Climate change in Zambia

Zambia's Climate Change

Zambia map of Köppen climate classification.

Zambia wey dey for Central and Southern Africa get tropical weather, but di height of di land (wey dem dey call altitude) dey change how di weather be. According to how dem dey classify weather for di world (wey dem dey call Köppen climate classification), most part of Zambia get humid subtropical or tropical wet and dry kind weather. But for south-west side small, di weather dey more like dry land wey no too get rain (dem dey call am semi-arid steppe climate).

Na climate especially how rain dey fall dey decide wetin kind bush, forest or land (wey people dey call eco regions) go dey for different parts of Zambia. If person wan talk am technically, Zambia be one kain dry country wey still dey get humid and subtropical season for most of di year, with small-small area wey dry pass normal (dem dey call am semi-arid steppe).

Seasons

Zambia get two major seasons: rainy season wey dey run from November reach April na di time wey dem dey call summer. Then dry season dey from May go reach October or November wey dem dey call winter. Dis dry season get two parts: one wey cool and dry (from May to August), and another one wey hot and dry (from September reach October or November). Because say di country dey for highland (altitude), di weather dey more like sweet subtropical style instead of hot tropical weather for most of di year

Rainy season

Rain wey dey fall for Zambia dey range from 500 to 1,400 millimeter every year, but most places dey get between 700 to 1,200 millimeter. Rainy and dry season dey clear well well for June, July and August, rain no dey fall at all. The way rain take start and stop dey affect how people live, work, and do their culture for Zambia. If rain no fall, e fit cause hunger for many places. For summer time, Zambia dey hot reach around 30 degrees Celsius, but for winter or cold season, temperature fit drop reach 5 degrees. Na one weather system wey dem dey call Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) dey carry rain come. Di rain dey come with thunder, heavy lightning and sometimes even hailstone. During dry season, di ITCZ dey north of Zambia. But as year dey go, e go shift come south, then later move back north. Sometimes, di ITCZ go pass Zambia go south, and that one fit cause small dry period for north side of di country around December wey fit last like three to four weeks.

Rain dey fall pass for north side of Zambia, especially for north-west and north-east areas. As you dey go south, di amount of rain dey reduce. Di driest areas na for far south-west and also around Luangwa River and middle part of Zambezi River valley. Some of those places dey dry reach the level wey people dey call semi-arid. But for di whole of Zambia, no part be full desert or completely dry land (arid).

Flood dey happen every year for floodplain areas, and both people and animals don already sabi how to live with am. But when heavy rain fall too much and quick for places wey no dey used to flood, e fit cause serious wahala. Di rain fit spoil road and bridge, and e dey wash soil comot. Plenty time, flood and hailstone dey damage crops. If rain too much when maize dey flower, or e come late for di season when di maize suppose dey dry for harvest, e fit spoil everything and make stored grain begin rot.

Dry season

Plant and Animal Adaptations

Trees wey dey lose their leaves during dry season so dem fit manage water dey plenty pass evergreen trees wey get thick waxy leaf to hold water. Di trees wey dey drop leaf (deciduous) dey usually grow fresh green or reddish leaf just before rainy season go start. Grass and some other small-small plants wey no strong (herbaceous plants) dey dry finish on top ground when dry season reach, but once rain start, dem go grow back sharp-sharp from their root, tuber and other parts under ground..

Apart from animals wey dey live where water full ground steady, most animals for Zambia don adapt to di long dry season. You fit see this one for how dem take migrate and how dem dey give birth (breed) during certain times of di year.

Bushfires

For middle to late dry season, bushfire dey happen plenty, and people fit notice am from di smell and smoke wey dey show like haze for sky. Na villagers dey start most of di fire either to hunt, burn farm leftover, or prepare chitemene garden. Sometimes, na lightning for early rainy season go start di fire. Because say these fires dey happen every year, dry grass and bush no dey gather too much, so di fire no dey too serious or dangerous. But sometimes e fit kill animals or spoil crops, especially if rain stop early and fire come start before people harvest. Di kain plants wey sabi survive fire, plus old study wey scientists don do, show say fire don dey happen for Zambia bush since thousands of years ago.

