Association of greenness with COVID-19 deaths: an ecological study of Indian districts

Présenté par : Ankit Sikarwar (ned) ; Discutant : Florian Bonnet (Ined)

World has witnessed a colossal death toll due to the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). A few environmental epidemiology studies have identified association of environmental factors (air pollution, greenness, temperature, etc.) with COVID-19 incidences and mortality, particularly in developed countries. India, being one of the most severely affected countries by the pandemic, still has a dearth of research exploring the linkages of environment and COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether district-level greenness exposure reduces the risk of COVID-19 deaths in India. The study analyzed death counts from the onset of the pandemic till the peak of the second wave (1st May, 2021) in India. The study is designed to use a combination of spatial data (gridded environmental and demographic data) and non-spatial data with the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems. The study also validates its results considering various issues related to Indian context such as under-reporting of COVID-19 deaths, critical air pollution levels, higher shares of poor and rural households, and other. Besides the possible interaction between greenness exposure and COVID-19 deaths, the study will also provide insight into the importance of using up-to-date gridded demographic data in epidemiological research in the absence of census and survey data.