The World Bank has provided Pakistan with a $50 million loan to help revamp the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The goal is to modernize the PMD so it can offer training to weather departments in nearby countries.
This project, named the ‘Modernization of Hydromet Services of PMD in Pakistan’, will focus on updating the department’s systems from manual to automatic. About 300 automatic weather stations and five larger radars will be installed across the country. Additionally, three mobile weather radars and advanced supercomputers will be provided to the PMD.
This funding will also enable the PMD to become self-sufficient in acquiring equipment. They plan to modernize their workshop and train staff accordingly. The aim is for the PMD to be able to offer training to counterparts in countries like Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.
Agreements for training have already been made with these nations. With the initial installment of the loan, work on the PMD modernization project has begun.
