Multidimensional Energy Poverty Deprivations, Related Disparities and Its Reflections on Health

Priyandu M Bajpayee, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Dr Pratap Chandra Mohanty, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee

Energy access is a global need. However, a significant share of population is deprived of it, making it a universal challenge. While the deprivation of direct energy sources like electricity and cooking fuel is often stated in various reports, accounting for multidimensional nature energy is necessary. So, using a comprehensive set of indicators, the study estimates the prevalent incidence of energy poverty. Further, the study also accounts for the changes in the intensity of energy poverty over the years. As the results show that the prevalence of energy poverty is highly unequal across regions and social groups, the study further explores the possible factors associated with energy poverty and related disparities. Additionally, the study also explores the nexus between energy poverty and health. Results show that the share of energy-poor households has decreased over the years. However, the transition has been highly unequal, with the majority of the transition happening for better-off social groups while keeping the marginalized ones still energy-deprived. Next, our analysis shows that energy disparity is also reflected in health disparity. We find a negative impact of energy poverty on the health of individuals, highlighting the far-reaching consequences of energy deprivation. Highlighting need for a pro-poor policy.

Keywords: Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Health and Morbidity, Decomposition analysis, Population Policies

See extended abstract.