CLIMATE OF EAST AFRICA

Climate is the average weather conditions for a place recorded for a long period of time
usually 35yrs. In East Africa, there are four major types of climatic zones which are;
Tropical/equatorial climate, Savannah climate, Desert/semi-arid climate and montane
climate. Climate influences human activities e.g. agriculture, settlement, feeding, dressing
and other physical aspects like vegetation.
Factors influencing the climate of East Africa
a) Altitude: Climate changes with height above sea level. Areas near mountains receive
heavy rainfall and low temperature especially on the windward side e.g. Mt. Kenya, Elgon,
Kilimanjaro. Altitude also influences temperature differences e.g. areas on a higher altitude
are cooler e.g. Nairobi, Kabale and Kampala while lowland areas receive high temperate e.g.
Mombasa and Kasese.
b) Distance from the sea: Areas close to water bodies receive heavy and reliable
rainfall e.g. shores of Lake Victoria (Kisumu, Entebbe, Bukoba, Mwanza and Nyanza
province). This is due to the abundant moisture released into the atmosphere through
evaporation whereas areas which are far away from water bodies receive low and unreliable
rainfall and hot temperature due to less moisture release e.g. Dodoma, Karamoja and
Masailand.
c) Latitude: Climate changes as one moves away from the equator, North or south. The
equator influences the occurrence of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This is in
relation to apparent movement of the overhead sun. Areas around the equator receive double
maxima of rainfall and hot temperature between February and May and between September
and November e.g. Entebbe, Kisumu while areas that are far away from the equator receive
single maxima of rainfall e.g. Gulu and Dodoma.
d) Relief: Highland areas act as barriers to prevailing winds. In such areas, there are
differences between the conditions on the lee ward side and the wind ward side. The leeward
side receives little or no rainfall because it’s in the rain shadow e.g. Kasese and Arusha while
areas on the wind ward side receive heavy rainfall and lower temperatures e.g. Mbale and
Kigezi region.
e) Vegetation: Areas with tropical rainforests receive heavy rainfall due to abundant
moisture release through evapo-transpiration e.g. near Mabira forest in Mukono district while
areas without vegetation cover receive hot temperatures and low rainfall e.g. Kondoa region
(Miombo woodlands), Machakos, Turkana land and Karamoja.
f) Influence of man: Due to man’s activities such as bush burning, swamp reclamation
and deforestation, this leads to disappearance of vegetation hence low rainfall and high
temperature. Urbanisation through industrialisation and road construction has also led to
global warming hence hot temperatures in cities e.g. Kampala and Dodoma. Activities such
as afforestation and re-afforestation have led to growth of vegetation hence leading to heavy
rainfall.
g) Influence of trade winds i.e the North East trade winds a dry wind blowing over
Karamoja areas and North Western Kenya have led to Hot and dry climatic conditions in the
region, South East trade winds and Westerlies are moisture laden winds responsible for
heavy rainfall around Lake Victoria and windward slopes on Mt. Rwenzori.

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h) Influence of local winds: Trade winds have got an impact especially along the
coastal areass and shoes of Lake Victoria. They lead to formation of land and sea breezes.
(i) Land breeze: it takes place during the night. After sunset, both the land and the sea
cool down but land cools down faster than water meaning that air over land becomes
cooler than air over water. Moist air therefore flows from land to the sea or lake.
Warm air over the sea is forced to rise up to the condensation level forming clouds
and forming rain which falls especially during the morning hours.

(ii) Sea breeze: it takes place during the day

When land heats up faster than the water, Air above land becomes warmer and it’s forced to
rise up forming a low pressure zone on land. Moist air from the sea begins to push its way
beneath the warm air over the land. The warm air is pushed upwards to the condensation
level where it forms clouds which fall back as rainfall especially during the afternoon hours.

N.B: Temperature inversion: This is a situation where temperatures at high altitude are
warmer than those in the valleys or it’s a situation where temperatures increase with increase
increa
in altitude e.g. near Kenya highlands and Kigezi.

MAJOR CLIMATIC TYPES IN EAST AFRICA

The major climatic types in East Africa include

 Equatorial/tropical climate
 Savannah climate
 Desert and semi desert climate
 Montane climate

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Characteristics of climatic zones
a) Equatorial/tropical climate:
 Heavy and reliable rainfall of about 1500mm per annum is experienced throughout
the year.
 There are two rainfall seasons/peaks (double maxima) in a year.
 The length of the days and the nights is almost equal throughout the year (equinox).
 Humidity is always high due to high rate of evaporation.
 The climate is both hot and wet.

