Social protection for forest-dependent communities: Building on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic for more resilient forest livelihoods

Background
Forest-dependent communities (FDC) are likely to be hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those in the informal sector. Measures undertaken by governments to control the spread (e.g. movement restrictions, school closures, lockdowns) will have severe consequences on economic activity in most sectors, markets and communities. While most households will face severe economic shocks, these are likely to be magnified in FDCs because of their particular multidimensional vulnerabilities.

The pandemic has sparked an unprecedented expansion of social protection, also in countries that previously had limited or no social protection coverage. The speed with which governments around the world have implemented social protection responses to the pandemic emphasizes the importance of social protection in providing immediate relief to shocks, while also supporting longer-term impact to promote and transform lives and livelihoods. Although FDCs are exposed to various risks and vulnerabilities and are significantly in need of social protection, coverage of social protection interventions is limited. Social protection responses can benefit FDCs by protecting incomes, preventing the use of negative coping strategies and assisting longer-term recovery.  The pandemic raises an opportunity to expand social protection for FDCs and increase resilience.

Objectives
The objectives are threefold. Firstly, to increase knowledge on the role and opportunities of social protection in the COVID-19 response and to support recovery for forest-dependent communities; Secondly, to increase awareness and knowledge of FAO’s work on social protection for forest-dependent communities. And thirdly, to discuss recommendations on how to build on the emergency response to the pandemic to permanently expand social protection coverage to FDCs and build resilience to future crises.

Coordinators
Thais Linhares-Juvenal (NFO), Ana Ocampo (ESP), Mari Kangasniemi (ESP), Qiang Ma (NFO)

Programme

Moderator:  Ewald Rametsteiner, Deputy-Director, Forestry Division

Presentations

• Social protection and COVID-19 response in rural areas; Presenter: Benjamin Davis, Strategic Programme Leader, Rural Poverty Reduction
  
• Social protection for forest dependent communities in the context of COVID-19; Presenter: Thais LinharesJuvenal, Team Leader Forest Governance and Economics
  
• Social protection measures in response to COVID-19 in Kenya and opportunities of expanding social protection coverage for forest-dependent communities for building resilience; Presenter: Mr. Richard Obiga, Senior Program Officer, National Social Protection Secretariat of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Kenya
  

Webcast