Water Insecurity, Water Borrowing, and Psychosocial Stress Among Daasanach Pastoralists in Northern Kenya

Overview

Journal Water Int

Date 2024 May 27

PMID 38800511

Authors

Leslie Ford

Hilary J Bethancourt

Zane Swanson

Rosemary Nzunza

Amber Wutich

Alexandra Brewis

Sera Young

David Almeida

Matthew Douglass

Emmanuel K Ndiema

David R Braun

Herman Pontzer

Asher Y Rosinger

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This article quantifies Daasanach water insecurity experiences in Northern Kenya, examines how water insecurity is associated with water borrowing and psychosocial stress, and evaluates if water borrowing mitigates the stress from water insecurity. Of 133 households interviewed in 7 communities, 94% were water insecure and 74.4% borrowed water three or more times in the prior month. Regression analyses demonstrate water borrowing frequency moderates the relationship between water insecurity and psychosocial stress. Only those who rarely or never borrowed water reported greater stress with higher water insecurity. The coping mechanism of water borrowing may help blunt water insecurity-related stress.

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