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 It has a small annual temperature range of about 30 – 40C.
 The rainfall is received throughout the year and is well distributed.
 Rainfall is mainly convectional resulting from high evaporation from lakes, rivers and
forests.
 Rainfall mainly falls in the afternoon accompanied by lightning and thunder.
 Temperatures are high in this region and even throughout the year.
 The region is also characterized by dense cloud cover making both days and nights
warm.
 Low pressure all year round due to high evaporation rates.
Economic activities carried out in equatorial climate regions
 Due to the existence of dense forests, wild life conservation has been made possible
and this attracts tourists.
 Equatorial climate has also favoured the existence of numerous water bodies giving
rise to fishing activities.
 The dense vegetation in equatorial regions harbours wild animals making hunting
possible.
 The dense forests due to heavy rainfall and hot temperatures experienced in that
region have favored lumbering activities e.g. in Mabira forest.
 Agriculture and forest products existing in equatorial region have made industrial
growth possible.
 Growing of perennial crops like coffee, palm oil, cocoa and tea due to heavy rainfall
received throughout the year.
 Charcoal burning due to existence of dense forest cover.
 Food gathering e.g. passion fruits due to thick forests with fertile and dump grounds.

Problems faced in equatorial regions

 Rampant occurrence of pests and diseases which attack man, livestock, crops and this
has scared away settlements leading to low development rates.
 Heavy rainfall received throughout the year and existence of the dense forested
regions has made the establishment of transport network very difficult.
 The region with its dense forests has made it difficult to exploit such areas leading to
remoteness.
 The equatorial forests are commonly inhabited by robbers and this has constrained
any attempts to the development of the region.
 The heavy rainfall received throughout the year has caused a danger of erosion
especially in areas where agriculture is practiced.
 Heavy rainfall may also lead to flooding which destroys peoples’ lives and property.
 Leaching of the soils due to heavy rains and erosion has also led to serious loss of soil
fertility.
 High rate of weed growth hence increasing costs of farming and clearance of land.

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Steps taken to improve conditions in equatorial regions
 Establishment of transport and communication networks such as roads to reduce
remoteness.
 Ensure political stability by talking peace with the respective rebel groups so as to
allow development to take place in the affected areas.
 Practice modern methods of agriculture such as application of both organic and in-
organic fertilizers to check on the rate of soil fertility loss.
 Setting up processing and manufacturing industries to take up products from
agriculture and forestry to minimize wastage.
 Use of herbicides to control growth of weeds.
 Market research so as to enable the farmers in the region to sell their agricultural
produce.
 Provision of capital in form of soft loans to enable different activities like agriculture
and lumbering.
 Planting of trees to control soil erosion.

Conditions leading to equatorial climate

 Influence of trade winds especially the south east trade winds which blow over the
Indian Ocean causing inter- tropical convergence zone leading to heavy rainfall, high
humidity along the equator.
 Distance from the sea: areas near water bodies e.g. Lake Victoria and Kyoga receive
heavy rains due to on-shore and off-shore breezes hence equatorial climate.
 Latitudinal location: Areas along the equator experience hot and wet conditions due
to inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ) formed when winds converge at the equator
blowing from different areas especially over the Indian Ocean.
 Ocean currents especially the warm Mozambique currents that bring heavy rainfall
along the equatorial belt of East Africa.
 Man’s activities through afforestation & re-afforestation programs which lead to
creation of green belts of vegetation leading to heavy rainfall along the equator.
 Influence of vegetation: Thick forests e.g. Mabira lead to rainfall formation through
evapo-transpiration.

b) Savannah climate: it occurs between 5o to 15o north and south of the Equator. It’s
found in the broad zone between the equatorial climate and the hot desert.
Characteristics of savannah climate
 Rainfall varies in amount from 1000 mm near the equator and decreases towards the
desert about 250 mm.
 Rainfall is mainly received in summer when temperatures and evaporation rates are
high.
 The rainfall received in the region is convectional in nature coinciding with the over
head sun.
 Receives single maxima of rainfall i.e. one peak.
 Annual temperature range is moderate ranging between 7oC – 9oC.

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 Humidity is relatively high throughout the year due to high evaporation rates.
 The region experiences a low cloud cover generally though the cloud cover is a bit
dense during the summer seasons.
 Alternate wet and dry seasons are experienced.

Economic activities that can be carried out in savannah regions

 Crop growing i.e. Annual/seasonal crops are grown e.g. maize, millet, groundnuts
beans, and cotton due to seasonal rainfall.
 The natural vegetation in the savannah consists of mainly grasslands that favour
livestock rearing.
 Lumbering has also been carried out in savannah from the woodlands.
 The Savannah grasslands provide a natural habitat for many species of wild life
which forms the basis for the tourism industry.
 Due to agriculture that takes place in the savannah, development of processing and
manufacturing industries has been made possible. E.g. grain mills, ginneries for cotton, milk
processing plants e.t.c.
 Charcoal burning and extraction of wood fuel also has been favored in the savannah
due to the existence of woodlands.
 Hunting of animals has also been favored in the savannah due to the existence of the
wild animals.
 Bee keeping can also survive in the savannah woodlands.

