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Central African Republic - Climate

Because of its close proximity to the equator, the climate of the CAR is generally characterized as hot and humid. Average monthly temperatures range from a low of 66-71 degrees F. to a high of 85-93 degrees F. Diurnal variations are slight, between 15-20 degrees F. There is both a rainy season and a dry season. The rainy season extends from August through December with a shorter rainy season occurring also in April and Iay. The dry season exterdr from January to March and again in June and July. Short, violent thuaderstors are illustrative of the former wheras sunny shies, heat, and dust are prevalent in the latter. In the rainy season the drenched, red laterite soil makes travel almost impossible on non-paved roads. An important feature of the dry season is the dramatic drop in river levels and the stagnation of streams, both of which are major water sources for drinking and bathing for the ppople of the Republic.

During the dry season, there is more movement and thus more conflict between farmers (traditionally animist or Christian) and herders (traditionally Muslim). Areas in which criminal activity is prevalent change regularly and sometimes quickly.

The C.A.R. has three geographically defined climatic zones: a tropical climate in the equatorial forest of the south, an inter-tropical climate in the center, and a sub-sahelian (arid and desert-type) climate in the north. There are generally two distinct seasons: rainy and dry. The length of these seasons varies by climatic zones, although the rainy season generally lasts from June to October and the dry season from November to May. The dry season, saison seche, is characterized by the harmattan wind from the northeast that carries with it Saharan sands.

Short violent thunderstorms, which often cause severe flooding, are common during the rainy season. Temperatures can range from 34 degrees Celsius (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit) to 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with average annual temperatures ranging from 23.4 degrees Celsius (74.12 degrees Fahrenheit) to 26.5 degrees Celsius (79.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Most of the country receives more than 1,200 millimeters (48 inches) of precipitation yearly. Humidity in Bangui ranges from 68 to 83 percent, depending on the season.

Vegetation varies from the southwest's tropical rainforest, to less dense grassland patches, to savanna in the north. Only 2 percent of the country is cultivated.

The C.A.R.'s primary environmental problems are desertification, the wildlife construction, and water pollution. Desertification is primarily caused by the harmattan wind from the Sahara, soil erosion, and deforestation. Slash-and-bum agriculture is common. Poaching is a problem; an estimated 90 percent of the elephant population has been eliminated in the last 30 years.

Only 18 percent of Central Africans have access to potable water. Contamination of water sources from human waste is severe. Industries reportedly dump untreated wastewater directly into rivers. Cooking and bush fires are sources of localized air pollution.

Climate Change is an additional threat for agriculture and food security. The Initial National Communication and the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) have clearly highlighted major climate change driven risks. For the past years, it has been increasingly difficult to identify the optimal time to plant crops. In the humid Guinean area (south of the country), the short dry season, previously lasting, on average, one month, has for the past several years exceeded two months. In many regions, reduced soil moisture is considered to be a factor in sub-optimal cereal yields. The increase in temperatures and decrease in rainfall has led to the reduction of the cool period, resulting in increased evaporation and soil desiccation, factors causing disruption in the supply of water to the cotton crop. The phenomenon also affects cassava, leading to slower plant growth and tuber development and a corresponding reduction in production. With sugar, there are phenological and physiological effects with consequent reduction in output.

The future scenario indicates an increase in temperature on the order of 1.4 to 2.2°C, assuming low greenhouse gas emissions, and 1.8 to 2.7°C, assuming high greenhouse gas emissions. The forecasts regarding change in precipitation are less clear. Some forecasts predict a slight increase in annual precipitation, while others project irregular variations in precipitation. The extreme climate hazards, the probability of which could increase with climate change, are torrential rains followed by floods and droughts. Over the coming years, climate change is expected to increasingly lead to changes in rainfall patterns with droughts occurring more frequently and lasting longer, and an increase in extreme events. The increase in temperature and the decrease in rainfall will lead to further reductions in duration of the rainy season, increasing evaporation and desiccation of already poor soils and impacting agricultural calendars. The phenomenon will affect food crops such as cassava as well as other crops such as millet, maize or peanuts. It is also likely to have negative impacts on cash crops (cotton, coffee) while during their critical growth periods. Pastoralism, the livelihood for a significant number of rural people, may also be affected by the change in rainfall patterns, as access to water is crucial during transhumance. This, in turn, is likely to exacerbate conflicts with farmers.

On 28 September 2015 the Central African Republic submitted its new climate action plan to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) comes well in advance of a new universal climate change agreement which was reached at the UN climate conference in Paris, in December this year.