Maps: Malawi 1. Climatic suitability
Territorial scope: country
Themes: 2, 3, 4
Dataset description
This map set illustrates the spatial distribution of climatic suitability for 11 important crops in Malawi: beans, cassava, cotton, groundnut, maize, millet, rice, sorghum, soybean, sweet potato, and tobacco.
Climatic suitability is determined by integrating various rainfall and temperature characteristics specific to individual crops. These factors are expressed as climatic suitability scores, evaluated using a rating scale adapted from Sys et al. (1993)*.
The maps compare climatic suitability scores for selected crops during the baseline period (1960–1990) with projections for 2050 under the AR5 RCP8.5 emissions scenario. These projections are based on the average output of simulations from four general circulation models (GCMs): BCC_CSM1.1, BNU_ESM, CCCMA_CANESM2, and CESM1-BGC. Additionally, the map set includes maps showing changes in climatic suitability. These changes are calculated as the difference in suitability scores between 1960–1990 and 2050., using the average output from the four GCMs.
This map set for Malawi is extracted from the regional dataset SAC07 and is featured in Publication 115b (2018). For methodological details and further information, including interpretations of the various maps, is referred to the publication.
Climatic suitability maps
Climatic suitability for beans
Evaluated elements:
(1) precipitation during the optimal 4-month growth cycle,
(2) mean temperature of the growing season, and
(3) minimum temperature of the growing season.
MW01.01. Climatic suitability beans baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.02. Climatic suitability beans 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5, average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.03. Change in climatic suitability for beans between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for cassava
Evaluated elements:
(1) Annual precipitation
(2) Length of the dry period (P/PET>0.5)
(3) Mean annual temperature
(4) Minimum temperature of the growing season (Dec-Apr).
MW01.04. Climatic suitability cassava baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.05. Climatic suitability cassava 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.06. Change in climatic suitability for cassava between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for cotton
Evaluated elements:
(1) total precipitation of the optimal 5-month period between December and May (in mm)
(2) precipitation in the optimal 6th month of the growth cycle (May or June)
(3) mean temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(4) maximum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
MW01.07. Climatic suitability cotton baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.08. Climatic suitability cotton 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.09. Change in climatic suitability for cotton between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for groundnut
Evaluated elements:
(1) total precipitation of the optimal 4-month period between January and May (in mm)
(2) precipitation in the optimal 4th month of the growth cycle (April or May)
(3) mean temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(4) minimum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(5) maximum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
MW01.10. Climatic suitability groundnut baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.11. Climatic suitability groundnut 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.12. Change in climatic suitability for groundnut between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for maize
Evaluated elements:
(1) precipitation during the optimal 4-month growth cycle,
(2) mean temperature of the growing season, and
(3) minimum temperature of the growing season.
MW01.13. Climatic suitability maize baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.14. Climatic suitability maize 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.15. Change in climatic suitability for maize between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for millet
Evaluated elements:
(1) total precipitation of the optimal 3-month period between November and May (in mm)
(2) mean temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(3) minimum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(4) maximum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
MW01.16. Climatic suitability millet baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.17. Climatic suitability millet 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.18. Change in climatic suitability for millet between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for rice
Evaluated elements:
(1) total precipitation of the optimal 3-month period between November and May (in mm)
(2) precipitation in optimal 4th month of the crop cycle (February to June)
(3) mean temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(4) maximum temperature (°C) of the warmest month of the year (December)
MW01.19. Climatic suitability rice baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.20. Climatic suitability rice 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.21. Change in climatic suitability for rice between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for sorghum
Evaluated elements:
(1) total precipitation of the optimal 4-month period between November and May (in mm)
(2) mean temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(3) minimum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(4) maximum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
MW01.22. Climatic suitability sorghum baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.23. Climatic suitability sorghum 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.24. Change in climatic suitability for sorghum between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for soybean
Evaluated elements:
(1) total precipitation of the optimal 4-month period between January and May (in mm)
(2) mean temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
(3) minimum temperature (°C) of the period between December and April
MW01.25. Climatic suitability soybean baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.26. Climatic suitability soybean 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.27. Change in climatic suitability for soybean between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for sweet potato
Evaluated elements:
(1) precipitation during the optimal 4-month growth cycle,
(2) precipitation in the last month of the optimal 4-month growth cycle,
(3) mean temperature of the growing season, and
(4) minimum temperature of the growing season.
MW01.28. Climatic suitability sweet potato baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.29. Climatic suitability sweet potato 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.30. Change in climatic suitability for sweet potato between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
Climatic suitability for tobacco
Evaluated elements:
(1) precipitation during the optimal 4-month growth cycle, and
(2) mean temperature of the growing season.
MW01.31. Climatic limitations tobacco baseline period 1960-1990
MW01.32. Climatic limitations tobacco 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5; average of 4 GCMs)
MW01.33. Change in climatic suitability for tobacco between 1960-1990 and 2050 (emission scenario RCP8.5)
* Reference: Sys, C., Van Ranst, E., Debaveye, J. and Beernaert,F. 1993. Land evaluation. Part III. Crop Requirements. Agricultural Publications No. 7, General Administration for Development Cooperation, Brussels, Belgium,199 pp.
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