Concepts of disaster adaptation, mitigation and resilience are the basis from which to better understand the role social protection can play in mitigating disaster effects throughout the various phases of disaster occurrence.

By using social protection tools to address the underlying causes of vulnerability, such as inequality, it is possible to minimize adverse disaster effects independently of the type of disaster, whether natural or technological.

Greater socioeconomic impacts and effects on people from diverse disasters of natural and technological have been observed in the region that are associated with the extreme vulnerability the most disadvantaged members of the population experience as a result of social inequality.

Protection systems can play a predominant role in mitigating adverse disaster effects either preventatively before they strike, or reactively, during or after disasters occur, by employing measures that can minimize the erosion of well-being.

Strengthening the link between disaster risk management and social protection is essential to expanding the resilience, mitigation and adaptation capabilities of the people at the greatest disadvantage in the face of natural or technological disasters.