Jannatul Ferdous is Associate Professor at the Department of Public Administration, Comilla University, Bangladesh, and has a diverse academic background and extensive research contributions. Dr Ferdous holds a master’s degree, an MPhil in Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in development studies from Dhaka University. Her research interests include population migration, governance, trust, gender, public policy, climate change, and development.AKM Ahsan Ullah is Associate Professor of Geography, Environment, and Development at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). He has an extensive research portfolio and has worked with prestigious institutions such as the City University of Hong Kong, Institute of Population Health (IPH) at the University of Ottawa, McMaster University, Saint Mary's University, Dalhousie University in Canada, the American University in Cairo (AUC), Osnabruck University, Germany, and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

• 1.Introduction: Rethinking social safety nets. 2.Existing theories, conceptualization, and critics. 3.Poverty and social safety nets: A global picture. 4.Empirics and theories: Bridging evidence and insight. 5.Beneath the safety net: Is SSN a viable program? 6.Discussions and conclusions: Towards sustainable transformations.

Jannatul Ferdous is Associate Professor at the Department of Public Administration, Comilla University, Bangladesh, and has a diverse academic background and extensive research contributions. Dr Ferdous holds a master’s degree, an MPhil in Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in development studies from Dhaka University. Her research interests include population migration, governance, trust, gender, public policy, climate change, and development.AKM Ahsan Ullah is Associate Professor of Geography, Environment, and Development at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). He has an extensive research portfolio and has worked with prestigious institutions such as the City University of Hong Kong, Institute of Population Health (IPH) at the University of Ottawa, McMaster University, Saint Mary's University, Dalhousie University in Canada, the American University in Cairo (AUC), Osnabruck University, Germany, and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

• 1.Introduction: Rethinking social safety nets. 2.Existing theories, conceptualization, and critics. 3.Poverty and social safety nets: A global picture. 4.Empirics and theories: Bridging evidence and insight. 5.Beneath the safety net: Is SSN a viable program? 6.Discussions and conclusions: Towards sustainable transformations.

Jannatul Ferdous is Associate Professor at the Department of Public Administration, Comilla University, Bangladesh, and has a diverse academic background and extensive research contributions. Dr Ferdous holds a master’s degree, an MPhil in Public Administration, and a Ph.D. in development studies from Dhaka University. Her research interests include population migration, governance, trust, gender, public policy, climate change, and development.AKM Ahsan Ullah is Associate Professor of Geography, Environment, and Development at the University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). He has an extensive research portfolio and has worked with prestigious institutions such as the City University of Hong Kong, Institute of Population Health (IPH) at the University of Ottawa, McMaster University, Saint Mary's University, Dalhousie University in Canada, the American University in Cairo (AUC), Osnabruck University, Germany, and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.

• 1.Introduction: Rethinking social safety nets. 2.Existing theories, conceptualization, and critics. 3.Poverty and social safety nets: A global picture. 4.Empirics and theories: Bridging evidence and insight. 5.Beneath the safety net: Is SSN a viable program? 6.Discussions and conclusions: Towards sustainable transformations.