Climate zones in Ethiopia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Ethiopia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 1,335,021 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,132,091 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 44%, A (tropical) 35%, C (temperate) 21%, E (polar) 0.1%.
Ethiopia has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Aw (tropical savannah), covers only 33% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by BSh (24%) and BWh (20%). 8 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), 17% 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 Ethiopia'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) | 15% | 8.6% | BWh +2.7 percentage points | Cwb -3.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 14% | 7.3% | Aw +4.5 percentage points | Csb -3.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 17% | 11% | Aw +6.6 percentage points | Csb -5.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 23% | 17% | Aw +10.9 percentage points | Csb -8.4 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 | 34% | 33% | 38% | 40% | 44% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 22% | 24% | 26% | 26% | 25% |
| BWh Hot desert | 17% | 20% | 17% | 18% | 18% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 12% | 11% | 6.6% | 4.7% | 2.1% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 11% | 7.7% | 6.5% | 5.2% | 3.1% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 0.6% | 1.5% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 4.9% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 1% | 1.4% | 2.3% | 2% | 1.7% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 0.3% | 1% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 0.1% | 0.3% | - | - | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - | - |
| Cwc Cold subtropical highland (dry winter) | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
| Af Tropical rainforest | - | - | 0.1% | 0.2% | 1.1% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Ethiopia and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
Zones found in Ethiopia
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.