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Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) noted the need and therefore requested further quantitative research to better inform policy on the potential impacts of further warming to 1.5 and 2.0 °C above preindustrial levels. Climate extremes are expected to become more sever...

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Main Author: Nkemelang, Tiro
Other Authors: New, Mark
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Environmental and Geographical Science 2019
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access_status_str Open Access
author Nkemelang, Tiro
author2 New, Mark
author_browse New, Mark
Nkemelang, Tiro
author_facet New, Mark
Nkemelang, Tiro
author_sort Nkemelang, Tiro
collection Thesis
description The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) noted the need and therefore requested further quantitative research to better inform policy on the potential impacts of further warming to 1.5 and 2.0 °C above preindustrial levels. Climate extremes are expected to become more severe as the global climate continues to warm due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The extent to which extremes and their impacts are to change due to additional 0.5 °C warming increments at regional level as the global climate systems warms from current levels to 1.5 and then 2.0 °C above preindustrial levels need to be understood to allow for better preparedness and informed policy formulation. Having realized the lack of research on this front in Botswana, this study investigates the differentiated impacts of climate change on climate extremes under the current, 1.5 and 2.0 °C warmer climates. The dissertation analysed the projected changes in extremes using Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), derived from fifth version of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) projections over Botswana, a country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Results indicate that (i) projected changes in temperature extremes are significantly different at the three levels of global warming, with hot day and night extremes expected to realise the greatest increases; (ii) drought related indices are also significantly different, and suggest progressively increasing drought risk with shortened rainfall seasons especially in northern Botswana; and (iii) heavy rainfall indices are likely to increase, but are not statistically different at the different global warming levels. The implications of these changes for key socio-economic sectors are explored, and reveal progressively severe impacts, and consequent adaptation challenges for Botswana as the global climate warms from its present temperature to 1.5 and then 2.0 °C.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:35:14.973Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
publisherStr Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/29430 Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study Nkemelang, Tiro New, Mark Batisani, Nnyaladzi Zaroug, Modathir Environmental and Geographical Science The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) noted the need and therefore requested further quantitative research to better inform policy on the potential impacts of further warming to 1.5 and 2.0 °C above preindustrial levels. Climate extremes are expected to become more severe as the global climate continues to warm due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The extent to which extremes and their impacts are to change due to additional 0.5 °C warming increments at regional level as the global climate systems warms from current levels to 1.5 and then 2.0 °C above preindustrial levels need to be understood to allow for better preparedness and informed policy formulation. Having realized the lack of research on this front in Botswana, this study investigates the differentiated impacts of climate change on climate extremes under the current, 1.5 and 2.0 °C warmer climates. The dissertation analysed the projected changes in extremes using Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), derived from fifth version of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) projections over Botswana, a country highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Results indicate that (i) projected changes in temperature extremes are significantly different at the three levels of global warming, with hot day and night extremes expected to realise the greatest increases; (ii) drought related indices are also significantly different, and suggest progressively increasing drought risk with shortened rainfall seasons especially in northern Botswana; and (iii) heavy rainfall indices are likely to increase, but are not statistically different at the different global warming levels. The implications of these changes for key socio-economic sectors are explored, and reveal progressively severe impacts, and consequent adaptation challenges for Botswana as the global climate warms from its present temperature to 1.5 and then 2.0 °C. 2019-02-08T13:53:50Z 2019-02-08T13:53:50Z 2018 2019-02-07T09:52:58Z Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29430 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Environmental and Geographical Science
Nkemelang, Tiro
Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study
title_full Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study
title_fullStr Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study
title_short Evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1.5°C and 2.0°C warming above pre-industrial levels: Botswana case study
title_sort evaluating temperature and precipitation extremes under 1 5°c and 2 0°c warming above pre industrial levels botswana case study
topic Environmental and Geographical Science
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/29430
work_keys_str_mv AT nkemelangtiro evaluatingtemperatureandprecipitationextremesunder15cand20cwarmingabovepreindustriallevelsbotswanacasestudy