The Indian Ocean contains one of the busiest trade routes in history, connecting East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, as well as giving passage to Europe. Given its historical and economic connections and diffusion of ideas, religions, and cultural traditions, the Indian Ocean region’s (IOR) fertile cultural complex can serve as an important platform for addressing climate change. In order to survive and thrive under climate change, societies in the IOR need to undergo profound transformation or metamorphosis. We briefly discuss the history and major climate change issues of the IOR before proposing five suggestions: engaging in regional cooperation on climate change; combining the region’s folk science and indigenous traditions with modern science and technology in the formulation and implementation of climate strategies; embracing the region’s terraqueous geography; initiating development corridors inland; and ensuring that cities and urban development are sustainable and liveable.