Social protection and the limits to climate adaptation: recognizing the risks, rising to the challenge

Event Type
Roundtable discussion

Location / Date
Bonn and online, 10.06.2026

Organizer

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

Climate change is increasingly undermining agricultural livelihoods through both direct hazards and cascading impacts across interconnected biophysical and socioeconomic systems. While social protection systems can play a critical role in supporting inclusive and resilient climate adaptation, there are limits to what adaptation can achieve and - as global warming intensifies - these limits will be reached in a growing range of social-ecological contexts. Yet this issue remains largely absent from current social protection policy and programming, which continue to focus primarily on incremental, short-term interventions and fail to integrate long-term climate projections or broader social-ecological dynamics, increasing the risk of maladaptation. 

This event – hosted by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) – will see the launch of FAO’s new publication on ‘Social protection and the limits to climate adaptation: An exploration’. The report reviews the evidence on the adaptation limits, including the increased focus on this issue in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report and in negotiations around loss and damage. It also explores scenarios before and after limits to adaptation have been reached, helping to clarify how social protection can better address the evolving risks facing vulnerable, rural populations. The aim is to stimulate deeper dialogue, research and investment. 

Taking place on the sidelines of the 64th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn, Germany, the event will be an opportunity to reflect on the report’s findings and how to ensure that these influence and inform global climate policy processes and negotiations moving forward. It will bring together key experts, representatives from Parties and other stakeholders from across the fields of social protection, climate change and related sectors such as agriculture, employment and migration. Together, they will discuss the report’s findings and identify concrete next steps to take forward its recommendations in relation to global, regional and national climate action and social protection policy and programming.  

Agenda

Welcome and introduction 


Presentation of the report "Social protection and the limits to climate adaptation": Overview of the key findings from the report by the co-authors, including policy recommendations 

  • Matthew Walsham, Social Protection Specialist, FAO, and Anna McCord, independent consultant (TBC) 


Discussant – Reflections on the issues raised in the report and entry points for this agenda in climate policy and processes from an expert discussant 

  • Ritu Bharadwaj, Director, Climate Resilience, Finance and Loss and Damage / ALL ACT at International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and IPCC Lead Author  


Roundtable discussion

Moderated discussion of the report’s findings, on social protection’s role in addressing the limits to climate adaptation, especially for smallholders and vulnerable rural populations; its implications for global climate policy processes; and how to advance this agenda going forward.  


Summary and close

  • Daniele Malerba 

Hinweis

Während unserer Veranstaltungen werden z.T. Foto- und/oder Filmaufnahmen gemacht, die für Zwecke der Veranstaltungsberichterstattung und allgemeinen Öffentlichkeitsarbeit in verschiedenen Medien veröffentlicht werden. Sie haben jederzeit das Recht, die Foto- oder Videograf*innen darauf hinzuweisen, dass Sie nicht aufgenommen werden möchten. / During our events photos and/or videos may be taken which may be published in various media for the purposes of documentation and PR activities. You have the right at any time to point out to the photographer or videographer that you do not want to be photographed or filmed.