Climate zones in Bolivia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Bolivia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,327,755 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,090,473 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 62%, B (arid) 21%, C (temperate) 13%, E (polar) 4%.
Bolivia has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Aw (tropical savannah), covers only 44% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Am (15%) and BSk (9.7%). 10 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tropical savannah means hot all year, with a clear dry season. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 22% 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 Bolivia'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) | 8.7% | 3.3% | Aw +2.1 percentage points | Af -1.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 19% | 7.8% | Aw +2.2 percentage points | BWk -3.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 22% | 9.7% | Aw +3.7 percentage points | BWk -2.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 26% | 13% | Aw +5.8 percentage points | ET -3.3 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 | 41% | 44% | 46% | 47% | 49% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 16% | 15% | 14% | 15% | 15% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 9.2% | 9.7% | 11% | 11% | 10% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 7.7% | 7.9% | 8.5% | 8.3% | 7.6% |
| BWk Cold desert | 7.2% | 7% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 4.9% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 3.7% | 4% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| ET Tundra | 4.3% | 4% | 3% | 1.7% | 0.7% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 5% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.6% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.6% |
| Cwc Cold subtropical highland (dry winter) | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | - |
| BWh Hot desert | - | - | - | - | 0.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Bolivia and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| La Paz | ET Tundra | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Cochabamba | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
Zones found in Bolivia
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.