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OAJRC Environmental Science

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ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/oajrces.2026.06.001

Urban Health and Environmental Inequality: A Geostatistical Assessment in the Indian Context

Arshad Bhat1,*, Abid Qadir2, M. Lateef3

1Amity Institute of Liberal Arts, Amity University Mumbai, Mumbai 410206, Maharashtra, India.

2Department of Environmental Sciences, The Glocal University, Saharanpur 247001, U.P, India.

3Department of Commerce and Management, Gandhi Memorial College, Srinagar 190001, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

*Corresponding author:Arshad Bhat

Published: June 08, 2026

Abstract

Urban health disparities in India are becoming increasingly pronounced due to rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, and uneven spatial development. This paper explores the intersection of public health and environmental inequality through a geostatistical assessment of major Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. By employing spatial analysis techniques such as hotspot mapping, Moran’s I auto-correlation, and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), the paper identifies key environmental determinants of air pollution (PM2.5), land surface temperature (LST), green cover (NDVI), and water quality as critical contributors to adverse health outcomes. The results reveal strong spatial clustering of respiratory illnesses, heat-related disorders, and waterborne diseases in urban zones characterized by high population density, poor infrastructure, and limited access to healthcare services. These health burdens are disproportionately borne by marginalized communities living in informal settlements and urban peripheries, underscoring a pattern of spatial and environmental injustice. The findings further indicate that inadequate green infrastructure, poor sanitation, and exposure to extreme temperatures exacerbate vulnerabilities among women, children, and the elderly demographics, most susceptible to environmental health risks. This paper advocates for a spatially disaggregated, equity-oriented approach to urban planning and public health policy. Geostatistical tools offer a powerful framework for identifying health risk hotspots and guiding targeted interventions in urban India. The paper concludes that addressing environmental health disparities requires integrating spatial data into municipal decision-making, enhancing environmental monitoring, and prioritizing infrastructure development in underserved areas. By highlighting the spatial dynamics of environmental health inequality, this research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable urban development, climate resilience, and inclusive health governance in the Global South.

Keyword

Geostatistics; urbanization; inequity; environment; health

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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
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How to cite this paper

Urban Health and Environmental Inequality: A Geostatistical Assessment in the Indian Context

How to cite this paper: Arshad Bhat, Abid Qadir, M. Lateef (2026) Urban Health and Environmental Inequality: A Geostatistical Assessment in the Indian ContextOAJRC Environmental Science, 7(1), 1-14.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/oajrces.2026.06.001