Scientists may have solved why this ancient, advanced civilization vanished

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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: A new study in Communications Earth & Environment concludes that the ancient Indus River Valley civilization declined due to four prolonged megadroughts between 2425 and 1400 B.C.
• Using paleoclimate data from caves, lakes and climate models, researchers show that monsoon rainfall dropped sharply for centuries, drying rivers, weakening agriculture and disrupting trade routes that connected major Harappan cities

🔭 The context: At its peak, the Indus civilization—spanning modern Pakistan and northwest India—featured advanced urban planning, irrigation and long-distance commerce
• Earlier theories for its disappearance ranged from conflict to disease, but recent evidence has highlighted environmental stress
• The new reconstruction reveals that after a wetter period, warming in the tropical Pacific triggered sustained drying, contributing to gradual relocation of settlements toward remaining water sources

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The research illustrates how persistent climate stress can erode even highly resilient societies, offering a clear lesson for regions today facing intensifying heat and declining water security
• With South Asia again experiencing rising temperatures and monsoon variability, the Harappan experience underscores the need for climate-resilient agriculture, diversified water systems and long-term planning as drought cycles grow more severe under global warming

⏭️ What's next: Scientists are poised to further investigate how shifts in the tropical Pacific—critical to monsoon behavior—may evolve in a warming world and shape future water risks across South Asia

💬 One quote: “Repeated, long droughts—not a single catastrophe—pushed the civilization toward decline.” — Hiren Solanki, lead author

📈 One stat: The harshest drought lasted ~164 years and reduced annual rainfall by 13%.

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