Health, income inequality and climate related disasters at household level: reflections from an Orissa District

Rural households tend to rely heavily on climate-sensitive resources. Climate Change can reduce the availability of these local natural resources, limiting the options for rural households that depend on natural resources for consumption or economic activities. During and after the climate related disasters the health condition of the rural households get adversely affected and hence, reduce the ability to employ themselves in economic activities and income of the households get adversely affected. In this connection, this paper is an attempt to analyze the adverse health effect due to climate related disasters; mostly due to flood. To understand this phenomenon, this work utilizes primary data collected at the household level from select villages of Kendrapada district in Orissa state in India. The sample consists of 150 rural households. We try to link income and health inequality of the sample households and analyze whether climate related disaster and climate shocks have any impact on their health behavior. We have further attempted to check the difference or similarity in health losses based on each coping strategies of the sample households. Using an econometric approach this study further finds the determinants of health impact of the households due to climate related disasters.