Climate zones in Kyrgyzstan, 1991 to 2020
Share of Kyrgyzstan's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 308,830 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 198,691 km²).
By major group: D (cold (continental)) 47%, E (polar) 39%, B (arid) 14%, C (temperate) 0.1%.
Kyrgyzstan has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, ET (tundra), covers only 38% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by BSk (14%) and Dsb (12%). 8 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tundra means too cold for trees; a brief, chilly summer. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 46% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Dfc (subarctic (boreal)). The most common zone would then be Dfc (subarctic (boreal)).
How Kyrgyzstan'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) | 17% | 8.4% | Dfb +3.2 percentage points | ET -5.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 32% | 17% | Dfc +8 percentage points | ET -12 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 46% | 25% | Dfc +9.5 percentage points | ET -19.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 77% | 45% | Dfb +12.6 percentage points | ET -32.3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ET Tundra | 44% | 38% | 26% | 19% | 6% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 15% | 14% | 11% | 12% | 17% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 12% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 10% | 12% | 20% | 22% | 21% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 6% | 9.2% | 16% | 19% | 22% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 8.8% | 6.7% | 4% | 4% | 3.7% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | 2.9% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 7.9% | 7.7% |
| Dwc Subarctic with dry winter | 0.4% | 1.4% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 1% |
| BWk Cold desert | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% | - |
| Dfa Hot-summer humid continental | 0.5% | 0.3% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | - | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.8% | - |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | - | - | 0.4% | 1.2% | 4.9% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | - | - | 0.9% |
| BWh Hot desert | - | - | - | - | 0.3% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | - | - | - | - | 0.6% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Kyrgyzstan and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Bishkek | Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in Kyrgyzstan
- ET Tundra
- BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe)
- Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer
- Dfc Subarctic (boreal)
- Dfb Warm-summer humid continental
- Dsc Subarctic with dry summer
- Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer
- Dwc Subarctic with dry winter
- BWk Cold desert
- EF Ice cap (frost)
- Dfa Hot-summer humid continental
- Cfb Temperate oceanic
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was ET. See data sources and licences.