Botswana's Climate: Savanna, Seasons, and Climate Change

Botswana is a landlocked, semi-arid, subtropical country straddling the Tropic of Capricorn. Its climate defines life, economy, and ecology.

Two Seasons

• Wet (Nov–Apr): ITCZ brings convective rain. Peak Jan–Feb. 250–1,000 mm/yr (SW to NE gradient).
• Dry (May–Oct): Zero rain. Clear skies, cold nights (Jun–Jul near 0°C), hot days (Oct 35–40°C).

Temperature Profile

• Summer (Oct–Mar): 25–35°C (77–95°F); peaks Oct/Nov pre-rains.
• Winter (Apr–Sep): 5–25°C (41–77°F); June nights can frost.

Key Features

• Low humidity (except wet season peaks ~80%).
• Easterly winds — Kalahari dust (Harmattan-like) in dry season.
• High evaporation — 2,000+ mm/yr > rainfall → water scarcity.

Climate Change Impacts

• Warming: +1.5°C since 1960; projected +2–3°C by 2050.
• Drying: Rainfall -10–20%; later onset, earlier cessation.
• Extremes: More intense droughts, flash floods.
• Ecosystem shifts: Okavango Delta inflow declining; wildlife range contraction.

Botswana's National Climate Change Policy targets resilience: water efficiency, solar scaling, climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem-based adaptation.