Climate of Ethiopia: Difference between revisions

The '''[[Climate]] of [[Ethiopia]]''' is highly diverse, ranging from [[equatorial rainforest]] with high [[rainfall]] and [[humidity]] in the south and southwest, to [[Afromontane]] regions on the summits of [[Simien Mountains|Semien]] and [[Bale Mountains]] to desert region in northeast, east and southeast Ethiopia. EthiopiaEthiopia’s hasclimate threeis climatictraditionally divided into five distinct zones, Alpinebased vegetatedon zonesaltitude alsoand knowntemperature: asBereha ''Dega''(hot arid), theKolla temperate(warm zonesemi-arid), Dega (''cool and humid), Weyna Dega'' (cool sub-humid), and theWurch hot(cool zoneand (''Qola''moist)[https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/3/483#B41-atmosphere-14-00483].

[[File:KöppenKoppen-Geiger climateMap typesETH of Ethiopiapresent.svg|thumb|Köppen climate classification of Ethiopia]]

Climate change is aof basicgreat concern in Ethiopia, especially since the 1970s. Between the mid-1970s and late 2000s, Ethiopia's rainfall precipitation in some areas and seasons decreased by 15-20 percent. Furthermore, numerous studies predict [[climate]] change will increasingly affect the country's ecosystem, causing drought and famines. It was predicted that its climate will warm up 0.7°C and 2.3 by the 2020s and between 1.4°C and 2.9°C by the 2050s. The [[government of Ethiopia]] has initiated a green economy policy to counter climate change and foster economic development such as the 2011 Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE).<ref name=":2" />

[[Ethiopia]] hasfeatures diverse [[climate|climates]] and landscapelandscapes, ranging from [[equatorial rainforest]] with high [[rainfall]] and humidity in the south and southwest, to the [[Afromontane|Afro-Alpine]] on the summits of the [[Simien Mountains|Semien]] and [[Bale Mountains]], to desert like conditionconditions in the northeast, east and southeast lowlandlowlands. EthiopiaThe generallycountry exhibitsis largelygenerally arid with high variability of precipitation fallsdivided into three zones:, the Alpine vegetated cool zones, also known as ''Dega'', with areas over 2,600 meters above sea level, where temperatures range from cold 16°C; the temperate sessionzones known as ''Woyna Dega'' zones, where much of the country's population concentrated in areas between 1,500 and 2,500 meters above sea level where temperatures range between 16°C and 30°C; and the hot sessionzone known as ''Qola''.<ref>{{Cite zone,web encompassing|title=World bothBank tropicalClimate andChange aridKnowledge Portal |url=https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org |language=en}}</ref> Most of the highland regions like [[Lalibela]] and [[Gondar]] are at an elevation above 2,000m having(6,561ft), temperaturesenjoying ranginga 27°Cmoderate toclimate 50°Cyear-round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WorldWhat Bankis Climatethe Changeweather, Knowledgeclimate Portaland geography like in Ethiopia |url=https://climateknowledgeportalwww.worldbankworldtravelguide.orgnet/guides/africa/ethiopia/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.orgWorld Travel Guide |language=en-US}}</ref> Mean annual temperatures are around 15–20°C in these high-altitude regions, whilst 25–30°C in the lowlands.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |date=1 October 2022 |title=Seasonal Rainfall Variability in Ethiopia and Its Long |journal=Water |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=55 |doi=10.3390/w12010055 |doi-access=free |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/1/55/pdf |last1=Alhamshry |first1=Asmaa |last2=Fenta |first2=Ayele Almaw |last3=Yasuda |first3=Hiroshi |last4=Kimura |first4=Reiji |last5=Shimizu |first5=Katsuyuki }}</ref>

Ethiopia has distinct typetypes of [[season]]: the Bega (October to January), Belg (February to May) and Kiremt (June to September). The driest season is Bega, whereas the main rainy season is Kiremt in which 85% to 95% [[Crop|food crops]] are produced. Main rainfall occurs between March and September. Rains typically begin in the south and central parts of the country during the Belg season, then goes tospread northward, with central and northern Ethiopia receiving most of their [[precipitation]] during the Kiremt season. In these seasons, rainfall totals up to 500 mm, that means adequate for watering for viable farming and pastures.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=April 2012 |title=A Climate Trend Analysis of Ethiopia |url=https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/A%20Climate%20Trend%20Analysis%20of%20Ethiopia.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125195840/https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/A%20Climate%20Trend%20Analysis%20of%20Ethiopia.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2017 |website=United States Agency for International Development}}</ref>

Seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia basically occurs bybecause of the migration of the [[intertropical Convergence Zone]] (ITCZ), which tendsoscillates fluctuatingacross the equator over the course of years, oscillating across the equatoryear from its northern -most position over northern Ethiopia in July and August, to itsthe south bending its position, over the southern Kenya, in January and February.<ref name=":1" />

During the mid-1970s and the late 2000s, rainfall decreased during Belg and Kiremt seasons by 15–20% across parts of southern, southwestern, and southeastern Ethiopia. The area receiving sufficient rainfall for agriculture during the Belg season decreased by 16 percent in the twenty years up to 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=April 2012 |title=A Climate Trend Analysis of Ethiopia |url=https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/A%20Climate%20Trend%20Analysis%20of%20Ethiopia.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170125195840/https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/A%20Climate%20Trend%20Analysis%20of%20Ethiopia.pdf |archive-date=25 January 2017 |website=United States Agency for International Development}}</ref>

Ethiopia's climate willis furtherpredicted beto warmingwarm ofbetween 0.7°C and 2.3°C by the end of the 2020s and between 1.4°C and 2.9°C by the 2050s. Overall, climate change affects Ethiopia's population mainly by causing recurring droughts, especially since 1970s. The county's vulnerability to climate change could increase irrevocable poverty, rapid population growth, and dependency on rain-fed agriculture. Other factors are [[environmental degradation]] (e.g., deforestation), chronic food security, and recurring natural droughts, that may contribute for shaping the effects of [[climate change in Ethiopia]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Simane |first1=Belay |last2=Beyene |first2=Hunachew |last3=Deressa |first3=Wakgari |last4=Kumie |first4=Abera |last5=Berhane |first5=Kiros |last6=Samet |first6=Jonathan |date=2016 |title=Review of Climate Change and Health in Ethiopia: Status and Gap Analysis |journal=The Ethiopian Journal of Health Development = Ya'Ityopya Tena Lemat Mashet |volume=30 |issue=1 Spec Iss |pages=28–41 |issn=1021-6790 |pmc=5578710 |pmid=28867919}}</ref>

In response to experience, the [[Ethiopian government]] began developing a green economy policy to counter climate change under a single policy: the 2011 Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. The strategy aimed to promote a [[green economy]] with economic development by curbing [[Greenhouse gas emissions|greenhouse]] gas emissions.<ref name=":2" />

==References See also ==