The Climate of Ethiopia is highly diverse, ranging from equatorial rainforest with high rainfall and humidity in the south and southwest, to Afromontane regions on the summits of Semien and Bale Mountains to desert region in northeast, east and southeast Ethiopia. Ethiopia has three climatic zones, Alpine vegetated zones also known as Dega, the temperate zone (Weyna Dega), and the hot zone (Qola).
Ethiopian seasons are classified into three: the driest season is called Bega (October to January), Belg (February to May) and the rainy season Kiremt (June to September). This seasonal rainfall is impacted by the oscillation and migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) across the equator of northern region of the country in July and August, to its south bending its position over the southern Kenya in January and February.
Climate change is of great concern in Ethiopia, especially since the 1970s. Between the mid-1970s and late 2000s, Ethiopia's rainfall in some areas and seasons decreased by 15-20 percent. Furthermore, numerous studies predict climate change will increasingly affect the country's ecosystem, causing drought and famines. The government of Ethiopia has initiated a green economy policy to counter climate change and foster economic development such as the 2011 Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE).[1]