Background

Small-scale farms dominate Southeast Asian agriculture, providing essential contributions to food production, ecosystem health, and rural livelihoods. These farms are under increasing threat from unsustainable land use, landscape transformation, floods, droughts, and pests, all of which are amplified by climate change. Such risks endanger food systems, human and ecosystem health, infrastructure, and land value.

To counter these risks, new development pathways are required, co-designed by research, education, and practice. Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), with their systemic perspective on landscapes, offer potential solutions for climate-resilient farming. They provide opportunities to sustain livelihoods, safeguard ecosystems, and increase resilience to extreme weather events.

The project

The CRIFS project aims to:

• Co-develop and test climate-resilient IFS with local farmers and stakeholders in Cambodia and Lao PDR.
• Design strategies for mainstreaming and scaling up IFS beyond the farm level.
• Develop planning tools for local-level IFS adaptation to different agro-ecological zones and climate scenarios.
• Integrate knowledge and competences into curricula of higher education institutions and training for extension services and policymakers in Cambodia and Lao PDR.
• Advance sustainability pathways in line with the UN 2030 Agenda.

A mixed-methods, inter- and transdisciplinary research approach will be used, including participatory workshops, scientific monitoring, and stakeholder engagement.

The science

CRIFS addresses climate change resilience and adaptation in agriculture by linking applied research, field practice, and education. It will:

• Generate evidence on IFS performance under climate change conditions.
• Test and evaluate resilience of farms in participatory settings.
• Promote Education for Sustainable Development by embedding project outcomes in higher education curricula and training programs.
• Advance sustainability science through collaboration between European and Southeast Asian partners.

The team

• Dr. Julie Gwendolin Zaehringer (Coordinator), University of Bern, Switzerland
• Bounthanom Bouahom, National Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development Research Institute, Lao PDR
• Sayvisene Boulom, National University of Laos, Lao PDR
• Tim Sophea, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia

Contact:
Dr. Julie Gwendolin Zaehringer                           E-Mail: julie.zaehringer@unibe.ch 

Background

One of the most pressing consequences of climate change is sea level rise, which, in combination with low-lying urbanized areas and land subsidence, creates severe risks for coastal resilience. The Netherlands, Singapore, and Indonesia (the “three sisters”) are highly exposed to this toxic combination and require robust long-term monitoring and adaptation strategies.

Geodesy provides key data on elevation, land subsidence, and sea levels, critical for policymaking and climate adaptation. Long-term, precise, and reliable measurements are required, but current infrastructures often operate in isolation. New technologies such as satellite radar interferometry (InSAR) must be integrated with existing systems (levelling campaigns, GNSS, tide gauges, gravity stations, airborne laser scanning) for effective monitoring.

The project

Three Sisters will:

• Review the existing geodetic infrastructure in the Netherlands, Singapore, and Indonesia.
• Develop metrics to assess adequacy for monitoring climate-related processes.
• Propose and design optimal integration of eight different geodetic techniques, focusing on disentangling land elevation, sea level, and subsidence signals.
• Develop algorithms and methods to estimate temporal changes in sea level and land motion.
• Establish a prototype monitoring service for situational awareness, supporting long-term climate adaptation policies.

The science

The project combines geodesy, remote sensing, earth observation, and climate science. Key advances include:

• Integration of heterogeneous geodetic benchmarks into a unified monitoring framework.
• Application of InSAR for high-resolution land subsidence monitoring.
• Linking tide gauge data with geodetic reference frames to harmonise land–sea measurements.
• Development of long-term datasets critical for climate adaptation, coastal planning, and disaster resilience.

The team

• Prof. Dr. Ramon Hanssen (CoordinatorI, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), The Netherlands
• Dr. Heri Andreas, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia
• Dr. Sang-Ho Yun, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Ramon Hanssen                       E-Mail: r.f.hanssen@tudelft.nl 

Background

Southeast Asia’s coastal zones are home to millions of people, many living below the poverty line and heavily reliant on mangroves for fisheries, aquaculture, and timber. Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems that protect coasts from tsunamis and hurricanes, mitigate climate change, and support livelihoods. Yet, annual losses from deforestation, overexploitation, and climate change (sea level rise, altered rainfall) remain immense.

Despite international attention such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) current restoration often relies on ineffective monoculture plantations that fail to restore full ecological functions. There is an urgent need for an evidence-based restoration framework that addresses coastal dynamics, biodiversity, socio-economic factors, and long-term sustainability.

The project

RESCuE-2 will:

• Monitor and optimise mangrove restoration design using remote sensing, field surveys, and modelling.
• Develop multi-scale spatio-temporal information to guide effective restoration and biodiversity conservation.
• Connect local restoration actions with national and regional policy frameworks.
• Test innovative restoration strategies that go beyond monoculture plantations.
• Strengthen collaborations among European and Southeast Asian scientists, policymakers, and communities.
• Build research capacity, especially for early-career scientists in ASEAN and Europe.

The science

The project combines ecology, forestry, geography, data science, and social sciences.

• Remote sensing and GIS to map mangrove cover and monitor restoration outcomes.
• Agent-based and stochastic modelling of mangrove forest dynamics (e.g. BETTINA and MANGA models).
• Socio-ecological analysis of community-based restoration strategies.
• Comparative evaluation of restoration methods to determine ecological effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
• Policy-relevant outputs for adaptation and resilience under climate change.

