Indoor Environmental Quality of Low-Income Housing in Delhi, India: Findings from a Field Study

摘要

Indoor environmental quality has crucial links to occupant health and well-being. Delhi has experienced rapid population growth and, as a result, there has been a substantial escalation of informal housing that now accounts for up to half of the housing stock. In this work, we investigate the indoor environmental quality in a sample of low-income households in order to make recommendations for housing provision and to improve the health of occupants. The study takes a mixed-method approach to provide a wider understanding of the indoor environmental quality. Indoor temperature monitoring was carried out over a winter period, allowing a review of building performance. Focus groups with household residents allowed comparison between measured and perceived conditions and highlighted a number of housing issues, which is useful in guiding interventions. Indoor temperature ranges were found to vary significantly within and between dwellings, with the greatest range seen in dwellings constructed with temporary materials. All dwellings failed to provide comfortable temperatures above 21°C for more than 40% of hours during the winter monitoring period, suggesting occupant discomfort and risk to health from exposure to cold temperatures. Occupants were found to have multiple adaptive strategies to overcome poorly performing dwellings. However, health is compromised by some approaches, such as the open use of firewood indoors. Thus, substantial work is necessary to improve indoor environmental quality. Interventions which replace roof materials and increasing window areas could potentially improve both actual and perceived conditions.