December 2023
In the December issue of Geographical, we shine a light on the global efforts to save a magical but little-understood insect: the firefly. Like many species – from the tiniest ocean organisms to migrating birds – fireflies are increasingly threatened by light pollution, which interferes with the bioluminescent beetle’s ability to communicate and breed. Today, more than 80 per cent of the world lives under a light-polluted sky. However, there are signs of change, as we learn in this month’s cover story.
Also in this month’s issue: Chris Aslan takes a trip to the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth largest lake, and explores the horrifying tale of its demise; documentary photographer Sean Sutton reveals the important work of NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in Abyei, a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan, where communities face multiple crises; and we meet the craftsmen using ancient skills to rebuild Paris’ Notre Dame as it was 800 years ago.
