Book excerpt: This book aims to compile some of the important results from the latest research in climate variation and prediction studies with a focus on the role of the ocean, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Several new modes of ocean-atmosphere climate variations have been discovered in the last decade, and the advance of climate models have made it possible to predict some of these modes several seasons ahead. This has improved the society's ability to use model predictions to mitigate climate disaster risks. Leading experts in the field were invited to contribute to this book in order to compile a comprehensive review for the benefit of researchers as well as general readers interested in the subject.World Scientific Series on Asia-Pacific Weather and Climate is indexed in SCOPUS.