Prevalence of depression among elderly women in India-An intersectional analysis of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), 2017-2018.

Epidemiological transition in India shows a shift in disease burden from youth to the elderly. As Life Expectancy increases, a greater burden is placed on the state, society, and families in India. Mental health disorders are insidious, debilitating Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) that afflict people, their families, and generations down the line. Globally, depression is the leading cause of mental health-related disability. It is estimated that mental illness contributes to 4.7% of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in India. It is predicted that by 2026, the elderly's sex ratio will increase to 1,060 feminizing ageing. Research has shown that elderly women in developed countries like the United States are more prone to depression. Chronic morbidities are more common in women than in men, and they may suffer from poor vision, depression, impaired physical performance, and elder abuse. Mostly widowed, economically dependent, lacking proper food and clothing, fearing the future, and lacking proper care, they have difficulty coping with these health problems. There are surprisingly few studies on elderly female depression. Therefore, we want to hypothesize the prevalence of depression among women in different regions and demographic groups in India, and what factors may contribute to these differences. Using intersectional analysis with the data from Wave 1 (2017-2018) of the (Longitudinal Ageing Study in India) LASI (N = 16,737) we were able to explore the intersecting patterns between different variables and how people are positioned simultaneously and position themselves in different multiple categories based on the type of place of residence, age and level of education. Through the study we further aim to determine the prevalence of depression among elderly female in the age group of 60 in different states using the Chloropleth map. The findings of the study highlight the significance of the place of residence in the development of depression among elderly women, with the rural area being associated with a higher prevalence of depression compared to urban area. When compared to people with higher literacy, those with low literacy were significantly associated with depression. State-wise, there is a huge difference between the prevalence of elderly women depression in rural and urban areas. The study highlights the vulnerability of elderly women to depression. It is possible for the government to develop programs that address the needs of elderly women, both in urban and rural areas, to reduce depression. Multi-factor approaches to mental health, which consider age, literacy, and location, are essential. Programs targeting specific populations can be developed to address depression's root causes..

Emission inventory for road transport in India in 2020: framework and post facto policy impact assessment.

India's growing population and economic development lead to an increase in transport emissions. Quantification of emission at frequent intervals is required to assess the emission levels and impact of implemented control policies. Implemented policies affect the fleet configuration over time. Therefore, in the present paper, an age-wise emission analysis framework is developed for the road transport sector with updated fleet characteristics corresponding to the vehicles' age. The results show that fuel consumption is estimated to be 92 (87-95) Mt, and total CO2, CO, PM, and NOx vehicle emissions are estimated to be 274 (265-292) Tg, 4463 (3253-6676) Gg, 164 (119-250) Gg, and 2378 (2191-3045) Gg, respectively for the reference year 2020. The study contributes by developing an inventory for the fleet of 2020, which is used as a benchmark to compare past emission inventory, evaluate control policies, estimate state-wise vehicle emission inventories, and identify significant emitters in the fleet. Sensitivity analysis indicates the considerable variation in total emissions resulting from different age-mix of vehicles. Among the investigated policies, advancement in emission norms followed by fuel efficiency improvement in vehicles led to a substantial reduction in gaseous pollutants. Based on the inventory results, suitable policies are suggested for India's future fleet, and the need for country-level fleet characteristics data is recommended.

Risk mapping of Indian coastal districts using IPCC-AR5 framework and multi-attribute decision-making approach.

Strategic location of coastal areas across the world causes them to be prone to disaster risks. In the global south, the Indian coast is one of the most susceptible to oceanic extreme events, such as cyclones, storm surge and high tides. This study provides an understanding of the risk experienced (currently as well as back in 2001) by the districts along the Indian coastline by developing a quantitative risk index. In the process, it attempts to make a novel contribution to the risk literature by following the definition of risk as a function of hazard, exposure and vulnerability as stated in the most recent (Fifth) assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Indicators of bio-physical hazards (such as cyclones, storm surge, tides and precipitation), and socio-economic contributors of vulnerability (such as infrastructure, technology, finance and social nets) and exposure (space), are combined to develop an overall risk index at a fine administrative scale of district-level over the entire coastline. Further, the study employs a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) method, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), to combine the contributing indicators and generate indices on hazard, exposure and vulnerability. The product of these three components is thereafter defined as risk. The results suggest that most districts of the eastern coast have higher risk indices compared to those in the west, and the risk has increased since 2001. The higher risk can be attributed to the higher hazard indices in the eastern districts which are aggravated by their higher vulnerability index values. This study is the first effort made to map risk for the entire coastline of India - which in turn has resulted in a new cartographic product at a district-scale. Such assessments and maps have implications for environmental and risk-managers as they can help identify the regions needing adaptive interventions.

A framework to investigate drivers of adaptation decisions in marine fishing: Evidence from urban, semi-urban and rural communities.

Traditional fishing livelihoods need to adapt to changing fish catch/populations, led by numerous anthropogenic, environmental and climatic stressors. The decision to adapt can be influenced by a variety of socio-economic and perceptual factors. However, adaptation decision-making in fishing communities has rarely been studied. Based on previous literature and focus group discussions with community, this study identifies few prominent adaptation responses in marine fishing and proposes credible factors driving decisions to adopt them. Further, a household survey is conducted, and the association of these drivers with various adaptation strategies is examined among fisherfolk of Maharashtra (India). This statistical analysis is based on 601 responses collected across three regional fishing groups: urban, semi-urban and rural. Regional segregation is done to understand variability in decision-making among groups which might be having different socio-economic and perceptual attributes. The survey reveals that only few urban fishing households have been able to diversify into other livelihoods. While having economic capital increases the likelihood of adaptation among urban and semi-urban communities, rural fishermen are significantly driven by social capital. Perception of climate change affecting fish catch drives adoption of mechanized boats solely in urban region. But increasing number of extreme events affects decisions of semi-urban and rural fishermen. Further, rising pollution and trade competition is associated with adaptation responses in the urban and semi-urban community. Higher education might help fishermen choose convenient forms of adaptation. Also, cooperative membership and subsidies are critical in adaptation decisions. The framework and insights of the study suggest the importance of acknowledging differential decision-making of individuals and communities, for designing effective adaptation and capacity-building policies.