[citation needed] The main pivot on which the entire superstructure of Khasi society rests is the matrilineal system.

[4] Irrigation is hampered due to excessive rain washing away the topsoil as a result of human encroachment into the forests.

Recent developments of rain-water harvesting techniques in the area have greatly helped the town and its neighbouring villages.

It has an average elevation of 1,430 metres (4,690 ft) and sits on a plateau in the southern part of the Khasi Hills, facing the plains of Bangladesh.

Owing to winter droughts, the vegetation in this location is even xerophytic in spite of the town's fame as an extremely wet place.

[5] The valleys around Sohra, however, are covered with lush and very diverse vegetation, containing numerous endemic species of plants, including the Meghalaya subtropical forests.

The Shillong Plateau is an uplifted horst-like feature, bounded by the E-W Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) to the North, the N–S Jamuna fault in the west, and the NW-SE kopilli fracture zone in the east.

Cherrapunji has a mild subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb), with monsoonal influences typical of India.

It lies on the windward side of the Khasi Hills, so the resulting orographic lift enhances precipitation.

Thereafter, they hit the Khasi Hills which rise abruptly from the plains to a height of about 1,370 m above mean sea level within 2 to 5 km.

The geography of the hills with many deep valley channels encompassing the low-flying (150–300 m) moisture-laden clouds from a wide area converges over Sohra.

[12] Occasionally, cloudbursts can occur in one part of Sohra while other areas may be totally or relatively dry, reflecting the high spatial variability of the rainfall.

It is not surprising to find that the heaviest rainfalls occur when the winds blow directly on the Khasi Hills.