Water vapor heats the atmosphere much more than aerosols do: new study

• New ARIES–IIA-led study (Jan 2026 release) quantifying that water vapour contributes ~3–4× more atmospheric radiative heating than aerosols over the Himalayan/Indo-Gangetic belt.
• Adds nuance to the climate-change discourse: aerosols are not the only short-lived climate forcer of monsoon disruption — water vapour radiative forcing must be co-modelled.
• Relevant for GS-III (Environment, S&T) and GS-I (Geography — Monsoon); touches institutional ecosystem (DST, AERONET).