What global warming of 1.5°C and higher means for Botswana

Submitted by Roy Bouwer | published 30th Jan 2019 | last updated 30th Mar 2021
What global warming of 1.5°C and higher means for Botswana

Introduction

The Paris Agreement has a goal of limiting global warming well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C. Understanding the local-level impacts of these global temperature targets is crucial for informing climate change adaptation needs and actions. To date, mitigation pledges by nations fall far short of what is needed, with the world on track to warm by 3.2°C by the end of the century.

This infographic* produced by the Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) project sumarises the impacts of  warming scenarios from 1.5-3°C in Botswana.

*Access the full infographic from the right-hand column.

Impacts of 1.5°C and higher in Botswana

  • For Botswana, local warming and drying will be greater than the global average.
    • So, even a 1.5°C increase in global temperature will have severe local impacts, negatively affecting water supply, agriculture, health, and other vulnerable sectors.
  • The 1.5°C threshold could be breached within the next decade, and the 2°C threshold the decade after.
    • This means there is an urgent need to accelerate Botswana’s adaptation responses.