Shock-Responsive Social Protection
Compendium of Case Studies for G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group
Highlights
This document aims to present a selection of case studies from India and other countries showing how Shock-Responsive Social Protection approaches have been used in response to disasters and shocks, including climate change induced risks and the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Shock-Responsive Social Protection can contribute to strengthening disaster risk management along the four key priorities of the Sendai Framework in the following manner:
Understanding of disaster risk:
Shock- Responsive Social Protection supports the identification of vulnerable households and communities, the types of shocks that households and communities are vulnerable to, and the impacts of these shocks on their well-being. By incorporating a focus on populations vulnerable to shocks, social protection systems can inform disaster risk reduction strategies and improve disaster risk management.
Strengthen disaster risk governance:
Shock-Responsive Social Protection can help strengthen disaster risk governance by ensuring that disaster risk reduction and management are integrated into social protection policies and programmes. Shock- Responsive Social Protection programmes can build the resilience and preparedness of households before the onset of shocks, expand and provide an infrastructure for the delivery of disaster responses during crisis and help households recover and rehabilitate after shocks. By working together, disaster risk reduction and social protection systems can enhance the overall resilience of households to shocks.
Investing in disaster risk reduction:
Shock- Responsive Social Protection systems can help communities and households recover from shocks more quickly and effectively. Shock-Responsive Social Protection can contribute to investments in climate and disaster-smart infrastructure. Cash transfers, access to essential goods and services, and other forms of assistance reduce the impact of shocks on household well-being and improve the effectiveness of emergency response efforts.
Enhancing disaster preparedness:
Shock- Responsive Social Protection systems can also enhance disaster preparedness by providing an anticipatory safety net to vulnerable households and communities that can expand in response to shocks. By ensuring that households have access to basic necessities, such as food and shelter, during and after a shock, social protection systems can help reduce the need for emergency assistance and help households and communities “Build Back Better” after a disaster.
In line with G20 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) working group priority areas (1) Early warning early action and (4) Strengthened national and global disaster response system to address the consequences of increasing frequency and intensity of disasters, this compilation also seeks to initiate a knowledge and learning sharing process among the G20 nations and beyond on how to strengthen social protection systems for climate and Disaster Risk Management.
About the case studies
The 17 case studies (8 from India and 9 from other countries)3 presented in this document showcase different dimensions of hock-
Responsive Social Protection. For instance, the India case studies from CARE, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA), International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and
Caritas all illustrate how local actors, through information sharing and one-on-one follow up can help vulnerable individuals to be included into Government-provided social protection programmes, both in the aftermath of a shock as well as in anticipation of future ones, including those related to climate change.
They thus contribute to making households more prepared and resilient. These case studies also highlight the importance of case/social workers on the ground to help the most marginalized access Government-provided benefits.
