Climate Change Overview

Country Summary

This page presents high-level information for Senegal's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter).  Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Senegal's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.

 

Located in the westernmost part of the African continent, Senegal is bordered by Mauritania, Mali, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. It surrounds The Gambia, a small Anglophone country. Senegal enjoys a tropical dry climate and has a population of 16.7 million (2020) inhabitants, a quarter of whom live in Dakar region (0.3% of territory). Senegal is one of the most stable countries in Africa. Senegal’s economy is driven by its services sector, which was the main engine of GDP growth between 2014 and 2018. The economy is also supported by its primary sector (agriculture, in particular). Senegal is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change from drought, locust invasion, flooding and related health epidemics, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and its corollaries, and bush fire.