Monsoon

When most of us think about climate change, we imagine the ice caps melting and sea levels rising—but the biggest threat will actually come from catastrophic rains, known as monsoons. Monsoons—the seasonal patterns that begin as high winds and drive rainfall throughout five continents—are the least recognized and least understood of all the weather phenomena disrupted by climate change. Yet monsoons hold the biggest impact on human lives and societies.

Filled with cutting-edge, on-the-ground research from around the world, Sarah Casson paint a vivid picture of these rains, their importance to humanity, and what climate change is doing to their rhythms. Monsoon disruptions can range from flooding, food crises, and mass migrations, and Casson expertly shows how our current policy recommendations from governments, NGO’s, and big agricultural companies fall short. Unlike rising sea levels, however, this is an issue that has possible fixes. By understanding the complex nature of monsoons and pairing grassroots solutions together with smart use of resources, we can potentially counter devastating impacts in the future.

Monsoon is both a cry to action and a beacon towards solutions to a problem that affects a billion people, with ripple effects to all societies around the globe.