Poverty, Adaptation and Disaster Risk Interface: Linking Research and Practice Dr. Tom Mitchell
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Poverty, Adaptation and Disaster Risk Interface: Linking Research and Practice Dr. Tom Mitchell 23 rd March 2009
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Poverty, Adaptation and Disaster Risk Interface: Linking Research and Practice Dr. Tom Mitchell. 23 rd March 2009. Disaster - Poverty Cycle. Source: Piyoosh (2006). Poverty Statistics. Urban and rural income poverty 2002 (poverty line = $1.08/day, 1993 PPP). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Poverty, Adaptation and Disaster Risk Interface: Linking Research and Practice Dr. Tom Mitchell
Poverty, Adaptation and Disaster Risk Interface: Linking Research and PracticeDr. Tom Mitchell
23rd March 2009
Disaster - Poverty Cycle
Source: Piyoosh (2006)
Number of poor in millions Headcount index (%)
Urban share of the poor (%)
Urban share of population (%)
Urban Rural Total Urban Rural Total
East-Asia and Pacific 16.27 223.23 239.50 2.28 19.83 13.03 6.79 38.79 China 4.00 175.01 179.01 0.80 22.44 13.98 2.24 37.68 Eastern-Europe and Central Asia
2.48 4.94 7.42 0.83 2.87 1.57 33.40 63.45
Latin America and Caribbean
38.33 26.60 64.93 9.49 21.15 12.26 59.03 76.24
Middle East and North Africa
1.21 4.88 6.09 0.75 3.82 2.11 19.87 55.75
South Asia 125.40 394.34 519.74 32.21 39.05 37.15 24.13 27.83 India 106.64 316.42 423.06 36.20 41.96 40.34 25.21 28.09 Sub-Saharan Africa 98.84 228.77 327.61 40.38 50.86 47.17 30.17 35.24 Total 282.52 882.77 1165.29 12.78 29.32 22.31 24.24 42.34
Poverty Statistics Urban and rural income poverty 2002 (poverty line = $1.08/day, 1993 PPP)
Source: Ravallion, Chen, and Sangraula (2007)
Source: Mitchell and Tanner (2006)
• Impact of disaster or climate-related stress can lead to damaging coping strategies among chronically poor: – Distress sales of critical assets– Crime/conflict– Children leave school to work– Use of critical ecosystem assets (Thomas et al. 2005)
Disaster Risk , Adaptation and Poverty connected
0 20 40 60 80 100
Migrated
Informal help
Sold assets
Borrowed
Cut spending
Rationed food
Coping strategies during a drought in Namibia, 1992 (Devereux 2007)
Coping Strategies
EMPOWERMENT
- Political say
- Confidence
- Dignity
SERVICES
- Clean water
- Schooling
- Health care
Well-being:
Absence of Poverty
ASSETS
- Land
- Tools
- Credit
- Family & Friends
INCOME
- Food
- Shelter
- Clothing
WELL BEING
Absence of Poverty
Social and Political dimensions
Gender
Age, class disability
legislation
institutions
Hazards
Conflict
Disease
Economic crisis
Floods
Drought
Multiple dimensions of poverty (+ well being)
Categories of Poverty
Source: Jalan and Ravallion (2000)
-1.4
-1.2
-1
-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
Ch
ang
e in
rea
l in
com
e (%
)
Poorest Less Poor Average Better Off
Richest
ALL
Projected effect of a 10% increase in maize prices on the welfare of different wealth groups in rural Malawi (FAO 2008)
Need for greater resolution
Targeting Vulnerability of Chronically Poor
Employment Guarantee Schemes:• Safety nets effective when already in place when disaster strikes• Insurance inaccessible for rural poor• National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (India):
o 100 days work at minimum wage every yearo Unemployment benefit
• Highly effective in fight against seasonal hunger/famine• Maharashtra – Evidence of avoided famine in drought years
Source: Devereux, Vaitla and Hauenstein Swan (2008)
SP category Examples of SP instruments DRR benefits
Protective(coping strategies)
-social service provision-basic social transfers (food/cash)-social pension schemes -safety nets-public works programmes
-protection of those most vulnerable to DRR with low levels of resilience
Preventive(coping strategies)
-social transfers -livelihood diversification-weather-indexed crop insurance
-prevents damaging coping strategies as a result of risks to weather-dependent livelihoods
Promotive(building adaptive capacity)
-social transfers-access to credit-asset transfers or protection-starter packs (drought/flood-resistant)-access to common property resources-public works programmes
- promotes resilience through livelihood diversification
Transformative(building adaptive capacity)
-promotion of minority rights-anti-discrimination campaigns-social funds
-transforms social relations to combat discrimination underlying social and political vulnerability
Social Protection for DRR
Conclusion
• Poverty and disasters in reinforcing cycle• Coping with impact of disasters varies widely between different
categories of poor• DRR and adaptation interventions more successful if also seek to
reduce poverty and are tailored to specific asset mixes/needs of different socio-economic groups within countries and communities.
• Social protection schemes (proactive) show promise and has growing untapped, for adaptation/DRR literature.
• Requires shift to household approaches• Integration of DRR/adaptation into PRSPs with commitment to
greater resolution.
