Water Mamas: Climate Fiction That Challenges Everything | Mona Shomali on Geoengineering, Indigenous Rights, and the Amazon

In this episode, I sit down with author and visual artist Mona Shomali to discuss her debut novel Water Mamas — a gripping work of climate fiction that explores the collision of indigenous human rights, environmental justice, and geoengineering in a near-future Amazon on the brink of collapse.

Mona's background is as rich as her storytelling. Before writing Water Mamas, she spent years as a college professor teaching Indigenous Human Rights and International Environmental Governance, worked as a case researcher on the landmark indigenous rights case Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku vs. Ecuador, and served as an environmental policy analyst lobbying the UN on behalf of small island states facing extinction due to sea level rise. This is a conversation that goes deep.

Water Mamas doesn't give you easy answers — and that's exactly what makes it so powerful. If you care about climate change, indigenous sovereignty, and the ethics of technological intervention in our ecosystems, this episode is for you.

Timestamped Highlights:

(00:00) Introduction to Water Mamas and its themes of climate crisis and indigenous rights
(03:12) Mona's academic background — teaching Indigenous Human Rights and International Environmental Governance
(03:52) Her work on the landmark case Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku vs. Ecuador and indigenous land rights
(08:06) The central conflict: cloud seeding, geoengineering, and indigenous consent in the Amazon
(10:16) Why geoengineering is more complicated than it seems — and who it's already helping
(13:18) Meet Afa, the protagonist: a UN representative torn between mission and conscience
(14:44) How Mona's work with small island states facing sea level rise shaped Afa's backstory
(18:32) The water mamas: indigenous spirituality, mythology, and a chilling dream sequence
(21:38) The real Macuxi mythology behind the water mamas — and why it matters
(24:33) Vishnu, the love interest: a character you'll keep changing your mind about
(28:42) Could there be a sequel to Water Mamas? Mona shares what she's thinking
(39:07) Where to find Water Mamas, Mona's Substack, and her environmental art collection Invisible Stains

Resources & Links:

📖 Water Mamas by Mona Shomali — available at independent bookstores and Amazon
🎨 Mona's artwork and environmental collection Invisible Stain: monashomali.com
✍️ Mona's Substack on international environmental issues and mythology: search Mona Shomali on Substack
🎙️ Learn more about the show: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com

Music in this episode by Ketsa and Lobo Loco.

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Climate Fiction That Challenges Everything: Mona Shomali on Water Mamas, Geoengineering, and Indigenous Consent