Convectional Currents

 At the start of summer due to high temperatures

 Moisture evaporates from rivers/lakes/vegetation etc.
 Moist air rises.
 Causing condensation
 Which causes rainfall, often as thunderstorms
 Northern and North Western areas often get this rainfall
 Mainly Peshawar and Rawalpindi
 April to June and September to November (same as tropical cyclones)

Tropical Cyclones

These may bring few hours of very heavy rainfall with destructive winds to coastal areas

Originate from Arabian Sea quite often but rarely reach coastal areas of Pakistan (Makran and Sindh
Coast)

Q. Name the violent storm that form over sea and that may affect Karachi.

Tropical Cyclones.

Q. In which months may these occur?

April to June

September to November

Explain how storms such as these may affect industry and communication in urban areas? [6]

 Flooding/heavy rain + strong winds + lighting strikes

 Damage or closure of buildings, roads, bridges and airport
 Lack of deliveries to customers
 Loss of production as work stops
 Labour get to work
 Lack of experts and investors as airports remain closed
 Loss of electricity as wires and poles are grounded
 Loss of telecommunications

Relief Rainfall

 Related to height of land

 It occurs where moist air moves up after striking a mountain side
 It is cooled on reaching a certain height
 Cooling causes condensation and precipitation on the ‘wind ward’ side.
 The leeward side (the other side of the mountain) receives sinking warm air and a dry rain
shadow area is normally formed.
 Areas having high altitude receive this rainfall e.g. Northern Mountains.
 Feasibility of Improving water supply to farmers In Punjab and Sindh
 Possibilities / In Favour
 Rainfall In the monsoon season can be stored
 Snow melt from mountains
 Indus river system brings water from highlands
 Can make more storage in reservoirs of dams and barrages.
 Can build more canals
 Can use ground water and therefore can build more tube wells.

Impossibilities / Against
 Cost of reservoirs / canals
 Cost of tube wells
 Lack of reservoir and barrages
 Indus Water Treaty limits supply – conflict with India over supply
 Lower water table restricts groundwater
 Cost of power supplies for pumps
 Other constraints e.g. education, wastage, conflict between users.

Effects of Climate on:

Highland Zones
 In Northern areas temperature falls below freezing point/very cold in winter which:
 Stops growth of trees; buries grass under snow
 Makes farming impossible
 Transhumance is also practiced
 Landslides and avalanches block roads
 People are forced to stay indoors … so cottage industry.

Lowland Zones
 Crops can be grown in both summer and winter due to warm / hot summers and cool
winters.
 Densely populated due to tolerable summer and winter temperature.
 Monsoon rainfall is suitable for Barani crops.
 Monsoon rainfall provides enough water to rivers or canals for irrigation.
 Floods destroy crops and lead to loss of lives
 Floods however replenishes the soil nutrients with alluvium

Arid Zones
 Very hot and dry in summer (very low precipitation) so not ideal for cultivation.
 Or habitation.
 Nomadic lifestyle due to low rainfall
 Karez system is practiced due to high evapotranspiration in Kharan desert. \People wear
thick clothes to protect themselves from hot winds.
 Frequent dust storms make work difficult.

Hazards
Causes of Floods
Natural
 Melting of snow during summer
 Heavy rainfall (monsoon)
Human
 Cutting of trees on foothills increases surface runoff
 Failure to strengthen or heighten embankments of rivers.

Effects of Flooding
Positive
 Increases fertility of the land through fress alluvium
 Floods also recharge ground water supply
 Reproduction, breeding and multiplication of inland fresh water fish.
Negative
 Farmers cannot practice agriculture until water drains away
 Loss of lives
 Destruction of crops
 Mud houses and huts may be severely damaged
 Spread of water borne diseases e.g. cholera
 Roads and bridges washed away
 Rehabilitation and reconstruction is expensive.

Precautions
 Planting trees on foothills to check the flow of running water.
 Enlarging river channel so that I can hold more water.
 Building embankments
 Building reservoirs on rivers to store water and control peak discharge
 Preventing building construction in areas where flooding is most likely
 Publicizing flood warnings through radio, TV etc.
 Timely evacuation of people from flooded areas

Drought Types
Permanent Droughts
Exists when crop cultivation is not possible without irrigation e.g. Thal
Seasonal Droughts
Areas with well-defined rainy an dry seasons.
Invisible Droughts
Is the result of water deficiency that reduces crop yield but is not sever enough to destroy them.
Unpredictable Drought
Is the result of abnormally sudden shortage in rainfall due to no particular reason.
Effects of Droughts
 Shortage of water
 Shortage of grazing grounds
 Crops may fail
 May lead to food shortages
 More imports of wheat
 Loss of lives due to starvation and thirsts
 Loss of livestock
 Weak animals with low outputs
 Diseases e.g. of skin due to dryness
 More rural to urban migration
 May cause soil erosion / desertification
Solutions
 More reservoirs to store water
 Desalination of salty water to increase the amount of fresh water for agriculture etc.
 More plantation to reduce soil erosion
 And more moisture in air for rainfall
 Such seed should be sown which are drought resistant.