Social protection, the overall strategy needed to help safeguard against poverty, social exclusion, and vulnerability, is on the uptick. The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) World Social Protection Report 2024-26, which was released early last month, revealed that for the first time ever, “over half of the global population (52.4%) had some form of social protection coverage (including access to health care and income security such as pensions and benefits), up from 42.8% in 2015”.
Hold off, however, on any hoopla. The ILO report also divulged that there are some 3.8 billion people in the world still completely unprotected. Further, according to the report, “1.8 billion children worldwide are not covered by family or child benefits, and 62.6% of people employed are not covered by employment injury protection for work-related injuries and occupational disease”. It noted that the data from which it drew these conclusions laid out “stark inequalities” in social health protection. While the coverage in this sector in high-income countries stands at 85.1%, in low-income countries it is a mere 17.8%.
The ILO report, which looked extensively at the climate crisis and its impact, current and ongoing, on those who lack adequate social protection, called on governments to invest more and for policymakers, social partners and other stakeholders to accelerate their efforts to close protection gaps. The report stated that the greatest inadequacies are to be found in the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. Nevertheless, as ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo noted, “Climate change does not recognise borders, and we cannot build a wall to keep the crisis out. The climate crisis affects us all and represents the single, gravest, threat to social justice today.”
Coastal cities around the world that are vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise include
New York City and Miami in the US; Bangkok, Thailand; Shanghai, China; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kolkata, India; Tokyo, Japan; and Lagos, Nigeria among others. It has to be pointed out that Georgetown, Guyana is very much a part of this list, along with the country’s entire coastline. Among these countries, and the others not listed, some have high levels of social protection, some have adequate levels, and others have low to no social protection. Based on their location, they will all be affected at some point.
Going forward, and especially because there has been no mitigation of climate change, high, spring and king tides as well as storms will continue to wreak havoc on low coastal areas. These will escalate as the melting of glaciers and ice sheets persist owing to global warming. While all are at risk, it is the vulnerable who will suffer the most; in particular, those who either lack social protection or are inadequately covered.
As always, women, children and the elderly will be the ones most susceptible owing to prevailing and persistent inequities that spawn discriminatory practices. Another fourth vulnerable category, rarely mentioned but growing significantly as a group, is refugees. Asylum seekers are not usually provided for in the social protection systems of the countries where they seek refuge. Further, the sheer volume of people fleeing wars, political and ethnic persecution, and economic deprivation (in some instances stemming from the climate crisis) can prove onerous on the cities and countries where they end up.
We have seen this play out in various ways all around the world. However, a local case in point is the situation at Linden. It was reported that a significant number of displaced Venezuelans arrived in the mining town a few months ago, or perhaps that was when they were noticed. Despite the government’s earlier stated intention to integrate them into Guyanese society, no official response appeared to have been triggered by their arrival.
Just as the residents of Linden noticed them building shacks, begging, and seeking employment, surely those in authority, including the regional administration and the police did as well. Yet, the protocol, as outlined by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd in March – offering refugees social protection – where agencies were tasked with combining resources to provide healthcare, education, labour, sanitation, shelter, food and clothing did not kick into gear. Instead, it seems that the first time the minister heard of the migrants in Linden was when this newspaper contacted him regarding the Lindeners’ complaints. Not good enough.
Although the current safety nets offered to citizens are meagre to say the least, having undertaken to assume responsibility for refugees, the government must refrain from dropping the ball. There is no municipality or area in the country that has the resources to take on dealing with displaced people; they have no budget for it. Neither must the burden rest on penurious citizens. Government has to walk the talk.