Climate zones in Rwanda, 1991 to 2020
Share of Rwanda's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 29,628 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 25,424 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 70%, C (temperate) 30%, E (polar) 0.2%.
Aw, tropical savannah, is the main climate of Rwanda, covering 69% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Csb (warm-summer mediterranean) next at 29%. In plain terms, tropical savannah means hot all year, with a clear dry season. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 19% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Aw (tropical savannah).
How Rwanda'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% | 15% | Aw +15.2 percentage points | Csb -13.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 12% | 10% | Aw +9.9 percentage points | Csb -8.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 19% | 17% | Aw +16.7 percentage points | Csb -15.9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 25% | 24% | Aw +21.6 percentage points | Csb -23.1 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aw Tropical savannah | 54% | 69% | 79% | 86% | 91% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 42% | 29% | 20% | 13% | 5.4% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 1.2% | 1% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 2.3% | 0.8% | - | - | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
| Am Tropical monsoon | - | - | 0.1% | 0.4% | 2.5% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Rwanda and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Kigali | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
Zones found in Rwanda
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Aw. See data sources and licences.