Climates of South Asia

  • G. B. Pant &
  • K. Rupa Kumar
Wiley: 1997. Pp. 320 £75, $130<

The climate of South Asia is dominated by the monsoon, which returns with remarkable regularity each summer and provides the rainfall needed to sustain more than 60 per cent of the world's population. The vastness of the Asian continent and the unique configuration of the East African Highlands and the Tibetan Plateau mean that the Indian summer monsoon is the most vigorous and influential of all the monsoon circulations. Increasingly, the monsoon is being seen as an important player in the global climate.

It is fortuitous that the first book detailing the climatology of South Asia should be published on the fiftieth anniversary of India's independence. Without the influence of the British Raj and scientists such as Blanford, who in 1886 recognized “the paramount importance of knowledge of distribution of rainfall in space and time”, the comprehensive database that provides the core of this book might not have been realized.

The book brings together the vast literature and data resources of India and its neighbours (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka), providing a comprehensive description of a wide range of topics, from extreme weather events to the environmental impact of climate change. It is generally well written, although unfortunately the authors had not updated much of the material to include the most recent observations. For those seeking an understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in the climatology of South Asia, its weather systems and its year-to-year variability, this book provides little in the way of answers. That said, it is a valuable teaching aid, is likely to appeal to the more casual reader and is an excellent reference book for dipping into.

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