CHITRAL The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) GLOF-II project, a $36 million initiative to protect sensitive areas of Chitral from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), was completed on Sunday.
The project involved the construction of protection walls and irrigation channels, as well as the installation of an Early Warning System (EWS) to provide crucial alerts to communities through satellite phones in case of potential flooding. These protective measures were completed in various valleys of Lower and Upper Chitral, Dir Upper, and Swat to mitigate the impact of GLOFs triggered by glacial bursts.
Rashid Khan from UNDP highlighted the multifaceted approach of the project, which also included the construction of community halls and shelter homes for residents. Local communities expressed gratitude for the protective measures and called for extending the GLOF-II project to cover more flood-prone areas.