Within the framework of the NBS4Water project, Eng. Medhanie Teklemariam, representing Eritrea’s engagement with the UNESCO World Heritage programme, was hosted by the GLOMOS research group at Eurac Research in Bolzano.
Institutes & CentersCenter for Global Mountain Safeguard Research - News - NBS4Water Project Fosters Exchanges on Eritrean Urban Heritage Conservation
Credit: Blal Adem Esmail | All rights reserved
The meeting focused on the intersection between urban heritage conservation and nature-based solutions (NBS), with particular attention to ongoing and planned activities in Asmara. After an introduction to Glomos’ mission by Dr. Paola Fontanels Pisa, Eng. Medhanie presented Eritrea’s experience in safeguarding its modernist urban fabric. He retraced the complex institutional and technical pathway that led to the inscription of Asmara: A Modernist City of Africa on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Eng. Medhanie also outlined current governmental efforts toward the future revitalization of the historic centre of Massawa.
Emphasis was placed on the architectural affinities between Asmara and Bolzano. Both cities share significant examples of early 20th-century rationalist and modernist architecture, shaped by similar design languages, construction techniques, and urban planning principles. These parallels provide fertile ground for comparative research on conservation practices, adaptive reuse, and climate-responsive retrofitting of historic buildings.
Eng. Medhanie’s engagement with Bolzano builds on earlier exchanges: he had previously presented the case of Asmara at the Asmara - Bozen / Bolzano Vortragsabend und Podiumsdiskussion, held in Bolzano in 2019. The event was organized by the Piattaforma Patrimonio culturale e produzione culturale of the Faculty of Design and Arts at the University of Bolzano and contributed to raising awareness of African modernism within the local architectural and academic community.
Credit: Blal Adem Esmail | All rights reserved
A central component of the discussion concerned the NBS4Water workshop held in Asmara in August 2025. Organized with the support of Eng. Medhanie and the Asmara Heritage Project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Land, Water and Environment (MoLWE), Department of Environment, the workshop explored how nature-based solutions and water-sensitive urban design can be integrated into heritage contexts. The initiative positioned Asmara as a pilot case for aligning climate adaptation strategies with landscape restoration including historic urban landscapes.
Looking ahead, participants outlined upcoming research activities in Asmara, including a geodesign workshop aimed at advancing spatial planning tools that reconcile multiple environmental management objectives.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, reinforcing ties between Bolzano and Asmara through research, heritage, and sustainable urban development.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact: Dr Blal Adem Esmail blal.ademesmail@eurac.edu GLOMOS Center for Global Mountain Safeguard Research, Eurac Research Bolzano, Italy
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