SocPro4Fish Updates | Climate change

What are climate and poverty vulnerabilities, how do they interact and how does this affect the fisheries sector?  

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) based in coastal and inland communities around the world are facing unprecedented increases in the frequency and severity of acute and sub-acute climate shocks and slower-onset stressors.   

Interlinked with this are challenging social dimensions that inhibit efforts to build resilience, including socio-economic vulnerability and limited access to services (e.g. healthcare and social protection).   

Findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 6th Assessment Report (IPCC, 2023) stress that climate change has already created significant negative impacts and related loss and damage to both nature and people, and that these are disproportionately impacting vulnerable groups and climate-exposed sectors such as fisheries. The report highlights the key role of social protection in addressing these impacts and preventing worsening future scenarios.   

Urgent action is needed as the livelihoods of millions of small-scale fishers are at risk, along with the food security of millions of people who rely on fish as a primary source of protein.  

Social Protection is an essential tool in addressing this climate-poverty nexus, and linkages with Early Warning Systems are key to improving preparedness and reducing vulnerability  (FAO, 2022).  

More than Joining the Dots 

Tools and training for addressing the nexus of climate change and poverty in the small-scale fisheries sector – recent experiences from the Caribbean 

Webinar - Shoring up: linking social protection and early warning systems for the fisheries sector | FAO 

This webinar focuses on how social protection can improve the design and delivery of targeted and more cohesive climate responses and poverty reduction efforts for the fisheries sector. It includes some preliminary results from a new global database and supportive tools and knowledge resources.  

Self-paced course - Addressing the Climate Change and Poverty Nexus  

This course introduces climate-poverty interactions and entry points for addressing them, with a focus on coastal communities and the fisheries sector. The course aims to improve knowledge and capacities for more integrated, multi-sectoral approaches, so that policies, investments, and programmes have a greater impact on rural poverty reduction and climate change adaptation/mitigation and the interactions between the two. 

Webinar - Addressing the Nexus - COP 27 Virtual Ocean Pavilion  

This live panel session focuses on action, innovation and learning to address the interlinked challenges of climate change, vulnerability, poverty and sustainable livelihoods in small-scale fisheries, coastal communities, SIDS, and beyond. FAO and colleagues in the Caribbean and Pacific regions discuss recent experiences and share priorities for moving forward. Topics include intersectoral collaboration, data collection and engagement initiatives, governance and institutional strengthening, and gaps and entry-points for social protection to support fisher well-being. 

Publications