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) 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

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)

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 year o 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 categoryExamples of SP instrumentsDRR 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.