Climate zones in Senegal, 1991 to 2020
Share of Senegal's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 236,169 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 196,403 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 75%, A (tropical) 25%.
BSh, hot semi-arid (steppe), is the main climate of Senegal, covering 53% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Aw (tropical savannah) next at 25%. In plain terms, hot semi-arid (steppe) means dry and hot, but with enough rain for grass. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 14% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Senegal'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) | 16% | 7.5% | BWh +8.3 percentage points | Aw -7.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 5.2% | 3.2% | BWh +1.9 percentage points | Aw -3.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 14% | 7.5% | BWh +6.5 percentage points | Aw -7.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 36% | 16% | BWh +19.5 percentage points | Aw -16.2 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 54% | 53% | 54% | 54% | 50% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 33% | 25% | 22% | 18% | 8.8% |
| BWh Hot desert | 14% | 22% | 24% | 28% | 42% |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Senegal and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Dakar | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Pikine | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Touba | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
Zones found in Senegal
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BSh. See data sources and licences.