Water sources in the dry season

Most river, lake and swamp for Zambia dey permanent except for far south and south-west side wey water fit dry. Another important water place wey Zambia get na dambos na grassland wey dey turn to swamp when rainy season come. Dambos dey plenty for most part of di country and dem usually get water from small spring or shallow well. Towards di end of dry season, dambos dey release water wey dey underground (groundwater) enter stream and river, and na dat one dey make some of dem flow steady all year. People sabi build small small earth dam inside dambos so dem fit get water and also use am as fishponds.

For human beings wey dey live for village area, where dem build their house mostly depend on where dem fit find water during dry season even though nowadays, people dey dig borehole to add join their water supply. For drier places wey no get river or dambo nearby, people dey migrate go better area wey water dey. For Barotseland side, people dey move with their animals during dry season, dem dey carry dem go graze for Barotse Floodplain, then when rainy season start, dem go move go higher ground around di edge of di plain.

The way people dey fit grow enough food during rainy season to last them throughout dry season na another reason wey make people settle for certain area. Traditionally, some communities dey divide their year into two: dem go do farming during rainy season, then use dry season do fishing and hunting. Na that time herbivore animals dey waka come water place, so e easy to see dem. People fit also use fire chase dem comot from bush or trap dem.

Temperature

Zambia dey on top one big highland wey dem dey call plateau, and di height na usually between 1,000 to 1,300 metres. Because say di country high like that, di weather no too hot like other places wey dey same latitude but near ocean. Di temperature dey cooler and better for most of di year. For this plateau wey cover about 80% of Zambia, temperature dey change small-small based on where you dey, and e be like this:

Months	Season	Mean Daily Maximum °C (°F)	Mean Daily Minimum °C (°F)
May–August	Cool and Dry	21-26 (70-79)	6-12 (43-54)
September–October	Hot and Dry	28-35 (82-95)	17-22 (63-72)
November–April	Rainy	25-30 (77-86)	14-19 (57-66)

Most part of Zambia no dey get frost at all, but for some years, cold fit strong reach make ground frost happen. This kain cold dey happen mostly for high hills wey dey open to breeze, or for dry areas wey dey south-south part of di country where air no too get moisture.

Temperature dey high for places wey dey low ground, like Luapula-Mweru and Mweru Wantipa/Tanganyika valleys for north. But na for lower Luangwa and Zambezi valleys wey dey south temperature high pass. Those places dey usually hot well-well for October, and as heat dey rise, humidity go join, wey dey make weather feel very uncomfortable that time.

For rainy season wey dey happen from November reach April or May, some days fit be humid, but di daily heat no dey too high like e dey be during dry hot season. Rain wey dey fall that time fit cool body well, no be like for places wey dey inside real humid tropics wey rain still dey hot.

Wind

For dry season, di wind wey dey blow most times no too strong, but sometimes e fit come strong small and bring cool breeze wey full dust from far dry areas. Whirlwind dey happen steady, but e no too dey cause damage. Sometimes, you fit even see waterspout (kain whirlwind wey dey happen on top water) for lake area.

For rainy season, wind dey follow thunderstorm and na mostly for small-small area e dey happen. Sometimes, di wind fit strong blow roof comot from house, but e no dey spread far. Zambia no dey experience big-big tornado or cyclone wey dey cause massive damage like some other countries.

Climate change

Zambia na one of di countries wey dey vulnerable to climate change. Di main way wey climate change dey affect Zambia na through how rain dey behave during farming season — sometimes e go too much, sometimes e no go fall enough — and this wahala dey show for different farming zones across di country. Di length of rainy season too dey shift, and e dey affect how farmers plan their work. Zambia dey vulnerable because most of di people for di country dey depend on farming to survive — and since most of dem dey wait for rain to plant, any small change for rain pattern fit spoil their harvest. Research wey dem do show say by 2050, temperature fit increase by 1.82 degrees Celsius, and rain fit reduce by about 0.87 percent. This one mean say serious weather problems like drought and flood go dey happen more often. When rain fall too heavy, e dey cause flood wey dey damage people house and farm.

For March 2025, US President Donald Trump cancel one USAID grant wey worth $250,000 wey dem bin plan use help Zambia fight climate change. Di money bin dey meant for promoting vegan lifestyle and better farming method like agroforestry and permaculture. Di full plan include education, support for business and help from government, and e still respect di culture and farming style wey Zambia people dey use.