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 a key policy tool for managing the socioeconomic impacts of climate change, including poverty and inequality. Despite growing interest from policy makers and academics, a systematic effort to document and analyze the integration of climate considerations in social protection programs is lacking. This understanding is crucial for designing policies and programs that more effectively address the impacts of climate change.

Our research provides a first systematic mapping of climate considerations integration in social protection programs in low- and middle-income countries. Using a mixed-methods approach, we identify 98 climate-relevant social protection programs and gather data on over 70 variables related to their scope and climate relevance at policy, design, and implementation level. We aim to answer the question: to what extent and how are social protection programs in LMICs climate-relevant?

We find a significant number of long-standing climate-relevant social protection programs that reach large populations and involve substantial financial investments globally. At the policy and program design level, climate considerations in these programs remain relatively limited and vary based on the sector of the lead agency. At the implementation level, most programs typically focus on shock response, though our findings show they already support broader climate functions. Our results empirically substantiate assumptions about climate-relevant social protection, offer key new policy insights, and identify areas for further research. We also make the database openly available for use by researchers and practitioners.