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: Data on the climatic conditions of a region provide improvements in decision-making for activities related to the sectors, for agricultural and urban planning, to reduce risks. Current paper undertakes the climatic characterization of the municipality of Rio Verde GO Brazil, as a tool for agricultural and urban planning. Data were retrieved from the main conventional weather station in Rio Verde provided by the National Institute of Meteorology between 1972 and 2017. The municipality´s characteristics comprised air temperature at 23.6±6.0ºC, relative humidity at 66.3±13.6%, wind speed at 1.4±0.8 m s-1, solar radiation at 17.3±4.7 MJ m-2 day-1 and solar brightness at 6.1±3.0 h. Total precipitation volume is 1,611± 180 mm/year-1, with concentrations during November to March (76%). August is the most critical month. The reference evapotranspiration is 3.8±0.9 mm day-1. The municipality is characterized by six months with water deficiency and six rainy months. Precipitation is a limiting factor to agricultural production due to poor spatial and temporal distribution. The use of irrigation systems, the conservation of straw on the ground and the use of off-season cover plants are alternatives that mitigate the effects of climatic risks. Concern in the urban region lies with floods, fires and respiratory diseases, transmissible by mosquitoes, at different times of the year. Current study may define better strategies for public and/or private initiative in planning more effective agricultural and environmental activities and projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]