The Asian monsoon is one of the most dramatic climatic phenomena on Earth today, with far-reaching environmental and societal effects. Almost two thirds of humanity live within regions influenced by the monsoon. Monsoon strength and variability have been and will continue to be crucial to the past and future prosperity of the region. With the emerging economies of China, Vietnam and India now adding to those of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan the importance of the region to the global economy has never been greater. Continuation of this growth is dependent on the climate and environment. Recent detailed climate reconstructions now show that the development and collapse of civilizations in both South and East Asia have been controlled in large measure by monsoon intensity. Modern technology now allows society to respond more effectively to environmental stresses, yet in the face of the destructive powers of typhoons or long duration droughts there is still little man can do when environmental catastrophe strikes.

As a result, understanding what controls the Asian monsoon and how it has changed in the past is important not only to scientists but also to the general population. In this book we present a multi-disciplinary overview of the monsoon for advanced students and researchers, spanning recent advances in atmospheric sciences, climatology, oceanography and geology. Finally we consider how the evolving monsoon has both helped and hindered the development of human civilizations since the Last Glacial Maximum, 20 000 years ago.