Current communication standards and systems are not optimally prepared for their application in unpredictable environments which occur for example in serious disaster scenarios such as earthquakes or tsunamis. Cellular communications systems are planned using accurate/strict link budget allocation mechanisms, in order to keep the probability of outage in an acceptable range. The whole communication chain (coding, signalling chain, but as well as higher layer protocols) is optimized for the operation in this range. Therefore, communication services perform poorly or fail completely in unpredictable environments. Future networks will most likely be heterogeneous and dense, a structure which can be exploited if communication schemes are constructed on an appropriate the theoretical, technological, and practical basis. In order to establish this basis, RESCUE proposes the integrated concept "links on the fly" which encompasses the key technologies of distributed joint source/channel coding in lossy wireless networks, exploitation of multi-path information transfer in wireless mesh networks, distributed and centralized MAC/network protocols for channel access, and routing, cross-layer design for interference management and error control.This will allow to achieve successful and robust information transfer through multi-path networks that are constructed from lossy point-to-point links,  adaptability of information quality to the specific quality of service (QoS) requirements of applications and devices for higher spectrum and energy efficiency and the integration of diverse communication infrastructure such as base stations, relays, and satellites, and terminals for network robustness and fast provision of communication. In practice, such situations are frequent in today's wireless networks with mobility of nodes, high density cells, dynamic and opportunistic frequency management that has impact on the on-going communications and future 5G networks challenges.