Climate zones in Uganda, 1991 to 2020
Share of Uganda's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 282,990 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 242,853 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 97%, C (temperate) 2.7%, E (polar) 0.2%.
Aw, tropical savannah, is the main climate of Uganda, covering 79% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Af (tropical rainforest) next at 10%. In plain terms, tropical savannah means hot all year, with a clear dry season. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 11% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Af (tropical rainforest).
How Uganda'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) | 9.9% | 2.6% | Am +1.9 percentage points | Csb -2.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 9.1% | 1.1% | Am +2.4 percentage points | Aw -3.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 11% | 1.8% | Af +3.5 percentage points | Aw -4.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 17% | 2.2% | Af +7 percentage points | Aw -8.2 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 | 78% | 79% | 76% | 75% | 71% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 11% | 10% | 12% | 14% | 17% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 6.1% | 8% | 10% | 10% | 11% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 4% | 1.5% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 1.1% | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| ET Tundra | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | - | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Uganda and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Kampala | Af Tropical rainforest | Af Tropical rainforest |
Zones found in Uganda
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.