Indus Civilization Faces Decline from Long Droughts

(MENAFN) A recent scientific investigation indicates that the abrupt downfall of the ancient Indus River Valley civilization—renowned for its sophisticated urban planning, brick architecture, early sanitation systems, and dynamic trade networks—was caused not by conflict or political turmoil but by a succession of extended and intensifying droughts.

The Indus civilization, located in what is now Pakistan and northwest India, thrived between 3300 and 1300 B.C., matching the sophistication of Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.

However, cities such as Harappa eventually experienced decline and were deserted, leaving one of history’s most puzzling enigmas.

In a study released Thursday in the scientific journal Communications Earth & Environment, an international research team reconstructed the ancient climate of the region by analyzing paleoclimate evidence from caves, lakes, and climate simulations.

Their analysis identified four severe drought periods, each lasting over 85 years, which progressively diminished rainfall, dried river systems, and parched agricultural land.

“The most surprising finding is that the Harappan decline was driven not by a single catastrophic event but by repeated, long and intensifying river droughts lasting centuries," lead author Hiren Solanki stated, according to a media outlet.

Co-author Balaji Rajagopalan added that food scarcities and fragile governance likely exacerbated the impacts of these droughts, gradually pushing communities “more and more toward decline and dispersement.”

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