Hot Days, the Ability to Work and Climate Resilience: Evidence from a Representative Sample of 42,152 Indian Households

Abstract

The ability of people to work underpins most economic outcomes. Using data from the nationally representative India Human Development Survey (IHDS-II), with pre-scheduling of interview locations ensuring plausibly random assignment of temperature treatment to respondent, we evidence the impact of short-term (within-month) high temperatures on self-evaluated ability to work, and how that impact depends on individual living conditions. Other things equal a hot day (one in which maximum daytime temperature exceeds 37.7◦C (100◦F)) increases inability to work across the month by about 7%, or 1/20th of a day. Electricity to the home and cooler ownership have important but partial protective effects, we find no such evidence for piped water supply.