Climate zones in Botswana, 1991 to 2020
Share of Botswana's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 730,600 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 580,479 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 100%.
BSh, hot semi-arid (steppe), is the main climate of Botswana, covering 73% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BWh (hot desert) next at 27%. In plain terms, hot semi-arid (steppe) means dry and hot, but with enough rain for grass. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 31% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert). The most common zone would then be BWh (hot desert).
How Botswana's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 10% | 0% | BSh +3.8 percentage points | BWh -3.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 18% | 0% | BWh +17.4 percentage points | BSh -17.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 31% | 0% | BWh +31.1 percentage points | BSh -31.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 51% | 0% | BWh +50.5 percentage points | BSh -50.5 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 69% | 73% | 56% | 42% | 23% |
| BWh Hot desert | 30% | 27% | 44% | 58% | 77% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.6% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Botswana
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BSh. See data sources and licences.