Helping South Asia Cope with Natural Disasters : The Role of Social Protection

Addressing the social protection needs of households during emergencies is a major development issue. Without social protection measures, such as cash transfers for basic needs or workfare programs, many households faced with large economic and natural shocks might deplete their human and physical capital, reducing their ability to participate in economic development. Social protection measures (cash transfers, in particular) are therefore assuming a growing role in the World Bank to help the poor cope with the aftermath of a disaster. In South Asia, all three recent major emergency-related operations in South Asia (Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Pakistan) included cash transfers components. This discussion paper, an input to the South Asia region's social protection and hazard risk management strategies, describes the cash transfer instruments supported by the Bank in South Asia, evaluates their design and implementation, and suggests improvements to increase their effectiveness. Based on available evidence, the paper finds that cash transfers appear to have performed well in providing relief to affected households, suggesting that they should remain an integral part of Bank-financed support for natural disasters. The paper also suggests that the Bank can ensure timely and high-quality support through a best-practice design toolkit, a right-on-time technical assistance facility, and by integrating social protection in emergency preparedness by building the capacity of national social assistance (cash transfers) agencies to respond to natural disasters. Although the focus is on cash transfers, the note also discusses other types of social protection mechanisms used in emergencies in South Asia and worldwide, e.g., workfare or social care for the vulnerable, and which might also appropriate for including in Bank emergency operations. The note covers South Asia, but lessons from this region may also be relevant for governments of other developing countries and donors. Finally, while the focus of the paper is on social protection instruments for natural disasters, several of these instruments have also proved useful in post-conflict situations and in economic crises.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2007-09
Subjects:	ACCOUNTING, ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, BANK ACCOUNTS, BANKING SYSTEMS, BANKS, BENEFICIARIES, BENEFICIARY, BENEFIT LEVELS, BLANKETS, BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, CAPACITY BUILDING, CASH AID, CASH ASSISTANCE, CASH DISBURSEMENT, CASH GRANT, CASH GRANTS, CASH SUPPORT, CASH TRANSFER, CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS, CASH TRANSFERS, CASUALTY, CASUALTY TOLL, CHRONIC POVERTY, CHRONICALLY POOR, CONDITIONAL CASH, CONFLICT, CONFLICT SITUATIONS, CONTINGENCY PLANNING, DAMAGED HOUSE, DAMAGES, DEATH TOLL, DISABILITY GRANTS, DISABILITY PAYMENTS, DISABILITY PENSIONS, DISASTER ACTIVITIES, DISASTER ASSISTANCE, DISASTER MANAGEMENT, DISASTER PLANNING, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, DISASTER REDUCTION, DISASTER RELIEF, DISASTER RESPONSE, DISASTER RISK, DISASTER SITUATIONS, DISASTER TYPES, DISASTER VICTIMS, DOCUMENTS, DONOR SUPPORT, DROUGHT, DROUGHTS, EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION, EARTHQUAKES, ECONOMIC CRISES, ECONOMIC CRISIS, ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, EMERGENCIES, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, EMERGENCY RECOVERY, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, EMERGENCY SUPPORT, EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE, EPIDEMICS, FAMINE, FAMINES, FARMERS, FATALITIES, FINANCIAL CRISIS, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, FIRES, FLOOD, FLOODED, FLOODS, FOOD AID, FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD RATIONS, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD SHORTAGE, FOOD-FOR-WORK, GRANT PROGRAM, HOMELESS, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, HOUSING, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE, IMMEDIATE RELIEF, IMPACT OF DISASTER, INCOME, INCOME LOSS, INCOME LOSSES, INCOME SUPPORT, INDIVIDUAL WELFARE, INFLATION, INFORMAL ECONOMY, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INFRASTRUCTURE REHABILITATION, INSECT INFESTATION, INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, INSURANCE, IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE, LABOR MARKETS, LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT, LIVING CONDITIONS, LIVING STANDARDS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LOSS OF INCOME, MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, MARKET PRICES, MICRO-CREDIT, MINIMUM INCOME, MORAL HAZARD, NATURAL DISASTER, NATURAL DISASTERS, NUMBER OF VICTIMS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, POOR, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY REDUCTION, PROTECTION AGENCY, PROTECTION MECHANISMS, PROTECTION POLICY, PROTECTION SYSTEM, PUBLIC ACTION, RECONSTRUCTION, RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, REFUGEE POPULATION, RELIEF EFFORTS, RESCUE, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, RESPONSE TO CRISES, RISK MANAGEMENT, RISK MITIGATION, SAFETY, SAFETY NET, SAFETY NET PROGRAMS, SAFETY NETS, SCHOOL MEALS, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL CARE, SOCIAL PENSIONS, SOCIAL PROTECTION, SOCIAL SAFETY NETS, SOCIAL SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAMS, SOCIAL WELFARE, SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING, SURVIVOR, TARGETING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TECHNICAL TRAINING, TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT, TENTS, TRANSACTION COSTS, TRANSFER AMOUNT, TRANSFER BENEFICIARIES, TRANSFER PROGRAM, TRANSFER RECIPIENTS, TRANSPORT, TSUNAMI, TSUNAMI RECOVERY, TYPE OF DISASTER, UNEMPLOYMENT, UNINSURED RISK, UNSKILLED LABOR, VICTIMS, VULNERABLE GROUP, VULNERABLE GROUPS, VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS, WAGES, WAR, WATER CONTAINERS, WIDOWS, WIND STORM, WIND STORMS, WORK INCENTIVES, WORK PROGRAM, WORK PROGRAMS, WORKFARE,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2007/09/12586818/helping-south-asia-cope-natural-disasters-role-social-protection https://hdl.handle.net/10986/18014
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