Connecting social protection and climate change adaptation

This brief argues that social protection initiatives are as much at risk from climate change as other development approaches. The authors think that these initiatives are unlikely to succeed in reducing poverty if they do not consider both the short and long-term shocks and stresses associated with climate change.

The authors introduce the concept of “adaptive social protection”.  Their framework of adaptive social protection characterises social protection measures that acknowledge the changing nature of climate-related impacts, including the future existence of new conditions. The framework helps towards identifying and mitigating gaps between agendas, thereby encouraging the development of more comprehensive and appropriate approaches.  The paper also acknowledges that one of the limitations to developing appropriate long-term adaptive social protection options is the uncertainty attached toclimate change impact modelling.

 
The document underlines the following features of the adaptive social protection framework:

• an emphasis on promotion that aims to transform productive livelihoods, as well as protect and adapt to changing climate conditions, rather than simply reinforcing coping mechanisms
• an understanding of the structural root causes of poverty in a particular region or sector, permitting more effective targeting of vulnerability to multiple shocks and stresses
• incorporation of a rights-based rationale for action, stressing equity and justice dimensions of chronic poverty and climate change adaptation
• an enhanced role for research to inform the development and targeting of social protection policies and measures
• a long-term perspective for social protection policies that takes into account the changing nature of shocks and stresses.