Climate zones in Namibia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Namibia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,037,929 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 824,234 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 100%.
BWh, hot desert, is the main climate of Namibia, covering 59% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)) next at 38%. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 13% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Namibia'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) | 7.3% | 0% | BWh +4.7 percentage points | BWk -3.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 7.6% | 0% | BWh +6.9 percentage points | BSh -4.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 13% | 0% | BWh +12.4 percentage points | BSh -9.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 25% | 0% | BWh +24.5 percentage points | BSh -21 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 54% | 59% | 66% | 71% | 83% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 39% | 38% | 33% | 29% | 17% |
| BWk Cold desert | 6.5% | 3.2% | 1.1% | 0.3% | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.7% | 0.2% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Namibia
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.