Principles and considerations for mainstreaming climate change risk into national social protection frameworks in developing countries

Climate extremes and slow onset events undermine the efforts of developing countries to eradicate poverty and promote social equity. Social protection presents an opportunity to develop inclusive comprehensive risk management strategies to address loss and damage from climate change. However, research and policy on climate change and social protection remain limited in scope. This paper aims to address this gap by presenting a number of conceptual arguments that can provide a basis for a wider discussion on what principles and considerations should be embedded in the design of national climate-responsive SP strategies and plans. It is argued that future efforts should be geared to develop climate-responsive social protection policies that consider a broad range of issues including urbanization and migration, impact of green policies on the poor, access to essential health care and risks to socially marginalized groups. The article concludes with a discussion on implications for policy and future research.