Introduction The World Meteorological Organization reports that disasters related to weather, climate, or water hazards occurred daily on average from 1970 to 2019. These disasters caused 115 deaths and economic losses of $202 million each day. Between 2019 and 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, global poverty rates rose by 8%, pushing 54 million people into poverty. Studies also show that climate change and disasters disproportionately impact low-income countries. Nine of the ten countries most exposed to flood risk are low- or middle-income nations such as Bangladesh, Iraq, and Myanmar. Poor households often lack the capacity to cope with and recover from severe destruction, increasing their vulnerability. Moreover, existing social protection schemes rarely meet the needs of those affected during disasters. These schemes often fail to scale up flexibly to address surges in demand for support during shocks. To close these gaps, one solution that governments and development partners can consider is Adaptive or Shock-Responsive Social Protection (ASP) systems. These systems are designed to strengthen resilience and provide timely support during crises. What is adaptive social protection? Adaptive Social Protection responds to the growing demand to use social protection as a tool for building the resilience of poor and vulnerable households against covariate shocks, such as natural disasters, economic crises, pandemics, and forced displacement. Traditional social protection systems fall short because they are primarily designed to address life-cycle shocks that individuals face, such as job loss or illness. These systems struggle to respond to large-scale covariate shocks because they are slower at identifying affected populations, targeting beneficiaries, and delivering support during emergencies. In contrast, ASP addresses both life-cycle and covariate shocks. Ideally, it can quickly identify affected populations and deliver benefits to meet the surge in demand during crises. ASP is not a standalone system; rather, it is an approach to strengthen existing SP programs. To succeed, ASP requires integrating social protection with disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation policies. This integration enables systems to anticipate disasters and act promptly on forecasted or emerging shocks. Furthermore, ASP systems can scale up rapidly through existing delivery mechanisms and coordinate effectively across governance structures to protect vulnerable populations before, during, and after a crisis. Core Building Blocks of Adaptive Social Protection A key feature of Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) is scalability. It is crucial to deliver sufficient and immediate support to those affected during an emergency. ASP achieves this through vertical and horizontal expansion. Vertical expansion refers to a temporary increase in the benefit amount and/or program duration during a crisis. Horizontal expansion involves a temporary increase in the number of beneficiaries, either by expanding geographic coverage or adjusting eligibility criteria. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sri Lanka implemented both horizontal and vertical expansions in social assistance programs such as Samurdhi and the senior citizens’ assistance scheme. These programs extended coverage to individuals on existing waiting lists, broadening the beneficiary base—a horizontal expansion. At the same time, the value of cash transfers increased, reflecting a vertical expansion. For instance, Samurdhi recipients received a top-up of LKR 5,000 ($16.15) in addition to their regular benefits. Another key ASP component is an integrated social registry. Social registries are information systems used for outreach, intake, registration, and determining potential eligibility for one or more social programs. Integrated registries enable governments to coordinate targeting across multiple programs. For example, poverty-targeted cash assistance, disability support, and labor market programs such as job placements can be managed through a single registry. This allows agencies to share and use the same household data. During a shock, governments can scale up assistance quickly by targeting pre-identified at-risk households using registries and national ID systems. Early Warning Systems (EWS) form another vital ASP component. EWS detect and predict hazards, assess risks, and share timely information so that people, communities, and organizations can take early action. Integrating disaster risk reduction measures enhances the preparedness of SP systems. Furthermore, governments can establish triggers using climate data—predefined conditions, such as early signs of drought, that activate an automatic rapid social protection response. To address issues caused by erratic and insufficient rainfall, Uganda uses satellite-based tools to monitor vegetation and weather conditions. One such tool, provided by the Global Agriculture Monitoring System (GLAM), uses satellite data on rainfall and temperature to track crop health over time. When vegetation levels drop below certain thresholds, indicating poor rainfall, the system triggers alerts so the government can act before a crisis unfolds. This approach proved effective in June 2017, when early signs of crop failure were detected in the Karamoja region. The early warning allowed the government to respond in advance by releasing $4.1 million, reaching around 28,600 households. Acting early saved $2.6 million in food aid costs, enabling the government to redirect funds to boost food security for households. Adaptive Social Protection in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is highly susceptible to recurrent disasters such as floods and landslides. Studies show that nearly half of the population lacks disaster preparedness, increasing vulnerability to rising climate risks. The country has demonstrated some capacity to mobilize resources in response to covariate shocks. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple rounds of cash transfers of LKR 5,000 ($16.15) were provided to affected groups. Initial transfers reached 66% of households, covering 97% of the poorest decile. However, inefficiencies persisted. Significant portions of the population remained excluded, including 31% of the third-poorest decile, 31% of the middle-income decile, over 30% of children under age 10, and 30% of people aged 70 or older. The absence of comprehensive data to rapidly identify vulnerable households forced reliance on existing beneficiary lists, waiting lists, and local agents for manual identification. This experience underscores the need for more effective targeting mechanisms, improved data systems, and inclusive delivery approaches in Sri Lanka’s disaster response framework. Sri Lanka is well-positioned to integrate an ASP system. The country already has disaster risk reduction technologies such as flood and hazard risk maps maintained by the Disaster Management Centre. The recently launched Info-NDRSC disaster data system by the National Disaster Relief Services Centre provides real-time reporting on families affected and properties damaged across the island. However, the lack of integration between these technologies and the existing social registry hinders coordinated outreach and rapid identification of vulnerable populations during crises. Currently, Sri Lanka uses the Welfare Benefits Information System (WBIS), a beneficiary registry that consolidates data from social assistance programs such as Aswesuma and the monthly senior citizens’ allowance scheme. WBIS enables direct cash transfers to beneficiary bank accounts. Yet fragmentation across multiple welfare schemes and manual verification processes continue to slow response times. Strengthening the use of social registries and national identification systems is essential to combine social protection and disaster management effectively. The key to ASP readiness lies not in building entirely new systems but in integrating disaster risk mapping and digital identity platforms with existing registry infrastructure. Investing in human resources and service delivery mechanisms also plays a vital role in ensuring an effective shock response under challenging emergency conditions. Author: Kavisha Batawala, (former) Research Assistant, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) Ask the Experts Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka is an autonomous economic research organization, established by an Act of Parliament, in Colombo. Its mission is to conduct high-quality, independent, policy-relevant research to provide robust evidence for policymaking and improve the lives of all Sri Lankans. Leave your question or comment in the section below: View the discussion thread.