Updated version of the Climate-Fact-Sheets

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The Climate-Fact-Sheets have been developed in 2011 jointly by the KfW Development Bank and the Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) to present projected climate change in a condensed manner.

Many investment projects in industry and finance need to consider how they may be affected by climate change, before they are approved. These projects may take place in various countries, regions, or climate zones around the world. There are a range of different climatic data sets available, and careful analysis and compilation of these data is necessary to generate consistent results. Now an update of the Climate-Fact-Sheets has been made.

What is new in the updated version?

  • The data presented has been updated to the data basis of the 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (AR5 IPCC). These climate change projections are based on the so-called Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Projections for three different emission scenarios are analysed: RCP2.6 representing a low scenario; RCP4.5 representing a moderate scenario and RCP8.5 representing a high scenario. Altogether, many more climate change simulations are now included allowing a more robust identifi¬cation of projected changes.
  • Additionally, a range of projected changes under two different assumptions of a possible future global climate development is shown in the updated change figures: the political target of a world below two degree warming (2°C target; mitigation) and a world above 4°C warming at the end of this century is included (see below).
  • Information on future sea level change on the basis of the informa¬tion used in IPCC AR5 is included.

What is still the same?

  • Climate change figures are still based on a large ensemble of projections from different global climate models for three different scenarios (low, medium, high).
  • Climate change information is still provided for a large set of parameters.
  • The range of projected changes of IPCC AR4 (database of the original Climate-Fact-Sheets) is still included in the figures.
  • Expert judgement of signal strength and confidence in projected changes is still shown.
  • A detailed (updated) manual on „How to read a Climate-Fact-Sheet“ is provided.

The concept of the Climate-Fact-Sheets

CFS Faecher March16 cut

In a compact and concise form the Climate-Fact-Sheets contain the essential climate-characteristics of individual countries or regions worldwide on a few pages.

The Climate-Fact-Sheets synthesise information on the potential magnitude of change of different climate-variables like temperature, precipitation or climatological water balance. In addition statements about the climate history and the recent climate characteristics are included.

The Climate-Fact-Sheets at a glance

The Climate-Fact-Sheets give a:

  • concise summary of the major information
  • about the climate of a country or region for past, current and future development
  • with focus on the projected future changes
  • using short text passages, tables and different diagrams on typically 6 to 8 pages
  • based on primary data (e.g. projections from global and regional climate models as well as global observational datasets) and literature review


Data basis of climate projections of the climate-fact-sheets

The information about the possible future climate development is based on global or regional climate projections (depending on the region).

Climate Fact Sheets Data base

List of parameters presented in the climate-fact-sheets

  • Temperature (annual mean, minimum and maximum temperatures)
  • Annual total precipitation and the annual precipitation cycle
  • Actual evaporation
  • Climatic water balance (derived from difference between annual total precipitation and annual total actual evaporation)
  • Annual mean wind speed
  • Annual mean solar irradiance
  • Heatwaves & cold spells
  • Dry spells
  • Intensity & frequency of heavy rainfall events
  • Intensity & frequency of storm events
  • Change in mean sea level (if appropriate)


The climate-fact-sheets in detail

The different components of the climate-fact-sheets are described below

Climate Fact Sheets Detail Explanation Download: How to read a Climate-Fact-Sheet - Instructions for reading and interpretation of the climate-fact-sheets (pdf) (1,1 MB)


Enquiry form for climate-fact-sheets

Currently the following climate-fact-sheets are available and can be requested:


→ New countries in the list below are indicated with an *


Eastern Europe:

Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
Macedonia
Moldova*
Montenegro
Serbia
Turkey
Ukraine

(Database: Regional models; Turkey & Moldova: Global models)

Africa:

Benin - Ghana - Togo
Burkina Faso - Mali
Democratic Republic of the Congo*
Egypt
Ethiopia – Somalia – Somaliland – Djibouti – Eritrea*
Ivory Coast*
Kenya
Madagascar*
Mauritania*
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria*
Senegal – Gambia*
South Africa
South Sudan
Tanzania – Burundi – Malawi – Rwanda
Tunesia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

(Database: Global models)

Asia:

Afghanistan*
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh*
Cambodia - Laos
China
Georgia
India*
Indonesia*
Jordan – Lebanon – Palestine – Syria – Israel
Kirgizstan
Mongolia
Myanmar*
Pakistan
Philippines*
Tadzhikistan
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Yemen

(Database: Global models; Ukraine: Regional models)

Caribbean & Latin America:

Bolivia
Brazil*
Caribbean*
Colombia
Mexico
Nicaragua – Guatemala – El Salvador – Honduras*
Peru – Ecuador
Uruguay*

(Database: Global models)

The Climate-Fact-Sheets are provided free of charge by the Climate Service Center. For the purpose of this document, the following terms of use apply.

Terms of use for the Climate-Fact-Sheets (55 KB)Climate-Fact-Sheets Order Form

Contact person


Dr. Andreas Hänsler
Dr. Andreas Hänsler

Phone: +49 (0) 40 226 338 417

Fax: +49 (0) 40 226 338 163

E-mail contact