Integrating information education and communication tools to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience among social assistance beneficiaries: Lessons for Indonesia and beyond

This guidance note provides lessons for Indonesia and other countries on the development of Information, Education, And Communications (IEC) tools to improve disaster preparedness and climate resilience among social assistance beneficiaries. The pressing threats of climate change, and the increased severity and frequency of natural hazards, hinders poverty reduction and resilience across the globe. For Indonesia, these threats are persistent, as the country suffers frequent and severe disasters. For instance, in 2019, Indonesia experienced 3,622 disasters caused by natural hazards. This context creates an added challenge for the 27.54 million Indonesians living in poverty, given that varied analyses examining the impacts of shocks globally, and in Indonesia, have shown that they disproportionately impact the poor.

Poor households face unique communication barriers, including residing in rural areas, limited access to information and internet connectivity, among others. At the same time, social protection benefits and services are critical contributors to poverty reduction. Social assistance programs, in particular, regularly interact with their beneficiaries, who often represent a large share of poor households in countries. These programs are therefore well placed to help individuals and households prepare for, and cope with, the impacts of disasters and adapt to climate change effects. This presents an opportunity to foster meaningful disaster preparedness and climate resilience among a critically vulnerable subsection of the population, particularly through beneficiary education and by leveraging IEC tools to support these objectives.