Climates and Societies -- A Climatological Perspective : a Contribution on Global Change and Related Problems Prepared by the Commission on Climatology of the International Geographical Union

The impact of climate on human activities and the effect of humans on cli­ mate are two of the most important areas of inquiry in climatology. These interactions conducted through physical, chemical and biological process­ es were described as early as Roman and Greek times. Marcus Vitruvius (75-25 B. C. ), a famous Roman engineer and architect, made the following observation about the climatic conditions necessary for founding a city: Land ideal for the health is slightly elevated and there should be neither fog nor frost. The direction of the slope and the distance to the swamps, lakes, and beaches must also be considered. The prevailing wind directions, observed by a wind tower at the center of the city, like Horologium at Athens, should be taken into consideration in city planning. The main and narrow streets should be placed in the middle angle of the two prevailing wind directions. Then the location of the Pantheons and squares should be decided. The influence of humans on climate was a major subject for discussion in the 19th century, inspired in part, by the rapid industrial growth and expanding deforestation of the time. D. L. Howard wrote brilliant pieces on the climate of London in the 1830s, while G . P. Marsh discussed the effects of forests on precipitation in the U. S . A. in the second half of the 19th century. Front Matter....Pages i-xi Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Human Activities and Environmental Change: A Climatologist’s View....Pages 3-17 Front Matter....Pages 19-19 On Relationships between Climate Variability and Change, and Societies....Pages 21-41 Climate Change in Post Glacial Period in Monsoon Asia....Pages 43-60 Approaches to Climatic Variations during the Historical Era: A Few Examples....Pages 61-76 Some Statistical Aspects of Observed Regional and Global Climate Change within the Instrumental Period....Pages 77-97 Climate of the Future: An Evaluation of the Current Uncertainties....Pages 99-117 Impacts of the Climate Variability on Human Activities....Pages 119-150 Front Matter....Pages 151-151 Society-Climate Systems in Tropical Africa....Pages 153-176 Climate and Life in the Caribbean Basin....Pages 177-201 Climate and Societies in Southeast Asia....Pages 203-234 Climatic and Pathological Rhythms in a Humid Tropical Area, the Case of The Philippines....Pages 235-254 Possible Impact on Agriculture Due to Climatic Change and Variability in South America....Pages 255-277 Climate and Agriculture in China....Pages 279-307 The Climates of the “Polar Regions”....Pages 309-324 Front Matter....Pages 325-325 Introduction to the Problems on Local Climate and Man....Pages 327-331 Interactions of Man and Climate in the Urban World — The Influence of Urbanization on the Local Climate and the Influence of Urban Climate on Man....Pages 333-359 Climates of Tropical and Subtropical Cities....Pages 361-373 Air Pollution: A Local Problem Becomes a Global Problem....Pages 375-380 Agricultural Landuse and Local Climate....Pages 381-400 Back Matter....Pages 401-408

This book is written by the world's leading climatologists and environmental scientists. It addresses many of the issues raised in the debate on global change, providing a new point of view on climate which is being integrated into the space and time organization of societies. The volume contains three main parts: 1. Climatic Changes and Fluctuations; 2. Climates on a Regional Scale, including problems from tropical through temperate zones to polar regions; and 3. Man-Climate Relationships on a Local Scale.
Global change is caused mainly by climatic variation and change and activities of human societies. This book aims to describe these facts from the various space scales - global, regional and local - and also different time scales - post-glacial, historical and recent periods. Since climate affects all kinds of human activities such as agriculture, forestry, architecture, civil engineering, transportation, tourism, health, etc., this book may contribute to the work of researchers, planners and policy makers in a wide variety of fields.
For example, as indicated by the IPCC 1995 Report, adjustment of human societies is considered to be one of the most important features in the 21st Century. For consideration of these past, present and future problems, this book will provide, in a systematic way, numerous sources of up-to-date knowledge.