Pakistan among 20 countries at risk of heavy rainfall this year

• There is risk of flooding in Pakistan this year: report. 
• El Nino expected to return June. 
• It poses high risks to global food security.

Pakistan is among 20 countries that are facing the threat of excessive rainfall as the El Nino oceanographic phenomenon is forecast to return in June, a United Nations report said. 

According to the report by the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), there is a risk of heavy rainfall and flooding in Pakistan this year as well.

The other countries include Afghanistan, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhu­tan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Paraguay, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkm­e­nistan, United States and Uzbekistan.

The report highlights that this phenomenon is expected to return in June 2023, following three years of La Niña. 

it further said that dry weather conditions are expected in key cropping areas of Central America, Southern Africa and Far East Asia, while excessive rainfall and possible flooding are foreseen in Near East Asia and East Africa.

The report stated that El Nino is a key driver of extreme weather events that pose high risks to global food security. 

"Already in 2022, the number of people facing acute food insecurity was projected to reach up to 222 million in 53 countries/territories," said the report. 

The report said the world experienced a third consecutive La Nina event in 2022 and early 2023, a rare occurrence that has happened only twice since 1950. 

La Nina events are commonly associated with wetter conditions in Australia and drier conditions in the US, South America and East Africa.