PEOPLEBlal Adem Esmail

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Blal Adem Esmail

Senior Researcher
Center for Global Mountain Safeguard Research

T +39 0471 055 190

blal.ademesmail@eurac.edu

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1377-565X

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About

Ecosystem Services
Nature-based solutions
Urban Water Security
Sustainable Spatial Planning
Sustainability Sciences

Short bio
Blal Adem Esmail è ingegnere ambientale e ricercatore senior presso il Center for Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS). La sua ricerca si concentra sulla pianificazione di soluzioni basate sulla natura e sulle infrastrutture verdi per trasformazioni urbane sostenibili, con particolare attenzione alle sfide idriche.
Ha conseguito un dottorato di ricerca su “Servizi ecosistemici per la gestione e la pianificazione dei bacini idrografici” e un master in ingegneria civile presso l'Università di Trento, Italia. Ha ricoperto posizioni di post-dottorato presso la Ruhr University Bochum (DE), il KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE) e il PLANES Lab dell'Università di Trento (IT). Ha tenuto corsi di laurea tra cui “Servizi ecosistemici nelle aree urbane” e “Pianificare il cambiamento trasformazionale nel settore idrico urbano”.

Links

Scientific Publications

Journal article2026

Unpacking the conditions for integrating Nature- Based Solutions in Stockholm’s spatial planning

Suleiman L, Pu Y, Adem Esmail B, Balfors B, Mörtberg U

Blal Adem Esmail

Societal challenges highlight the need for a green urban transformation, where Nature-based Solutions (NBS) play a crucial role. Despite their potential, the integration of NBS into spatial planning remains a significant challenge. This study examines the factors influencing NBS adoption in spatial planning in the Stockholm region, Sweden. Using a two-step mixed methodology, the research combines quantitative analysis of NBS-relevant terms in municipal comprehensive plans (CPs) from 26 municipalities and two regional plans, followed by focus group discussions with planning officials from five municipalities. The findings reveal significant variation in the integration of NBS in the CPs and their practical application, with notable barriers related to political, socioeconomic, and local contexts. Key challenges for planning interventions involving extended NBS include inadequate legislation, limited resources, lack of political will, and insufficient inter-institutional collaboration. In conclusion, despite strong advocacy for NBS integration, the lack of systematic and structural support hinders a transformative shift in Swedish planning towards a broader NBS framework.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2026.129265

Journal article2025

Boxes of rain: A systematic review on the classes and frameworks of ecosystem disservices

Anderson CC, Metzemacher A, Adem Esmail B

Blal Adem Esmail

Despite the numerous benefits we derive from ecosystems as ecosystem services (ES), negative impacts on human health and well-being also occur as ecosystem disservices (ED). To study ED, researchers box them into classes and create conceptual frameworks to support their identification, assessment, and communication. It is unclear what classes and frameworks now exist for ED, their relative uptake in the literature, and their potential application across socio-ecological contexts. We conduct a systematic literature review of ED classification systems and frameworks to take stock and synthesize this growing but scattered body of research. We find strong uptake of several influential articles but persisting inconsistency of classifications and oversimplification of ED processes within frameworks. Aggregating existing classifications and frameworks, we draw on lessons learned to propose the Composite Ecosystem Disservices (CED) framework. We call for increased ED research, greater comparability and replicability allowing for transdisciplinarity, and conceptual underpinnings that recognize social-ecological interconnections.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02157-1

Journal article2025

Evaluating trends in the consideration of urban green spaces in strategic spatial planning: Insights from Romania

Slave AR, Popa AM, Onose DA, Adem Esmail B, Albert C, Hossu CA, Iojă IC, Gradinaru SR

Blal Adem Esmail

In Europe, strategic spatial planning is increasingly recognized as a public-sector-led approach that brings together multiple actors in collaborative settings to build long-term visions for urban development. Despite the growing importance of urban green spaces (UGS) in fostering sustainable and liveable cities, systematic longitudinal and comparative analyses of UGS integration into strategic urban plans remain scarce. Drawing on established normative criteria for “good” strategic plans and evidence from practice, we propose an evaluation framework to assess the communication-oriented, evidence-based, action-oriented, collaborative and adaptive dimensions of plans. We apply the framework to three generations of strategic plans from 18 Romanian cities. Our results indicate that, while UGS are frequently mentioned, their integration into actionable strategies is inconsistent. We observe, however, a positive trend in the incorporation of UGS into successive plan iterations. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to use a longitudinal research design to systematically assess changes in the quality of strategic urban plans, with a particular focus on UGS. We discuss our framework and findings in the context of broader debates about the nature of strategic planning and the mainstreaming of environmental aspects into strategic plans. Applying the framework in different countries and planning contexts could assess its transferability and reveal how institutional arrangements, planning traditions, and socio-political environments influence the quality of strategic plans over time.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105425

