BLOG POST 7: PRIORITIZATION AND RANKING OF SHOCKS AND STRESSES IN THARAKA

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BLOG POST 7:   PRIORITIZATION AND RANKING OF SHOCKS AND STRESSES IN THARAKA


Blog post 5 has identified common natural and man-made shocks and stresses that affect Tharaka households. This blog post identifies how common shocks identified in blog post 5 are prioritized and ranked. Further analysis concerning this sub-theme is underway. More insights will emerge from the analysis of the field data. In the meantime, the following insights emerge.

First, the Tharaka people prioritize shocks and stresses that affect them directly first compared to those that do not affect them directly. For example, drought has more direct effects than bad governance.

Second, the Tharaka people prioritize shocks and stresses that have widespread and more intense effects than those that affect fewer people or mild effects. Thus, major disease outbreak such as cholera s prioritized more compared to wildlife invasion.

Third, shocks those shocks that are abrupt, widespread and with intense effects are prioritized than frequent shocks with mild effects. Thus, cholera outbreak is more prioritized compared to malaria, which is hypo endemic in Tharaka.

Fourth, shocks and stresses that are widespread, with intense effects and with capacity to cause other shocks and stresses over a wide area are more prioritized than simple and more localized shocks. Thus, drought or market malpractices are more prioritized compared to wildlife invasion.

Fifth, natural shocks and stresses such as drought is ore prioritized compare to manmade shocks and stresses especially those that are not widespread and with mild effects.

In light of the above, it emerges that the Tharaka prioritize shocks and stresses in terms of the following dimensions:

-       Whether direct or indirect effects
-       Extent of widespread
-       Severity of effects 
-       Nature of causes i.e. whether natural or man made
-       Whether abrupt or slow in occurrence

Using these criteria, it emerges that the following shocks and stresses are more prioritized than others:

1.      Drought and its effects
2.      Pests and diseases affecting crops, especially commercial crops
3.      Human diseases - outbreak of diseases, HIV/AIDs
4.      Water scarcity
5.      Alcoholism
6.      Conflict (intra-household and inter-community) 

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