Protecting Children from Poverty and Disasters in East Asia and the Pacific. A Symposium on Linkages between Social Protection and Disaster Risk. 22-23 May 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand Linking Social Protection with Disaster Risk Management (DRM) & Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Cynthia Burton Independent Consultant
WHAT DO SP-DRM- AND CCA HAVE IN COMMON?
Role of Social Protection Policies, systems, and programs to prevent, reduce and eliminate economic and social vulnerabilities to poverty and deprivation: Protect the poorest & most vulnerable from economic downturns and shocks Improve their ability to manage the risk of impacts from different kinds of shocks Promote social cohesion/equity by redistributing wealth & providing social services Build a foundation to graduate from poverty
Role of DRM Policies, systems and programs that help individuals and society: To lessen the adverse impacts of hazards and disasters To improve coping capacities To reduce the exposure and vulnerability of people and property to hazard and disaster impacts
Role of CCA Policies, systems and programs that help individuals and society: To moderate the harmful effects of weatherrelated changes ( & identify opportunities) To cope with those impacts that cannot be avoided To anticipate and adapt to these impacts to minimize their human and environmental toll
What do they have in common? SP CCA DRM
SP-DRM-CCA All work with the poor and vulnerable to: Increase their resilience to withstand shocks Improve their ability to reduce/manage risk Reduce their poverty (a risk factor in DRM/CCA)
WHY LINK SOCIAL PROTECTION WITH DRM / CCA?
Poverty increases the risks of adverse disaster impacts
The lower the GDP, the more people killed by natural disasters
Why? The poor/socially marginalised often live in places more exposed to hazard risks They have less ability to cope with and recover from disaster impacts They have less voice and influence They depend on informal safety nets that become stretched after major shocks They are adversely affected by delays in, or lack of access to, relief/early recovery responses
Disaster impacts increase the risks of poverty
Why? The capacity to cope with future shocks is eroded - Especially in places that face recurrent disaster events
Example: The Philippines Cyclones Ketsana and Parma (2009) Poverty incidence in most affected regions up as much as 3% and nation-wide up by 0.5 %
Results The benefits of SP systems are eroded. The SP systems come under pressure from an ever-expanding client base. A key risk factor for adverse disaster and climate change impacts - poverty continues to grow.
Projected poverty levels in 2030 in countries ranking highest on multihazard index
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER?
Benefits Social protection approaches have been successfully used to: 1. Reduce disaster and climate-related impacts on the poorest 2. Protect the poor from total destitution 3. Enhance ability of the poor & vulnerable to reduce existing disaster impact risks and adapt to new/increased risks as a result of climate change
HOW CAN WE LINK DRM AND CCA WITH SOCIAL PROTECTION?
Conceptual Framework: Humanitarian Action Social Protection Risk Mitigation Risk Coping Risk Reduction Preventive Measures (ex-ante) DISASTER Protective Measures (Recovery) Promotive Measures (Long-term adaptation)
Risk Mitigation (Prevention) Social insurance eg weather, crops, health Disaster preparedness - eg responsive, scalable cash transfer programs
Risk Coping (Protection) Cash transfers In-kind transfers
Risk Coping (Protection) Education and health service fee waivers Public works programs to build/restore communal assets (eg clearing rubble, restoring markets) Facilitation of inflow of remittances from family members (eg mobile banking) Social services
Risk Reduction (Promotion) Regular, reliable cash transfers Agricultural extension Micro-finance Weather-resistant crop/livestock varieties Skills training & labour facilitation
Risk Reduction: Adaptation Social protection programs should build the capacity of communities and households to cope with and adapt to future shocks. They can do so by strengthening communities physical assets and supporting livelihoods that are designed to respond to expected changes. - Eg farming no longer possible
HOW DO WE DO THIS?
Systems Approach It is more effective to take a multi-sectoral and integrated approach to addressing the risks from a range of shocks and stresses
Why? Vulnerability changes over time. Vulnerability is shaped by interconnected shocks and stresses. It must be addressed as such.
WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF A SYSTEMS APPROACH?
Key Features Engage in disaster-and climate-aware planning Coordinate institutional partners Ensure scalability and flexibility of SP mechanisms Incorporate vulnerability to natural disasters and CC-related risks into SP beneficiary targeting Ensure good communications and accountability of programs
Planning & Coordination Critical features for a sound institutional platform: 1. Effective formal communication channels and linkages among SP, DRM, and relevant sectoral agencies, including those responsible for early warning systems 2. Clearly defined roles and responsibilities of all agencies and other implementing partners, eg NGOs, private sector organizations 3. Linkages and information-sharing arrangements with the broader humanitarian response system, such as the United Nations led emergency cluster system.
Scalability (Disaster Response) The faster support reaches people affected by a disaster, the less likely they are to resort to negative coping strategies Creating early warning systems, establishing contingency financing/plans, building institutional capacity, and creating partnerships ahead of crises can significantly reduce the time it takes to respond to a crisis
Targeting Incorporate disaster- and climate changesensitive criteria into beneficiary selection processes Develop 2 types of DRM/CCA criteria: 1. One set for longer-term programming 2. One set for disaster response
Good communications/accountability Ensure participation in decision-making by communities and vulnerable groups Establish good two-way communications and feedback mechanisms Manage fiduciary risks Integrate disaster and climate-sensitive performance criteria into M&E systems
Thank you
Case Study: Mexico Programa de Empleo Temporal (PET)
Questions 1. What do you consider to be the most interesting features of the design of PET, in terms of integrating SP with DRM & CCA? 2. How could you incorporate or adapt any of these features to increase SP-DRM-CCA linkages into your current work? 3. What features would you add to improve the PET, based on your own experience?