Socioeconomic and environmental risks in rural areas: overcoming using cooperative economy approaches.

By the fact that rural societies are heavily and directly depending on natural resources related activities for their livelihoods, making them particularly susceptible to instabilities, risks or disruptions caused by natural hazards, climate change and social-economic conflicts, or even all combined. These facts will drive the background of this research, while reviewing the cooperative economy models and practices as suggested solutions applied in these rural areas, will be also linked. Rural communities are frequently among the most exposed areas to experience the effects of the mentioned problems. The goal of this research is to accumulate the body of knowledge available regarding rural communities' experiences with these interrelated compiled issues, and at the same time the adoption of and experience with cooperatives approaches as solutions by these communities; trying to answer a main question: “What are the impacts of adopting cooperative economy models in rural communities experiencing social, economic, and environmental challenges?”.