Problems faced in savannah regions

 Low and unreliable rainfall which leads to crop failure after planting.
 Shortage of adequate pasture for the livestock especially during the dry season
forcing people to live a pastoral life.
 Large herds of livestock are kept which leads to over stocking, over grazing and
eventually soil erosion.
 Wide spread fire out break especially during the dry seasons which leaves the surface
bare leading to erosion when the rain season begins.
 Occurrence of pests and diseases which affect the crops and livestock e.g. tsetse flies
which spread sleeping sickness in human beings and Nagana in livestock.
 Poaching of wild animals and this has affected the tourism industry.
 The severe occurrence of drought conditions forces wild animals to migrate which
affects tourism.
 Some savannahs have inadequate transport and communication net work which has
led to remoteness and low levels of economic development.
 Inadequate capital to develop savannah regions.
 Growth of weeds during the wet season which makes crop growing very expensive.

Solutions to the above problems

 Use of chemical spraying to control weeds and pests.
 Provisions of soft loans to reduce shortage of capital for developing the regions.

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 Encourage crop rotation to ensure soil fertility and high productivity.
 Construction of valley dams to store water for the dry season.
 Establishing ranches to act as demonstration farms for the pastoralists.
 Extending veterinary services to reduce animal diseases.
 Construction of roads to reduce remoteness of such areas.

(c) DESERT AND SEMI DESERT CLIMATE

This type of climate is mainly found in the sub-tropical belt. These areas include
Karamoja, Turkana land and Chalbi desert in Northern Kenya.
Characteristics of desert and semi-desert climate
 They receive low and reliable Rainfall.
 Annual Rainfall total is below 250 mm per year.
 The region experiences hot temperatures above 30oC throughout the year.
 The days are very hot while the nights are very cold due to absence of cloud cover.
 These regions experience low relative humidity because of the extreme dry
conditions.
 They experience hot and dry conditions throughout the year.
 Rainfall is rare but torrential which leads to seasonal floods.
Factors that have led to desert type of climate
 Latitudinal location far away from the equator where rainfall is low and unreliable.
 Location on Eastern side of the continent where off-shore winds especially the North
East trade winds lead to aridity.
 Absence of large water bodies in the interior hence reduced evaporation e.g. Chalbi
desert.
 Rain shadow effect due to presence of Ethiopian highlands hence dry descending
winds reaching Karamoja and Turkana land.
 Presence of scanty vegetation which limits evapo-transpiration leading to low rainfall
totals.
 Presence of off-shore winds which blow parallel to the coast diverting moisture
bearing winds from the land mass.
 Bush burning by pastoralists which leads to rise in temperatures.

Economic activities in desert and semi-desert climate

 Tourism due to the existence of numerous desert landforms that attract tourists e.g.
sand dunes.
 Nomadic pastoralism due to existence of scanty pastures e.g. the Karamojong.
 Mining and sand quarrying e.g. gold in Karamoja although it exists in small
quantities.
 Cultivation of drought resistant crops under irrigation e.g. cotton in Kasese.
 Bee keeping due to the existence of scattered trees.

Problems faced by people living in desert regions

 Inadequate/limited supply of surface water for livestock and human consumption.
 Shortage of pasture for livestock rearing leading to nomadism.
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 Infertile soils which don’t support crop growing.
 Low and unreliable rainfall which limits growth of crops and vegetation.
 Excessively high temperatures during the day making settlements difficult.
 Very cold nights due to absence of cloud cover.
 Desert areas are remote due to absence of road network.
 Limited supply of food leading to frequent famine.
 Sandstorms due to strong winds are common leading to loss of lives and poor
visibility.
 Small population makes it difficult to provide social services.
 Temporary flooding due to torrential downpours.
 Overcrowding near oases, rivers and water points.
 Shortage of labor and market due to small and sparse population.
Solutions to the above problems
 Construction of valley dams to help store water for pastoralists.
 Irrigation farming to improve food production and reduce famine.
 Planting of trees to help in climate modification through rainfall formation.
 Use of machines especially where labor is not enough.
 Educating pastoralists about the dangers of bush burning.
 Extending social services to attract big population and encourage people to settle
down.
 Resettlement of people away from congested areas e.g. oases and river valleys.
 Encouraging tourism to acquire revenue for development of social services.

(e)MONTANE CLIMATE: This is experienced in highlands and mountainous regions of

East Africa. Examples of these areas include; Kikuyu land (Mt. Kenya), Chagga land (Mt.
Kilimanjaro), Bugisu land (Mt. Elgon) and Kigezi land.

