Climate zones in Turkmenistan, 1991 to 2020
Share of Turkmenistan's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 706,449 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 470,446 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 99%, C (temperate) 1.1%, D (cold (continental)) 0.3%.
BWk, cold desert, is the main climate of Turkmenistan, covering 65% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BWh (hot desert) next at 19%. In plain terms, cold desert means very dry, with cool or cold conditions through the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 52% 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 Turkmenistan'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) | 24% | 0.7% | BWh +18.6 percentage points | BWk -18 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 36% | 0.8% | BWh +24.7 percentage points | BWk -26.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 52% | 1.1% | BWh +39.5 percentage points | BWk -39.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 76% | 1.4% | BWh +64 percentage points | BWk -61.1 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWk Cold desert | 83% | 65% | 38% | 25% | 3.4% |
| BWh Hot desert | 0.2% | 19% | 44% | 58% | 83% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 15% | 11% | 5.9% | 2.5% | 0.8% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | 4.1% | 12% | 14% | 13% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Turkmenistan and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ashgabat | BWk Cold desert | BWh Hot desert |
Zones found in Turkmenistan
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWk. See data sources and licences.