The frequency and severity of disasters and other debilitating impacts of climate change are principal threats to economic growth, human capital, and well-being, with high costs to countries and people. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) continue to experience high vulnerability to disaster risk, with significant costs to Governments, communities and households. Climate change also threatens to alter sources of income and livelihoods for LAC countries and their populations. Compounding this, is the pervasive threat of other exogenous shocks, including economic crises and pandemics, that continues to threaten progress towards improving shared prosperity in the region. Ensuring that disasters and other shocks do not debilitate livelihoods, human capital, and well-being of LAC populations are therefore of utmost importance.
At the same time, LAC countries have been pioneers in the design and use of Social Protection (SP) benefits, services, and delivery systems to help poor and vulnerable households and individuals manage risk, with demonstrated outcomes in poverty reduction and building human capital. Despite this, there remains diversity in the maturity and performance of SP systems in several LAC countries which hinders effective use of SP systems to respond to climate and disaster risk. Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) "helps to build the resilience of households that are vulnerable to shocks through direct investments that support their capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to shocks; protecting their wellbeing and ensuring that they do not fall into poverty or become trapped in poverty as a result of the impacts (World Bank, 2020)." By ensuring the development of ASP systems, LAC countries can improve resilience among poor and vulnerable households; ensure faster, appropriate, and more adequate SP responses to the impacts of varied shocks on households; and be better prepared to provide more systematic SP response in future emergencies.
This series of guidance notes aims to serve as a consultation tool in the design of ASP Systems in LAC countries to better address disasters and climate risks. While these notes focus on disasters caused by natural hazards, the framework and lessons are also applicable to other types of emergencies and shocks, including economic shocks, health pandemics, and shocks caused by conflict.
These notes have been developed with the generous support from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and the World Bank's Rapid Social Response Trust Fund Program, which is supported by the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The synthesis note provides a stocktaking of the specific disaster risks faced by Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries; provides an overview of Social Protection systems and performance in the region; establishes a general framework to assess Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) capacity in LAC; and provides guidance on better using SP systems in LAC to support Disaster Risk Management (DRM).
Download in
This note shares country experiences and provides solutions for effectively assessing post-disaster needs and conditions among households affected by disasters to better inform the provision of post-disaster Social Protection benefits and services.
Download in
Making Social Protection Information Systems Adaptive
This note provides an overview of Social Protection Information Systems (SPISs) and Disaster Risk Information Systems, as well as a framework to assess maturity in the use of SPISs. The note concludes by summarizing how LAC countries can better use their SPISs to support ASP and DRM objectives.
Download in
Tailoring Adaptive Social Safety Nets to Latin America and the Caribbean
This note presents key lessons and design considerations for LAC countries to better use their Social Safety Net programs to help individuals and households prepare, cope and adapt to the shocks they face.
Download in
This note is particularly concerned with guiding countries in the design and implementation of Social Work interventions, such as family accompaniment, case management and community interventions to contribute to the development of ASP systems. The note concludes with recommendations to assist LAC countries with designating a specific and unique role for Social Work to contribute to ASP and DRM objectives.
Download in
Disaster Risk Finance for Adaptive Social Protection
This note aims to improve understanding of DRF approaches among SP practitioners and outlines what LAC countries need to prioritize in order to ensure that appropriate financing arrangements are in place to support effective post-disaster SP response.
Download in