Social protection has been used for decades, particularly in eastern and southern Africa, to safeguard poor and vulnerable populations from poverty and food insecurity . Instruments of social protection include public works programmes, cash transfers, in- kind transfers, social insurance and microinsurance schemes that assist individuals and households to cope during times of crisis and minimise social inequality. Evidence from Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda indicates national social protection programmes are effective in improving individual and household resilience to climate-related shocks, regardless of whether they aim specifically to address climate risks . Strengthening social protection and better integrating climate risk management into design of social protection programmes can help build long-term resilience to climate change . For example, public works programmes can build climate resilience by targeting soil, water and ecosystem conservation and carbon sequestration, such as South Africa's Working for Water Programme that restores river catchments to reduce fire risk and increase water supplies .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report