Mapping the integration of climate considerations in social protection in LMICs: An assessment of ninety-eight climate-relevant social protection programs

Abstract

Social protection can be an important policy tool to manage the socioeconomic impacts of climate change and climate risk, including poverty and inequality. Despite growing interest from policy makers and academics, a systematic effort document capture and analyze the current integration of climate considerations in social protection programs does not yet exist. This understanding is crucial for designing climate-relevant policies and programs that help more effectively manage climate change impacts.Our research systematically maps for the first time the integration of climate considerations in social protection programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Using a mixed-methods approach, we identify 98 climate-relevant social protection programs and collect data on over 70 variables related to their scope and climate relevance at policy, design, and implementation level. We seek to answer the question: to what extent and how are social protection programs in LMICs climate-relevant? for further research.Our findings reveal a significant number of long-standing climate-relevant social protection programs that reach large populations and involve substantial financial investments globally. At policy level, these programs often lack climate considerations, and a minority are primarily climate-focused by design. At the implementation level, most programs show climate-relevant actions or results, typically centered on shock response, though our findings suggest they have the potential to address broader climate functions. Overall, our results empirically substantiate long-held assumptions about climate-relevant social protection and highlight areas for further research. We also make the database openly available and encourage its use by policymakers and practitioners.