The team

The RESCuE-2 partners are:

• Prof. Dr. Uta Berger (Coordinator), Technical University Dresden (TUD), Germany
• Dr. Ronny Peters, Dr. Martin Zwanzig, Dr. Robert Schlicht, TUD, Germany
• Prof. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
• Prof. Claude Garcia, Berner Fachhochschule, Switzerland
• Dr. Hélène Dessard, Dr. Valéry Gond, CIRAD, France
• Dr. Johann Oszwald, Prof. Samuel Corgne, Université Rennes 2, France
• Stefano Cannicci, University of Florence, Italy
• Independent researchers: Dario Simonetti, Italy, Andreas Langner, Germany
• Kim Soben, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia
• Meas Rithy, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
• Assoc. Prof. Satyanarayana Behara, Ph.D. Jarina Mohd Jani, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia
• Prof. Patiya Kemacheevakul, Uday Pimple, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand
• Kumrom Leadprathom, Royal Forest Department, Thailand
• Sukan Punkul, Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Thailand
• Poonsri Wanthongchai, Tamanai Pravinvongvuthi, Suchart Yamprasai, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Thailand
• Tetsu Ito, XASN Co. Ltd, Japan

Contact: 

Prof. Dr. Uta Berger                    E-Mail: uta.berger@tu-dresden.de 

Background

Methanol production from CO₂ offers dual benefits: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and producing a valuable industrial chemical. Cu–ZnO and MoP catalysts have shown high CO₂ conversion and methanol selectivity, while other metal oxides (Au, Zr, Ti, La, In, Ga, etc.) are also promising.

A major challenge lies in overcoming thermodynamic limitations: equilibrium constraints require high pressure, optimal temperature, and continuous removal of products (methanol, water). Membrane technologies, especially hydrophilic zeolites (e.g. LTA, SOD, ZSM-5), provide selective water permeation and shift the reaction equilibrium forward. The project focuses on developing defect-free zeolite membranes and catalyst–membrane integration for continuous operation.

The project

CH3OH in CMR will:

• Develop advanced catalyst systems (MoP, Cu–ZnO–ZrO₂ doped with metals).
• Design and fabricate NaA zeolite membranes with tailored Si/Al ratios for water selectivity and stability.
• Integrate membranes with catalysts in a three-layer catalytic membrane reactor (catalyst, zeolite, α-Al₂O₃ support).
• Demonstrate compatibility between CO₂ conversion rates and water permeation performance.
• Collaborate with industrial partner PTT to apply the technology for CO₂ management in large-scale gas plants.
• Facilitate technology transfer among research partners in Thailand, Malaysia, and Germany.

The science

The project integrates catalysis, membrane technology, chemical engineering, and materials science. Key scientific advances include:

• Catalyst optimisation for high selectivity in CO₂ hydrogenation.
• Design of defect-free zeolite membranes for selective water removal.
• Integration of reaction and separation into a single catalytic membrane reactor.
• Operando testing to optimise process conditions (pressure, temperature, selectivity).
• Contributions to CO₂ utilisation technologies aligned with the Paris Agreement and IPCC climate goals.

This approach represents a breakthrough for green methanol production and sustainable CO₂ valorisation.

The team

The CH3OH in CMR partners are:

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Unalome Wetwatana Hartley (Coordinator), King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok (KMUTNB), Thailand
• Dr. Sebastian Wohlrab, LIKAT, Germany
• Prof. Dr. Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua, Sunway University, Malaysia
• Nuchanart Siringuan, PTT Public Company Limited, Thailand
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nur Awanis Hashim, Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia

Contact:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Unalome Wetwatana Hartley              E-Mail: unalome.w.cpe@tggs-bangkok.org 

Background

Jakarta faces severe land subsidence (up to 25 cm per year in some areas) driven by excessive groundwater extraction, rapid urbanization, and climate-induced sea-level rise. Combined with extreme rainfall, this threatens millions of residents with recurrent flooding, infrastructure damage, and long-term loss of habitable land.

Conventional technical measures such as sea walls have proven insufficient or socially inequitable, often displacing vulnerable communities. Sustainable solutions must integrate engineering with governance, local participation, and socio-economic resilience.

The project

Jakarta SOS pursues the following objectives:

• Analyze hydrogeological and geotechnical dynamics of land subsidence in Jakarta.
• Assess governance structures to identify barriers and opportunities for integrated water management.
• Co-develop adaptation strategies with local stakeholders, focusing on equity, feasibility, and resilience.
• Design policy recommendations combining engineering, nature-based, and social solutions.
• Build a transferable framework applicable to other Southeast Asian delta megacities.

The science

The consortium combines hydrology, engineering, and social sciences:

• Geoscientific analysis of groundwater depletion, soil mechanics, and coastal processes.
• Scenario modeling of subsidence and flooding under different climate and policy conditions.
• Participatory methods with Jakarta communities to integrate local knowledge and needs.
• Policy and governance research to connect technical findings with actionable recommendations.

Expected outcomes include new decision-support tools, policy briefs, and stakeholder-tested adaptation pathways for Jakarta.

The team

The Jakarta SOS partners are:

• Prof. Murat Arsel (Coordinator), Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Dr. Suraya Afiff, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
• Prof. Fikret Adaman, Bogaziçi University, Turkey

Contact:

Prof. Murat Arsel