Abstract
PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the roles of social protection in reducing and facilitating climate-induced migration. Social protection gained attention in the international climate negotiations with the establishment of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. Yet, its potential to address migration, considered as a key issue in the loss and damage debate, has not been sufficiently explored. This paper aims at identifying key characteristics of social protection schemes which could effectively address climate-induced migration and attempts to derive recommendations for policy design.Design/methodology/approachBased on the existing literature, the paper links empirical evidence on the effects of social protection to climate-related drivers of migration and the needs of vulnerable populations. This approach allows conceptually identifying characteristics of effective social protection policies.FindingsFindings indicate that social protection can be part of a proactive approach to managing climate-induced migration both in rural and urban areas. In particular, public work programmes offer solutions to different migration outcomes, from no to permanent migration. Benefits are achieved when programmes explicitly integrate climate change impacts into their design. Social protection can provide temporary support to facilitate migration, in situ adaptation or integration and adaptation in destination areas. It is no substitution for but can help trigger sustainable adaptation solutions.Originality/valueThe paper helps close research gaps regarding the potential roles and channels of social protection for addressing and facilitating climate-induced migration and providing public support in destination, mostly in urban areas.
Highlights
There is a broad consensus that climate change will affect human migration in different ways (Adger et al, 2014; Black et al, 2011; Foresight, 2011; Ionesco et al, 2017; Obokata et al, 2014; Piguet, 2012; Tacoli, 2009; Warner and Afifi, 2014)
Building on the existing research, this paper demonstrates that social protection, or public work programmes, can play various roles in a national policy framework addressing migration due to climate change
To explore the benefits of social protection programmes for adaptation or for climate-induced migration, this paper focuses on two social protection schemes recognized for their innovative design and substantial potential to address climate change: the Indian Mahatma Gandhi National
Summary
There is a broad consensus that climate change will affect human migration in different ways (Adger et al, 2014; Black et al, 2011; Foresight, 2011; Ionesco et al, 2017; Obokata et al, 2014; Piguet, 2012; Tacoli, 2009; Warner and Afifi, 2014). Recent policy interventions link employment generation to investments in rural assets that enhance agricultural productivity and natural resource management (Hoddinott et al, 2012; Lieuw-Kie-Song, 2010) These programmes offer a promising approach to addressing the causes of poverty and food insecurity (Hoddinott et al, 2012), of distress and rural-urban migration (Imbert and Papp, 2014; Morten, 2015), and of the impacts of climate change (Gentilini and Omamo, 2011; Johnson et al, 2013). Further problems NREGA is facing include delayed or non-provision of work, duplicate job cards, non-existent or unfinished assets, the leakage of funds and a lack of focus on the needs of the poor (Aakella, 2015; Kamath, 2010) Tackling these challenges is a key precondition for social protection to effectively achieve its objectives of improving livelihood security and contributing to addressing climate-induced migration. Effectiveness criteria Relevance, quality and climate-proofing of assets and infrastructure
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