Over the seawall : tsunamis, cyclones, drought, and the delusion of controlling nature / Stephen Robert Miller.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-244) and index.

Soutei-Gai : northeastern Japan -- Pagal, by any other name : southwest Bangladesh -- The audacity of desert living : central Arizona.

"As extreme weather becomes more common, the urge to outwit nature can be irresistible. But when our expensive technosolutions backfire, are we worse off than before? How should we adapt to a changing climate? Miller reveals the unintended consequences of bad adaptations or as academics call it, maladaptations--fixes that do more harm than good. From seawalls in coastal Japan, to the reengineered waters in the Ganges River Delta, to the artificial ribbon of water supporting both farms and urban centers in parched Arizona, the author traces the histories of engineering marvels that were once deemed too smart and too big to fail. In each he takes us into the land and culture, seeking out locals and experts to better understand how complicated, grandiose schemes led instead to failure, and to find answers to the technologic holes we've dug ourselves into. Miller urges us to take a hard look at the fortifications we build and how they've fared in the past. He embraces humanity's penchant for problem-solving, but argues that if we are to adapt successfully to climate change, we must recognize that working with nature is not surrender but the only way to assure a secure future."--From publisher's description.