles of road have been damaged, making areas inaccessible to emergency services.

More than 570 schools have been destroyed, and cholera cases have been reported.

Mohammed Safar’s farm in Lasbela, Balochistan, was washed away when the rains came at on 12 July. It was 9am, and he and his family had to run for higher ground. “If it had flooded at any other time, we might have been washed away like plates in my kitchen. I have lost my home, crops and everything in this flood.”

 

[RiazHaq]

Pakistan Meteorological Department: Weekly Drought Information (15 August 2022) [EN/UR]

Pakistan Meteorological Department: Weekly Drought Information (15 August 2022) [EN/UR] - Pakistan

News and Press Release in English on Pakistan about Drought; published on 15 Aug 2022 by Govt. Pakistan

reliefweb.int

During last five days, more light to heavy rainfall events reported from many districts of both Balochistan and Sindh. Due to the recent rains, some urban flooding events were observed. Daytime temperatures were also seen to be dropped in different cities. These recent rains in both provinces has provided significant relief to the drought affected areas.

Rainfall recorded in Sindh and Balochistan during the period 11-15 August, 2022 is as under:

Duration of forecast: 16-22 August, 2022

According to meteorological conditions, in the next week some more rains are expected at different places in Balochistan and Sindh. Recent rains have produced significant effect to the drought affected areas of both provinces. Very little area of western Balochistan is still remained under mild drought-like situation.

Note: More detailed data and analyzed maps may be accessed from the National Drought Monitoring Centre, PMD website: https://ndmc.pmd.gov.pk/new/

 

[RiazHaq]

Beautiful sunset in lush green Thar desert in #Sindh, #Pakistan after heavy #rainfall. Photo by
@emnpk #Monsoon2022

Have Deadly Monsoon Floods Replenished Groundwater to End Long Drought in Pakistan?

News, analysis and opinions about India, Pakistan, US, Canada, Europe, Mid East, South Asia, Silicon Valley, High Technology, Economy, Politics, World

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