Promoting resilient livelihoods through adaptive social protection: lessons from 124 programmes in South Asia

Adaptive Social Protection refers to efforts to integrate social protection (SP), disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). The need to integrate these three domains is now increasingly recognized by practitioners and academics. Relying on 124 agricultural programmes implemented in 5 countries in Asia, this paper considers how these elements are being brought together, and explores the potential gains of these linkages. The analysis shows that full integration of SP, DRR and CCA interventions is still relatively limited but that when it occurs, integration helps to shift the time horizon beyond short-term interventions aimed at supporting peoples’ coping strategies and/or graduation objectives, toward longer-term interventions that can assist in promoting transformation towards climate and disaster resilient livelihood options.

Adaptive social protection: mapping the evidence and policy context in the agriculture sector in south Asia

An aim of government and the international community is to respond to global processes and crises through a range of policy and practical approaches that help limit damage from shocks and stresses. Three approaches to vulnerability reduction that have become particularly prominent in recent years are social protection (SP), disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Although these approaches have much in common, they have developed separately over the last two decades. However, given the increasingly complex and interlinked array of risks that poor and vulnerable people face, it is likely that they will not be sufficient in the long run if they continue to be applied in isolation from one another. In recognition of this challenge, the concept of Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) has been developed. ASP refers to a series of measures which aims to build resilience of the poorest and most vulnerable people to climate change by combining elements of SP, DRR and CCA in programmes and projects. The aim of this paper is to provide an initial assessment of the ways in which these elements are being brought together in development policy and practice. It does this by conducting a meta-analysis of 124 agricultural programmes implemented in five countries in south Asia. These are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The findings show that full integration of SP, DRR and CCA is relatively limited in south Asia, although there has been significant progress in combining SP and DRR in the last ten years. Projects that combine elements of SP, DRR and CCA tend to emphasise broad poverty and vulnerability reduction goals relative to those that do not. Such approaches can provide valuable lessons and insights for the promotion of climate resilient livelihoods amongst policymakers and practitioners.

Micro finance programs: caring for those missed by formal social protection mechanism

In line with the current global trend of economic and social restructuring, it has become essential to address the issue of poverty and social protection for the poorer segment of the population who are not covered by formal social protection mechanisms. Micro finance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries have been working towards poverty alleviation and enhancing social protection for the last few decades. MFI’s provision of financial assistance to the poor has been instrumental in improving the overall quality of the impoverished. Based on an in-depth qualitative study conducted across three different types of NGOs (Non Governmental Organization) in the Philippines, this study found a relationship between micro finance programs and improved social protection. The study reveals that MFIs have the ability to make a positive impact on areas such as entrepreneurship, education, housing, job security and income generation.

Marketization and perceptions of social protection in China's cities

One of the major challenges for China's ongoing economic reforms is how best to handle the social protection needs of its citizens in the face of mounting insecurities resulting from the marketization process. We first argue that China has adopted a middle road in its approach to balancing marketization and stability. We then proceed to draw on a large survey of people living in China's cities to examine how successful China's middle road has been perceived to be through the eyes of its urban populace. Our findings support the view that the market and state are complements and that fostering sustained economic growth requires sound social protection arrangements. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flexibility and security in the labour market: improving social protection for Brazilian workers

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Inclusive Social Protection in Latin America: a comprehensive, rights-based approach

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Shaping the future of social protection: access, financing and solidarity: summary

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