The Indian monsoon, which sees much variability, has been crucial to the country's economy. It affects 42% of employed individuals in the country — farmers and those working in the agricultural sector. At times, a 'normal' monsoon brings enough rain to keep everyone happy, but sometimes, there is either a deluge or a drought. With recent meteorological advances, these variations can be predicted and recorded. But, how do we go back hundreds of years in time to understand the historical variability in Indian monsoon? Corals in the Red Sea may have answers, says a study by American researchers.

It’s getting tougher for the Royle’s pikas to survive in the Himalayas. But, these tiny, herbivores wouldn't move as they are particular about where they live. Restricted to rocky, mountainous terrains, they are now facing the wrath of rising temperatures and fluctuating environments. What would become of them in a few more decades? Can these fussy relatives of the rabbit find new homes and thrive? A new study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun tries to find out what the future holds for them, and that the findings are not good news.

Every year, the 5th of June is observed as the World Environment Day to “encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment”. For 2019, the theme is ‘Air Pollution’, and the host country is China. On this occasion, Research Matters caught up with three leading scientists from the country that are actively pursuing research on different aspects of air pollution. The three researchers, Prof. A R Ravishankara, Prof. S K Satheesh and Prof. Navakanta Bhat shared their work and thoughts on the ‘burning’ problem of air pollution.

Researchers study how fishermen respond to extreme weather warnings and adapt to ill-effects of climate change.