Climate zones in Bhutan, 1991 to 2020
Share of Bhutan's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 53,132 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 40,494 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 57%, E (polar) 24%, D (cold (continental)) 18%, B (arid) 0.5%.
Bhutan has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Cwb (subtropical highland (dry winter)), covers only 36% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by ET (23%) and Cwa (22%). 5 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, subtropical highland (dry winter) means mild all year, with a dry winter. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 35% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Cwa (humid subtropical with dry winter).
How Bhutan'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) | 7.9% | 5% | Cwb +1.6 percentage points | Dwb -1.9 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 22% | 14% | Cwa +3 percentage points | ET -4.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 35% | 21% | Cwa +5.1 percentage points | ET -7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 55% | 37% | Am +7.2 percentage points | ET -12.5 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 34% | 36% | 38% | 38% | 37% |
| ET Tundra | 24% | 23% | 19% | 16% | 11% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 20% | 22% | 25% | 27% | 29% |
| Dwb Warm-summer continental with dry winter | 15% | 13% | 9.8% | 10% | 9.8% |
| Dwc Subarctic with dry winter | 5.8% | 5.3% | 6.5% | 6.1% | 6.4% |
| EF Ice cap (frost) | 1% | 0.9% | 0.3% | 0.1% | - |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.2% | 0.4% | - | - | - |
| Am Tropical monsoon | - | - | 1.5% | 3.1% | 7.2% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | - | - | - | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Bhutan
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Cwb. See data sources and licences.