Social protection: Not an option but a necessity in Asia and the Pacific

ASIA and the Pacific is navigating multiple disruptions, both positive and negative. Economic restructuring, green transitions, intensifying climate change, demographic shifts and digital transformations are posing a critical question: how do we ensure that large numbers of people are not left behind?

- By Armida SALSIAH ALISJAHBANA, KANNI WIGNARAJA AND FATIMA YASMIN

One response is indispensable. Social protection for individuals and households must be recognised not just as a safety net, but as an economically and socially empowering instrument that brings stability, prosperity and resilience.

Across the region, many workers are already experiencing disruptions caused by intensifying climate risks, shifting job markets and deepening inequalities. These are not abstract threats; they frame existential livelihood challenges for hundreds of millions of people in the region.

This makes social protection imperative. Smartly designed and delivered, it can enable more inclusive economic progress in the short and medium term, leading to more resilient societies that can respond faster and more effectively to shocks. Effective social protection mechanisms keep households afloat for extended periods, allow workers to transition smoothly from brown to green jobs, support caregiving and old-age security, and give people the confidence to pivot to new skills, jobs and business ventures.

Social protection for individuals and households must be recognised not just as a safety net, but as an economically and socially empowering instrument that brings stability, prosperity and resilience