CONTENTSMay 2024 • Volume 96 • Issue 5

COVER STORY

42MOUNTAINGHOSTS Stuart Butler on the trail of the elusive snow leopard in the highlands of India’s Ladakh region

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MAPPING EVEREST The amazing cartographic story of Mount Everest and its early pioneers, as told in a new RGS book

A QUICK WIN Targeting methane, the second most potent greenhouse gas, could buy us time while we get our act together to cut CO2 emissions

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RUNNING OUT OF AID A vast influx of refugees to South Sudan from the war across its northern border is reaching crisis point

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TEA BREAK Sharing the revenue from Rooibos tea is transforming the lives of South Africa’s indigenous Khosian people

DEPARTMENTS WORLDWATCH 6 The Thar Desert 8 Shipwrecks 10 Research round-up 12 Phenomena: Lenticular clouds 18 Geo-graphic: Earthquakes

WORLDVIEW 13 Geopolitical hotspot: Tim Marshall on NATO 14 Climatewatch: Technology vs politics 15 Perspective: African hospitals

REGULARS 62 Gallery: Florian Ledoux 66 Book reviews 71 Equipment matters 74 Discovering Britain 76 RGS-IBG Archive 78 In Society. RGS-IBG events 80 Where in the world? 81 Crossword 82 Passport: Francesca Herrera

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MAY 2024 . 5