Characteristics of montane climate

 The temperature decreases with an increase in height or altitude.
 They receive relief or orographic rainfall mainly on the windward side of highlands.
 The tops of the mountains do not receive as much rain as the lower slopes.
 Where altitude exceeds 4500m above sea level, the areas are covered by permanent
snow/glaciers e.g. Mt. Kenya, Kilimanjaro and Ruwenzori.
 The leeward slopes are often dry due to the rain shadow effect e.g. Kasese and
Ankole-Masaka corridor.
 Lower slopes are warmer than higher slopes.

Economic activities carried out in montane climate

 Tourism due to existence of permanent snow and glacial features that attract tourists
that brings in foreign exchange.
 Lumbering especially from the mountain forest favored by the heavy rains.
 Slopes that have fertile soil and receive heavy rains favor agriculture for food
production especially on the windward side.

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 Nomadic pastoralism especially on the lee ward sides of the highlands.
 Mineral exploitation due to occurrence of some mineral deposits in mountain rocks
e.g. copper at Kasese.
 Stone quarrying which provides materials for road construction and building

VEGETATION OF EAST AFRICA

Vegetation is the general term given to all living plants of various categories i.e. the trees
& grass that cover the earth’s surface and those that grow in water. Biologically, vegetation
is known as Flora. There are four major types of vegetation in East Africa which include;
Equatorial /tropical rainforest, Savannah vegetation (woodlands and grasslands), Swamp or
mangrove vegetation and Semi-arid/desert vegetation.

Factors influencing vegetation distribution in East Africa

1. Climate: tropical forests grow in areas that experience heavy and reliable rainfall of
about 1500mm and above. They also thrive well where temperatures are high throughout the
year e.g. Mabira and Budongo forests. The amount of rainfall reduces as one moves away
from the tropical region and this has led to Savannah vegetation consisting of Savannah
Woodland and Savannah Grass Land e.g. Miombo woodlands. Desert regions receive rainfall
which is very low, hence shrub and dry bush are dominant e.g. in Karamoja and Turkana
land.
2. Altitude: Tropical rain forests, mangrove forests and savannah vegetation thrive well
on the low altitude areas e.g. Masai Mara while montane forests, heath and moorland thrive
well on high altitude areas e.g. in Kabale.
3. Drainage: Areas with permanent and stagnant water have favored swamp vegetation
as well as mangrove forest e.g. at the East African Coast. Areas with no permanent drainage
features such as lakes and rivers tend to be very dry and these have a dominance of semi-arid
vegetation e.g. Karamoja. Areas that are well drained have a dominance of savannah and
tropical rain forests e.g. along mountain slopes.
4. Soils: Areas with deep and well drained fertile soils tend to favor tropical forest
vegetation. Areas with moderately fertile soils favor the growth of Savannah grasslands
whereas very infertile areas will favor semi-arid vegetation and at times do not favor
vegetation at all e.g. Karamoja region. The water retention capacity of the soil (soil porosity)
will also influence vegetation. High water retaining soils e.g. clay soils lead to occurrence of
swamp or mangrove vegetation e.g. along the coastal belts.
5. Biotic factors: some areas that are infested with pests tend to scare away settlement
creating favorable conditions for the growth of dense vegetation or savannah wood lands e.g.
Miombo Woodlands of central Tanzania. Areas without pests attract settlements and lead to
savannah grass land. Areas that are infested with locusts tend to have scanty vegetation
because these insects destroy the existing vegetation.
6. Human activities: Large areas of forested land have been cleared for timber to create
room for settlement and cultivation which has resulted into forested areas turning into
savannah grasslands. Large areas of savannah vegetation have been turned into shrubs and
wood lands because of activities like over grazing, bush burning, charcoal burning e.t.c.
Some areas have been left without vegetation because of human practices like monoculture
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and shifting cultivation e.t.c leading to semi-desert
semi desert and desert vegetation. In areas where man
has engaged in afforestation and re-afforestation
re afforestation activities, he has led to luxuriant tropical
rain forests.

TYPES
ES OF VEGETATION IN EAST AFRICA

The major types of vegetation in East Africa include;

 Equatorial / Tropical Rain forests.
forests
 Savannah vegetation
 Swamp/mangrove vegetation
 Semi-desert
desert / Desert vegetation
 Montane vegetation:

Characteristics of vegetation zones

i) Equatorial / Tropical Rain forests.
forests
 Trees have big trunks
 They are ever green through-out
through the year because of high rainfall.
 They have little or no undergrowth.
 Trees are very tall above 30-40
30 meters.
 Trees form canopies of about 3 different
different layers due to varying tree heights.

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