UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA · DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
RAMP Lab develops the climate datasets, statistical methods, software tools, and instrumentation that support climate-resilient development across Southern Africa, spanning drought monitoring, climate services for agriculture and livestock, food security early warning, and applied research and training in weather instrumentation. Hosted in the Department of Physics at the University of Botswana, we partner with the Botswana Department of Meteorological Services and regional and international science institutions to connect global climate science with regional and national development priorities.
About the Lab
Department of Physics
Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences
School of Physical and Life Sciences
University of Botswana
RAMP Lab is a computational research group within the UB Department of Physics. Our research is built around climate datasets, statistical analysis, and software tools - and we collaborate widely across SADC and internationally. Across all of this work, our overarching aim is to connect climate science to policy and planning, using climate knowledge to directly support development outcomes in Botswana and the region.
We are also developing hands-on instrumentation capabilities: a 3D-printer and 3D-PAWS (3D-Printed Automatic Weather Station) facility will allow the lab to fabricate low-cost weather stations, support BDMS in operational deployments, and give meteorology students at UB direct experience building the instruments they will eventually rely on.
Research Themes
Understanding how rainfall varies in space and time across Southern Africa - from seasonal totals to onset, cessation, and intra-seasonal breaks.
Operational tools and methods for detecting, monitoring, and communicating food security stress before it becomes crisis, aligned with the FEWS NET science ecosystem and SADC analytical frameworks.
Multi-indicator approaches built on CHIRPS rainfall, vegetation indices, and hydrological data, for detecting, classifying, and communicating drought conditions across Botswana and Southern Africa.
Translating climate science, including CHIRPS, CHIRPS-GEFS, and seasonal forecast products, into decision-relevant information for farmers, governments, and humanitarian actors.
Satellite-derived rainfall (CHIRPS, CHIRPS-GEFS), vegetation, and land surface datasets, validated against in-situ station observations, blended where appropriate, and made operationally useful for Southern Africa.
in collaboration with BDMS and the UCSB Climate Hazards Center
Low-cost, 3D-printed automatic weather stations for expanding Botswana's surface observation network and training the next generation of meteorologists.
in collaboration with UCAR & BDMS
Low-cost IoT cattle-tag systems linking animal physiology (heat stress, disease, and reproductive health) to climate and rangeland conditions, supporting climate adaptation in Southern African livestock production.
in collaboration with BUAN and DVS
Latest
RAMP Lab will participate in a 3D-PAWS capacity-building training alongside UCAR, the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, and BDMS, 10-23 May 2026, advancing low-cost weather station deployment across Southern Africa.
Read more →A three-day workshop at UB brought together BDMS officers and UB researchers to develop a high-resolution blended rainfall dataset for Botswana by merging CHIRPS satellite estimates with local station observations.
Read more →Dr. Greg Husak of the UCSB Climate Hazards Center delivered a Physics Department seminar at the University of Botswana on satellite-based rainfall estimation and climate hazards monitoring across Africa, followed by a working visit to BDMS.
Read more →Data & Tools
Operational seasonal rainfall monitoring platform for Botswana. Automatically updated rainfall maps and time-series derived from blended CHIRPS satellite data and surface station observations. Methodology aligned with the UCSB Climate Hazards Center's Early Estimates approach, adapted for Botswana with BDMS station data.
Interactive tool for exploring how rainfall and climate across Southern Africa respond to different ENSO phases: El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral conditions. Complements the UCSB Climate Hazards Center's Climate Modes programme with a Southern Africa-focused regional view.
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