Countries in South Asia have made tremendous progress in poverty reduction and human capital acceleration in the past few decades. However, the gains are at risk of setbacks caused by shocks to incomes and assets. Natural disasters, economic shocks, and disease outbreaks tend to disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable, thereby widening the equality and opportunity divide.
Given the increasing frequency and severity of shocks in South Asia, there is a clear need for urgent investment in adaptive social protection systems to help protect the poor and most vulnerable. Reframing social protection as adaptive can help governments react more quickly and efficiently to shocks, while broadening the coverage and duration of assistance in accordance with needs, based on reliable data, financed through reallocated resources, and coordinated at the various institutional levels of governmental and nongovernmental actors.
The Responsive by Design: Building Adaptive Social Protection Systems in South Asia report details the international best practices on developing adaptive social protection systems and discusses how this can be done in South Asia using the new stress-test methodology.
The report provides a framework for adaptive social protection systems that illustrates the four elements that need to be considered in establishing an ASP system: institutional arrangements, financing, programs, and information and data systems. It analyzes the social protection systems across South Asia to inform future dialogue and policy making, as well as highlights both the functioning aspects of existing adaptive systems and identifies areas where further improvements are warranted. The report provides practical and timely guidance for government officials, development professionals, and researchers who are interested in enhancing the resilience of social protection systems and, by extension, households, and societies.