The Asia-Pacific region reached a significant milestone in social protection in 2023, with over half (53.6 per cent) of its population covered by at least one social protection benefit, according to a recent report from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

However, social protection systems in Asia-Pacific countries face both recurring and new transformative challenges, necessitating considerable strengthening to effectively mitigate the impacts of climate change on populations in the region.

The “Regional Companion Report for Asia and the Pacific” of the World Social Protection Report 2024-26: “Universal Social Protection for Climate Action and a Just Transition,” published on Monday, also noted that effective social protection coverage in the region now exceeds the global average (52.4 per cent).

Despite this progress, approximately 2.1 billion people remain unprotected against various life cycle and socio-economic risks, and the extension of social protection has been uneven, the report states.

The ILO Bangladesh country office, in a statement, noted that Bangladesh has the fifth-largest population in the Asia-Pacific region and ranks ninth worldwide among countries at the highest risk of climate-induced disasters, including tropical cyclones, tornadoes, floods, coastal and riverbank erosion, droughts, and landslides.

It is estimated that by 2050, 17 per cent of Bangladesh’s territory will be submerged due to rising sea levels, resulting in the loss of 30 per cent of the country’s agricultural land. This situation will compel coastal communities to migrate to cities, where they are likely to face poor living conditions and unemployment.

Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Country Director for Bangladesh, stated, “As the effects of climate change are increasingly felt in Bangladesh, social protection becomes crucial for building resilience against flooding, heatwaves, and other natural disasters.”

Well-designed and adequately funded social protection systems can significantly mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, facilitate a just transition, and provide income protection for those affected, he added.

While Bangladesh has had a comprehensive National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) since 2015, it has yet to institutionalise social protection systems that can effectively address sudden climate-induced shocks and the long-term benefits of a comprehensive social protection framework.

According to the report, since 2015, the effective coverage rate in Eastern Asia has increased by 15.2 percentage points (from 63.3 to 78.5 per cent); by 13.4 percentage points (from 32.5 to 45.9 per cent) in South-Eastern Asia; by 16.7 percentage points (from 18.7 to 35.4 per cent) in Southern Asia; and by 6.8 percentage points (from 65.7 to 72.5 per cent) in the Pacific Islands.

However, significant disparities exist among countries.

The region also faces challenges regarding the adequacy of benefits and the financial sustainability of social protection systems. In 2023, the region spent 11.8 per cent of its GDP on social protection, considerably below the global average of 19.3 per cent.

Furthermore, the report revealed that the effective coverage of women by at least one benefit lags behind that of men by 6.8 percentage points, a gap that is particularly pronounced in Southern Asia, where the disparity reaches 11.1 percentage points.

“While the progress made since 2015 in the region is encouraging, there remains a significant way to go to achieve universal coverage and provide adequate and comprehensive protection. Investing in comprehensive and resilient social protection systems has never been more urgent,” said Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

“It is particularly concerning that many countries in Asia and the Pacific are experiencing high vulnerability to climate change while having low effective coverage. Social protection will play a vital role in supporting climate adaptation and mitigation efforts and facilitating a just transition, thereby enhancing resilience for all, especially for vulnerable communities,” said Kenichi Hirose, Senior Social Protection Specialist at the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific.