About RESCuE1

RESCuE is a research project that contributes to global efforts on conservation, sustainable management of natural resources, coastal zone mitigation and rehabilitation.

RESCuE is conducted in accordance with the UN 2030 agenda for sustainable development, with specific targets to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for the global population over the next 15 years.

REstoration for Sustainable Coastal Ecosystems (RESCuE) Monitors and Optimizes the Design Quality of Mangrove Restoration towards sustainable coastal ecosystem management in Thailand and in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

RESCuE is funded by the South East Asia – Europe Joint Funding Scheme for Research and Innovation (SEA-EU-NET), bringing together six public and private sector partners from three European countries (France, Germany, Italy), two South East Asian countries (Thailand and Vietnam), and one East Asian country (Japan). RESCuE is an international undertaking to improve empirical, theoretical, and applied practices in managing coastal wetlands and restoration research.

RESCuE Key Challenges Tackle Several Fronts:

1.Approach: cross-scaling different approaches from individual-tree level to landscape Level

2.Long term mapping: mapping mangrove community long term changes (zonal and dominant species composition)

3.Uncertainty identification and reduction: determining sources of uncertainty in the mapping framework, their magnitude, and mitigating their effect

4.Afforestation: identification of suitable environmental conditions

5.Quality: defining mangrove forest quality with the development of a list of better indices describing success / failure of mangrove restoration

6.Linking different technologies: accurate determination of forest structure characteristics and biodiversity, using remote sensing and photogrammetric techniques

7.Monitoring and detection: development of improved techniques to detect and monitoring key processes and functioning of mangrove forest e.g. phenological cycles

8.Restorative measure determination: species selection and suitable restorative measures under socio-ecological constraints

9.Ecosystem support modelling: for improved mangrove health and rehabilitation assessment.

RESCuE objectives

To develop improved monitoring for design quality optimization of mangrove restoration in areas affected by various human-induced or environmental variables. RESCuE is working on the development and implementation of the measures required for sustainable coastal ecosystem management in the ASEAN region.

Specific milestones include:

Development of a systematic approach for long term decision-making tools for mapping and monitoring mangrove ecosystem changes
Modeling and forecasting restoration measures and their effects
Valuation of the mangrove ecosystem services in the presence of climate change
Development of a real-time mangrove ecosystem monitoring system

Consortium

he project is led by Prof Valery Gond from CIRAD (France). Project investigators include Prof. Uta Berger from Dresden University of Technology (Germany), Mr. Uday Pimple from JGSEE, KMUTT (Thailand), and Prof. Vo Quang Minh from Can Tho University (Vietnam). The project RESCuE brings together 10 local and international institutes from the public, government, and private sector sectors in 3 different European countries (France, Germany, Italy),2 southeast Asian countries (Thailand and Vietnam), and 1 East Asian country (Japan).

Valery Gond	Valery Gond is a Geographer Specialized in Remote Sensing. With a Ph .D. (1995) from CNES (French Spatial Agency), Valery has held postdoctoral positions at VITO (Flemish Space Agency), and JRC (European Commission Research Center). Working for CIRAD (a French research and development institution), Valery is working on several International Projects with a focus on Characterizing Forest Spatial Patterns in the tropics, (namely Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia), and the Identification of the Human Impact on forests resulting from mining, logging, agriculture, and other human activities. Weblink: http://agents.cirad.fr/index.php/Val%E9ry+GOND
Uta Berger:	A Professor in Mangrove Ecosystem Forest Biometrics and Forest Systems Analysis, Uta’s research concentrates on the Mechanistic Understanding of Ecological System Function and its Connection to Species Diversity and their Traits. Specific Interests include: Links between Species Adaptation, Organism Behavioural Patterns, and long term Patterns in Biodiversity Restoration Ecology with a particular focus on Degraded Forest Systems Biodiversity Conservation under Changing Environmental Conditions Weblink:https://tu-dresden.de/bu/umwelt/forst/ww/bsa/die-professur/staff/uta-berger
Uday Pimple	Uday Pimple is a assistant professor with specialized in remote sensing of mangrove biodiversity from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand. Currently, he is involved in the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Forest Zonation Processes and Structure; and the Development of an Automatic Field Sensor System for Forest Ecosystem Monitoring (with a special focus on mangrove forest ecosystems). Weblink:https://www.jgsee.kmutt.ac.th/v3/personnel/mr-uday-pimple/
Vo Quang Minh	Vo Quang Minh is a Professor in Soil Science at Can Tho University. Since obtaining his Ph.D. in 2007, he is the Head of Can Tho University’s Land Resource Department. His current work focuses on Land Use Planning at the village level, which also includes mangrove communities.
Dario Simonetti	With a Laurea (Bachelor) degree in Informatics from the Universita’ dell’Insubria, Facolta’ di Scienze Matematiche, Fisiche e Naturali, Varese, Dario is a GIS Analyst–Programmer with the Directorate D – Sustainable Resources, at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy. Designing and Developing Tools for Tropical Forest Monitoring with an emphasis on Deforestation and Degradation, Dario possesses expertise includes Python, Big-data and Cloud Computing and EO imagery such as Landsat, Sentinel, RapidEye and Planet.
Johan Oszwald	Currently, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Rennes, France, Johan is a Geographer with 15 years of experience in the field of Deforestation, Remote Sensing, Ecosystem Services, and Forest Field Surveys.
Ronny Peters	Ronny Peters is a researcher at the Institute of Forest Growth and Forest Computer Sciences in Tharandt, Dresden, Germany. Ronny is the father of Bettina. Working on a mechanistic model for tree growth and plasticity-based on hydraulic architecture. Since 2018: MARZIPAN – Adopting mangrove vegetation zonation patterns to gain information on subsurface aquifer structures and advance below-ground plant competition concepts in individual-based modeling.
Sukan Pungkul	Sukan Pungkul is a Forest Officers at the Royal Forest Department, Thailand, with over 25 years of combined Experience in Forest Survey, Remote Sensing based Biomass Estimation, Forest Ecology, and Biodiversity.
Kumrom Leadprathom	Kumrom Leadprathom is forest officer at the Royal Forest Department, Thailand. Kumrom is a forester with 25 years experience in forest survey, forest ecology and biodiversity. In past years he have been working with community based forest restoration projects in eastern Thailand
Tamanai Pravinvongvuthi	Tamanai Pravinvongvuthi and Pasin Maprasop are Forestry Technical Officers at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand, focusing on Mangrove Forest Biomass Estimation, Mangrove Restoration, Conservation, and Policy Implementation.
Pasin Maprasop	Pasin Maprasop is the Forestry Technical officer (Samut Sakhon province) at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand. Currently, he is focusing on the application of drone and aerial photograph for mangrove forest biomass estimation.
Lilian Blanc	Lilian Blanc has worked for over 20 years studying Anthropogenic and Natural Disturbances in Tropical Forest Ecology. Lilian’s work considers the Drivers and rate of change of tropical forests to identify Restoration Strategies. Working for CIRAD, Lilian has also conducted research activities in Asia (Vietnam) and South America (mainly in Brazil and French Guiana).
Hélène Dessard	Hélène Dessard is a Senior Statistician at CIRAD. Hélène is an expert of Data Management and Applied Statistics involving Social and Ecological Factors. With a background in Agronomy and a Ph.D. in applied statistics, Hélène is studying Spatial Factors in Forest Ecosystems in concert with Forest Dynamics Researchers. Presently Hélène is studying the Social patterns in forested landscapes, and the Interrelations between local People, their Livelihoods, and the Resilience of Forest Ecosystems. Hélène has studied the Social and Economic Impacts of Mining in Africa and is now involved in Forest Landscape Restoration projects in Brazil.
Patrick Rousset	At CIRAD, Dr. Patrick Rousset is working with developing countries to tackle International Agricultural and Development Issues: Agriculture, Food, Rural territories, and Climate Change. With a PhD degree from AgroParisTech ENGREF France, Patrick has spent 10 years as a researcher at the Brazilian Forestry Council. Now working for JGSEE-KMUTT and Kasetsart University in Thailand, Patrick is studying Biomass Energy Conversion, with a focus on Torrefaction and Pyrolysis.
Nguyen Thi Hong Diep	Nguyen Thi Hong Diep is an Associate Professorat Can Tho University. With aPh.D. in Remote sensing and GIS, Nguyen’s studies include Land Cover Changes, Coastal Natural Resources, Ecosystem System Services, Disaster Management in Flooding, River/Coastal Erosion, and Climate Change Impacts in Coastal Ecosystems.
Tuan Quoc Vo	Tuan Quoc Vo has a Ph.D. from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and currently heads the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory at Can Tho University. Tuan is studying the Valuation of Mangrove Ecosystem Services, Monitoring Land Use and Land Cover Change using Remote Sensing.
Truong Chi Quang	A Senior Lecturer at Can Tho University, Truong Chi Quang has a Ph.D. in Informatics – Complex Systems Modelling from the Pierre and Marie Curie University. Truong specializes inLand Use Modelling, Surveying, and Web mapping.
Phan Kieu Diem	With a Ph.D. from The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment at King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand, Phan is a Lecturer at Can Tho University, Vietnam. Phan’s research is focused on Evaluating the Impact of Climate Extreme Events to Tropical Forest.
Nguyen Nhu Do	Nguyen Nhu Do is Deputy Manager of Forest Protection Department (FPD), Ca Mau Province, Vietnam.
Phan Minh Tri	Phan Minh Tri is the Head of the Forest Protection Department (FPD) at Dat Mui Commune, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam. He is focusing on mangrove restoration, conservation, and policy implementation issues.
Nguyen Van Hiep	Nguyen Van Hiep isa Forest Protection Department (FPD) Officer, Ca Mau Province, Vietnam. Nguyen’s focus is onmangrove restoration, conservation, and policy implementation issues.

Publications

Pimple, U., Simonetti, D., Peters, R., Berger, U., Podest, E., & Gond, V. (2022). Enhancing monitoring of mangrove spatiotemporal tree diversity and distribution patterns. Land Degradation & Development, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.4537

Pimple, U. (2022) Spatio-temporal dynamics of mangrove forest in Trat province of Thailand, BOIS & FORETS DES TROPIQUES, 353, 93-94. https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2022.353.a36999

Pimple, U., Leadprathom, K., Simonetti, D., Sitthi, A., Peters, R., Berger, U., Siri-on, K., Kemacheevakul, P., Gond, V. (2022). Assessing mangrove species diversity , zonation and functional indicators in response to natural , regenerated , and rehabilitated succession. J. Environ. Manage. 318, 115507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115507

Apperloo, S.F. (2021) A way to recover mangroves in the Thai Trat province: How do mangrove-rehabilitation programs affect coastal communities, (Master’s dissertation), Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands

Peters, R., Lovelock, C., López-Portillo, J., Bathmann, J., Wimmler, M., Jiang, J., Walther, M., Berger, U. (2021) Partial canopy loss of mangrove trees: Mitigating water scarcity by physical adaptation and feedback on porewater salinity, Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science, Volume 248
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106797

Pimple, U. (2020) Dataset on plot inventories of species diversity and structural parameters of natural and rehabilitated mangrove forest in the Trat Province of Thailand, Data in Brief, Vol.30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105500

Pimple,U., Simonetti,D., Hinks,I., Oszwald,J., Berger,U., Pungkul, S., Leadprathom,K., Pravinvongvuthi,T., Maprasoap, P., Gond,V. (2020) A history of the rehabilitation of mangroves and an assessment of their diversity and structure using Landsat annual composites (1987–2019) and transect plot inventories, Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118007

Gond, V., Berger, U., Pimple, U., Oszwald, J., 2019, Surveiller et restaurer les mangroves du sud-est asiatique, In. Les mangroves, Dossier pédagogique 2018-2019, Rédacteurs : Feuillassier, L., Rognan, A., Oceanopolis, 29 pages

Thau, D., Andradi-Brown, D., Cortinhas, L., Diniz, C., Souza-Filho, P., Fiske, G., Giri, C., Goldberg, L., Lagomasino,D., Pimple,U., Simonetti, D., Shapiro, A., and Xiao, X. (2018, August 28). Mangrove Monitoring in Google Earth Engine [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://medium.com/google-earth/mangrove-monitoring-in-google-earth-engine-4d6f6be8d7fc

Pimple, U., Simonetti, D., Sitthi, A., Pungkul, S., Leadprathom, K., Skupek, H., Som-ard, J., Gond, V. and Towprayoon, S. (2018) Google Earth Engine Based Three Decadal Landsat Imagery Analysis for Mapping of Mangrove Forests and Its Surroundings in the Trat Province of Thailand. Journal of Computer and Communications, 6, 247-264. DOI: 10.4236/jcc.2018.61025