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Overview
Climate change is one of the defining challenges of the 21st century. Rising global temperatures and increasing greenhouse gas emissions are intensifying extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, cyclones, and heatwaves. These disruptions are not only damaging ecosystems but are also deepening socioeconomic vulnerabilities across communities.
The Asia and Pacific region remains particularly exposed. Disasters have claimed millions of lives over the past decades and continue to affect millions annually, with severe economic and social consequences. Climate-induced displacement is also rising sharply, highlighting the urgency for localised and inclusive resilience strategies.
In this context, cooperatives play a critical role. Rooted in collective action and community solidarity, they have demonstrated the ability to absorb shocks, sustain livelihoods, and support recovery. Through approaches such as climate-smart agriculture, community-based risk sharing, and resilient infrastructure, cooperatives are strengthening adaptive capacity at the grassroots level.
This webinar will bring together experiences from across the region to showcase how cooperatives are responding to climate and disaster risks, and to explore pathways for strengthening resilience.
Objectives
- Showcase cooperative-led responses to climate change-induced disasters across Asia and the Pacific
- Strengthen understanding of disaster preparedness and climate risk management within cooperatives
- Identify policy pathways to enhance long-term cooperative resilience
Key Themes
1. Cooperative Heroes in Climate Action: Lessons from Asia Pacific
Focus on real-life case studies of cooperatives responding to climate-related disasters, including preparedness measures and community-led resilience strategies.
Featured case studies include:
- Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (India)
- Philippine Family Farmers Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry Cooperatives Federation (AgriCOOPh)
2. Policy Pathways for Strengthening Cooperative Resilience
Discussion on policy frameworks, partnerships, and innovative approaches to strengthen long-term resilience of cooperatives in the face of climate risks.
Program Schedule
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Time (IST) |
Session |
Speaker / Responsibility |
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11:50 AM – 12:00 PM |
Participant Login & Technical Check |
ICA-AP Secretariat |
|
12:00 PM – 12:05 PM |
Brief welcome, introduction to the webinar and expert speakers |
Moderator |
|
12:05 PM – 12:15 PM |
Context Setting & Opening Remarks Theme: Cooperatives at the Frontline of Climate and Disaster Resilience |
Mr. Balu Iyer Regional Director, International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific |
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12:15 PM – 12:30 PM |
Keynote Address I Cooperative Heroes in Climate Action: Lessons from the Wayanad Rehabilitation Project, ULCCS, India |
Mr. Arun Baboo Chief Operating Officer & Head, Wayanad Rehabilitation Project, ULCCS, India |
|
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM |
Keynote Address II Cooperative Heroes in Climate Action: Lessons from Japan Cooperative Alliance, Japan |
Prof. Akira Kurimoto Senior Fellow, Japan Cooperative Alliance & Former Professor, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan |
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12:45 PM – 1:00 PM |
Keynote Address III Cooperative Heroes in Climate Action: Lessons from AgriCooPh, Philippines |
Ms. Lourdes F. Diocson Project Lead, AgriCooPh, Philippines |
|
1:00 PM – 1:15 PM |
Keynote Address IV Policy Pathways for Strengthening Cooperative Resilience in the Wake of Climate Change-Induced Disasters |
Dr. Sukhpal Singh Professor, IIM Ahmedabad & Former Director General, CRRID, Chandigarh |
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1:15 PM – 1:30 PM |
Interactive Forum Question & Answer Session |
Moderator with Speakers |
|
1:30 PM – 1:40 PM |
Key Reflections, Way Forward Call for Cooperative Climate Action in Asia-Pacific |
Mr. Kishore Kumar Vice-Chair, ICAE & Chief Project Coordinator, ULCCS, India |
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1:40 PM – 1:45 PM |
Vote of Thanks |
Prof. Datuk Dr. Abdul Rahman Razak Shaik Chair, ICAE (ANGKASA Malaysia) |
Meet the Keynote speakers:
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Photo |
Speaker Profile |
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Mr. Arun Baboo Chief Operating Officer & Head, Wayanad Rehabilitation Project The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), India Arun Baboo is the Chief Operating Officer of ULCCS, one of India’s leading worker-owned infrastructure cooperatives with expertise in highways, bridges, urban infrastructure, marine works, and sustainable development. He has played a significant role in expanding ULCCS into advanced infrastructure sectors including airports, tunnels, mechanised construction, and technology-driven engineering solutions. Prior to ULCCS, he worked with Habog Consultant, CDM Smith, and Wilbur Smith Associates, gaining wide exposure to large-scale infrastructure planning and project management. He is closely involved in the development of the rehabilitation township for landslide-affected families near Kalpetta in Wayanad — a project that integrates humanitarian goals with sustainable, community-oriented planning. |
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Mr. Akira Kurimoto Senior Fellow, Japan Cooperative Alliance Former Professor, Institute for Solidarity-based Society, Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan Akira Kurimoto is a Senior Fellow at Japan Co-operative Alliance and a former Professor at Hosei University, Tokyo. He served as Chair of the ICA Research Committee (2001–2005, 2021–2023) and is a core member of the ICA Co-operative Identity Advisory Group. His research covers co-operative laws and policies, co-operative economics and governance, food supply chains, health and social care cooperatives, and the social solidarity economy. He is editor and author of Waking the Asian Pacific Cooperative Potential (2020) and Exploring Asian-Pacific Cooperatives in Theory and Practice (2026), and has contributed to several landmark international cooperative publications. |
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Ms. Lourdes F. Diocson Project Lead, AgriCooPh Philippine Family Farmers Agriculture Fishery Forestry Cooperatives Federation, Philippines Lourdes F. Diocson is currently in her fifth year as Project Lead for the TRIAS SEA-funded programme Towards Social Justice in the Philippines Driven by Inclusive and Sustainable Family Entrepreneurship (2022–2026), implemented with AgriCooPh, a national federation of agricultural cooperatives. She also leads C-GRASS, a nature-based solutions project promoting seagrass habitat protection and sustainable sea cucumber farming for climate adaptation in Misamis Oriental. She brings 39 years of government service, including over 28 years in leadership roles at the Department of Budget and Management and PhilHealth, where she served as Regional Vice President for Western and Central Visayas. Her expertise spans project management, organizational development, environmental sustainability, and gender and inclusion. |
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Dr. Sukhpal Singh Professor, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad Former Director General, Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Chandigarh Dr. Sukhpal Singh is a Professor at IIM Ahmedabad, where he has been on faculty for 22 years, and a Fellow of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics. His research focuses on value chains, contract farming, food supermarkets, organic produce, smallholders, farmer producer companies, and agricultural policy. He has authored 15 books — including India’s Producer Companies and Small Farmers (Springer Nature, 2024) — and over 170 research papers. He has served on government committees including India’s National Co-operation Policy (2025) Committee, and currently serves on the GoI Committee on MSP and SEBI’s Commodity Derivatives Advisory Committee. He has provided research support to FAO, the World Bank, Oxfam, and several other international development agencies. |
Date and Time
Date: 19 May 2026
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:40 PM IST
Platform: Zoom
Target Audience
- Cooperative leaders, board members, and managers
- National cooperative federations and unions
- Policymakers and government officials
- Academicians and researchers
- Representatives from regional and international organisations
- Youth and women leaders from cooperatives
Expected Outcomes
- Enhanced understanding of cooperative resilience in disaster contexts
- Documentation of regional case studies and best practices
- Identification of common resilience patterns across sectors
- Strengthened regional cooperation and peer learning
- Policy-relevant insights for institutional strengthening
