A map-based complement for a study on social protection and inclusive climate change adaptation opportunities in India, Jordan and the Sahel
CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security team
[Excerpt]
Introduction
This story map touches on important questions on the role of social protection for climate change adaptation and sheds light on some key challenges, including around equity. It shares findings from a study by CGIAR FOCUS Climate Security team and includes three deep dives into social protection landscapes and programmes in India, Jordan and the Sahel region. Through a literature review, expert interviews and our three regional deep dives, we asked how practices on the ground are changing and how climate change is considered in the design of social protection programmes.
Social protection refers to any action, program or strategy that aims to address poverty and livelihood risks facing vulnerable groups.
In short, it aims to:
- Protect people against hardship and poverty
- Prevent future hardship and poverty
- Promote personal skills and income opportunities
- Transform root causes of vulnerability to empower people
Social protection takes on many forms. It includes health and unemployment insurance, public works and labour policies, as well as food and cash assistance, among others.
Globally, the impacts of social inequality, poverty and climate change continue to drive crises and disproportionately affect low and middle-income countries (IPCC 2022) . Climate impacts tend to affect already under-resourced systems and create new risks that are not covered by existing programmes (Aleksandrova and Costella 2021) .
Social protection presents an opportunity to bridge the gap in coverage for climate change by also including at-risk groups such as women, girls and displaced populations.
So how does social protection connect to climate change adaptation?
Over the years, the links between social protection and climate change adaptation have been explored by many ( Sengupta and Dahlet 2023 ; Costella et al., 2021 ; Aleksandrova 2021 ; Johnson et al. 2013 ; Kuriakose et al. 2013 ).
Social protection programmes can link with climate change adaptation in a few different ways:
- Integrating climate risk information in the design of social protection programs to better inform targeting
- Making climate resilience a clear objective of social protection instruments. For example, to create climate sensitive assets and resilient infrastructure through public works and food- or cash-for work programmes
- Including climate resilience as a clear outcome in complementary programmes, such as knowledge and technology transfers, asset creation and insuring assets against climate risks
Till now, different terms have been used to link social protection to climate change adaptation, including “adaptive”, “transformative”, “climate-responsive” and “shock-responsive” social protection. For more details on how these concepts have evolved over time, check out our short piece ‘ Adaptive social protection: a persistent illusion or the way forward for climate adaptation and social inclusion? '
Social Protection Coverage and Climate Change Impacts
Looking at social protection globally, it's clear that access is uneven. Only 46.9 per cent of the global population are covered by one or more social protection benefits and in Africa, less than 17.4 per cent of the population in Africa is covered ( Aleksandrova et al., 2023 ).
“3.8 billion people are still entirely unprotected from life’s challenges and the impacts of climate change”( ILO 2024 )
The challenge is that many of those lacking access to social protection also live in areas with high exposure to climate-related risks. These risks are not isolated but often occur simultaneously, amplifying their impacts and complicating efforts to adapt.
Climate hazards such as heatwaves, droughts, and floods have increasingly affected communities worldwide, particularly those already vulnerable due to limited access to social protection. These hazards often occur concurrently, creating compounding impacts that significantly exacerbate vulnerability. To capture the interplay of these hazards, the Compound Hazard Index has been developed (read more on the index here ).
This index combines the effects of heat, drought, and flood risks, providing a comprehensive view of areas most exposed to overlapping climate threats.