Climate zones in Uzbekistan, 1991 to 2020
Share of Uzbekistan's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 698,658 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 447,284 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 86%, C (temperate) 8%, D (cold (continental)) 5.9%, E (polar) 0.3%.
BWk, cold desert, is the main climate of Uzbekistan, covering 71% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSk (cold semi-arid (steppe)) next at 14%. In plain terms, cold desert means very dry, with cool or cold conditions through the year. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 25% 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 Uzbekistan'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) | 11% | 6.8% | Csa +5.7 percentage points | BSk -2.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 12% | 4.1% | BSh +2.4 percentage points | BWk -2.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 25% | 5.2% | BWh +11.2 percentage points | BWk -11.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 58% | 8% | BWh +35.9 percentage points | BWk -34.1 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWk Cold desert | 72% | 71% | 68% | 59% | 37% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 17% | 14% | 13% | 8.7% | 1.3% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 2.3% | 8% | 9.1% | 9% | 7.9% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 3.2% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 1.5% |
| Dsa Hot-summer continental with dry summer | 3.6% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | - | 0.6% | 3% | 7.2% | 15% |
| BWh Hot desert | 0.5% | 0.4% | 2.5% | 12% | 36% |
| ET Tundra | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Uzbekistan and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tashkent | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Andijon | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) |
| Namangan | BWk Cold desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Samarkand | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in Uzbekistan
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWk. See data sources and licences.