Managing climate risks through social protection: reducing rural poverty and building resilient agricultural livelihoods
Given the imminent challenges climate change poses for poverty reduction and sustainable development, the need for coherent and integrated climate risk management approaches that address the underlying causes of vulnerability – and that simultaneously increase the ability of the rural poor to adapt to and cope with natural hazards - has never been more pressing. Climate change is accelerating the frequency and intensity of extreme natural hazards and those living in rural areas are disproportionately affected. Life in high-risk geographical locations, heavy reliance on agriculture and natural resources, and limited coping capacity as a result of low income, lack of savings, weak social networks, low asset bases are all contributing factors. Protecting poor and vulnerable small-scale producers from the negative impacts of climate risks is necessary to effectively carry out FAO’s strategic objectives and achieve Sustainable Development Goals 1 (ending poverty) and 2 (zero hunger). As shown in this report, managing climate risks through social protection is a valid and effective investment to safeguard the livelihoods of small-scale producers and to strengthen their essential role in ensuring food security across the globe.
