Institute of Development Studies

Adaptive Social Protection

'Social Protection Approaches for Climate Change '

Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) is the combination of social protection (SP), disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) in policy and practice as a means to promote climate-resilient rural livelihoods in developing countries.

ASP is important because considerable quantities of finance are already beginning to flow to developing countries to support climate change and development activities, and governments and donors are starting to accelerate adaptation efforts. However, whilst there is significant recognition of the need for adaptation to assist the poorest and most vulnerable populations, understanding of the best ways in which to channel resources to such groups is less well developed. ASP provides a significant number of policy and programmatic options through which to support those whose livelihoods are most threatened by climate change.

In addition, it is becoming increasingly recognised that SP initiatives in developing countries, such as cash transfers and work-for-food programmes, are as much at risk from climate change as other development approaches, and are unlikely to succeed in reducing poverty if they do not consider the short and long-term shocks associated with climate change. ASP presents an opportunity to address this concern by developing climate change-resilient SP programmes that support the livelihoods of the poorest and most vulnerable.

IDS is currently engaged in a variety of research, networking and advocacy activities related to ASP, including:

• A 2.5-year DFID-funded Programme entitled: 'ASP in the Context of Agriculture and Food Security'
• An International Workshop entitled 'Making Social Protection Work for Pro-Poor Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation' which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 2011. Find out more on the workshop website. The workshop report (9.11Mb pdf) is now available to download.

See the ASP page for more programme information.

Email: asp@ids.ac.uk

• IDS key contact: Christophe Béné
• Project dates: January 2008 - March 2012
• Project status: Open
• Funder: Department for International Development (DFID); Commission on Climate Change and Development; World Bank

Researchers

• Christophe Béné
• Mark Davies
• Andy Newsham
• Susanne Schirmer

Selected Outputs

• Arnall, A., Oswald, K., Davies, M., Mitchell, T. and Coirolo, C. (2010) 'Adaptive Social Protection: Mapping the Evidence and Policy Context in the Agriculture Sector in South Asia', IDS Working Paper 345, Brighton: IDS
• Arnall, A. (2009) 'Roundtable on Climate Change and Social Protection'
• Davies, M., Guenther, B., Leavy, J., Mitchell, T., Tanner, T. (2008) 'Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Social Protection: Complementary Roles in Agriculture and Rural Growth', IDS Working Paper 320, Brighton: IDS
• Davies, M., Guenther, B., Leavy, J., Mitchell, T. and Tanner, T. (2008) 'Adaptive Social Protection Synergies for Poverty Reduction', IDS Bulletin 39.4:105-112, Brighton: IDS
• Davies, M, Leavy, J, Mitchell, T and Tanner, T (2008) 'Social Protection and Climate Change Adaptation'
• Davies, M., Oswald, K., Mitchell, T. and Tanner, T. (2008) 'Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Social Protection'

Selected News

• IDS / World Bank report calls for integration of Social Protection, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction
• Protecting livelihoods of the poorest from the impacts of climate change
• CSP Newsletter March Issue 16 Adaptive Social Protection

Selected Events

• Making Social Protection Work for Pro-Poor Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation - International Workshop - 14/03/2011
  

  Making Social Protection Work for Pro-Poor Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, an International Workshop was held in March 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.