Journal article2025

Geodesign to advance boundary work in urban planning: A study in Stockholm focused on nature-based solutions

Adem Esmail B, Anderson CC, Bast S, Cortinovis C, Suleiman L, Kato-Huerta J, Högström J, Balfors B,

Blal Adem Esmail

Geodesign supports collaborative urban planning by managing ‘boundaries’ between diverse knowledge holders. However, there is a paucity of empirical evidence of its contribution to ‘boundary work’. This paper aims to evaluate how a geodesign process facilitates knowledge co-production through boundary work and to assess the scientific credibility, political saliency, and procedural legitimacy of its outputs in urban planning. We propose a replicable geodesign framework to assess boundary work, and test it in a case study on urban transformations with nature-based solutions in the Skarpnäck district of Stockholm, Sweden. Findings indicate that all geodesign steps facilitated communication by promoting collective reasoning. Participants acknowledged contributions to knowledge co-production and decision-making by mediating between different perspectives. However, data quality and modeling simplicity were identified as critical factors affecting the outputs’ perceived credibility. Future applications should include co-designing the geodesign process, improving capacity and skills, and facilitating more integrated planning.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-024-02083-8

Journal article2025

Investigating Nature-based Solutions Potential to Mitigate Urban Pluvial Flooding: A Case Study in Bochum, Germany

Hartkopf E, Formetta G, Albert C, Adem Esmail B

Blal Adem Esmail

Global warming is associated with rising precipitation intensities, challenging urban drainage systems, and policymakers worldwide. Densely populated, highly sealed cities face high pluvial ﬂooding risks. Nature-based Solutions have been identiﬁed as a promising and multifunctional approach to mitigating pluvial ﬂooding impact. This study investigates the ﬂood mitigation potential of various Nature-based Solutions scenarios and a green-grey infrastructure hybrid solution in a neighbourhood in Bochum, Germany. Using an integrated 1D-2D drainage model in PCSWMM, diﬀerent sub-hourly storm events were simulated for current and future periods.
The green-grey hybrid solution was the most eﬀective in reducing ﬂood area and depth. Among Nature-based Solutions, permeable pavement had the greatest impact, followed by rain gardens and tree pits. All Nature-based Solutions were able to prevent pluvial ﬂooding in design storms with return intervals of 10 years. Runoﬀ reduction rates exhibited relatively stable behavior throughout diﬀerent precipitation intensities, suggesting that Nature-based Solutions’ potential to reduce runoﬀ exceeds the standard design applications.
The results suggest Nature-based Solutions are eﬀective against pluvial ﬂoods in Bochum. Extensive, holistic Nature-based Solutions implementation is crucial for adapting sewer systems and enhancing city-wide resilience. While individual interventions can protect vulnerable infrastructures, city-level resilience must be prioritized to eﬀectively address urban pluvial ﬂood challenges.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.14796/JWMM.C548

Journal article2025

Mapping and Analyzing Ecosystem Services Hotspots and Coldspots for Sustainable Spatial Planning in the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea

Adem Esmail B, Cortinovis C, Geneletti D, Inostroza L, Peters R, Romelli C, Schulze I, Tecle-Misghina B,

Blal Adem Esmail

Rapid urbanization in African metropolises like the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea, poses numerous environmental challenges, including soil sealing, loss of vegetation cover, threats to protected natural areas, and climate change, among others. Mapping and assessing ecosystem services, particularly analyzing their spatial and temporal distribution is crucial for sustainable spatial planning. This study aims at mapping and analyzing ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots dynamics in the Greater Asmara Area to identify recent trends and opportunities for enhancing ecosystem services supply. Utilizing remote sensing images, we produced land cover maps for 2009 and 2020 and mapped six ecosystem services through a lookup table approach. The study includes provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ecosystem services. We analyzed their spatio-temporal variations, identifying ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots and their changes over time. Results show that overall ecosystem services potential in the Greater Asmara Area remains low but stable, with some improvements. By 2020, areas with no ecosystem services potential decreased in southern regions like Gala Nefhi and Berik, and new hotspots and coldspots emerged in central Gala Nefhi. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and key challenges of the ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots approach for sustainable spatial planning in rapidly urbanizing African metropolitan regions. Despite limitations, the study offers valuable insights into ecosystem services potentials, and related hotspots and coldspots dynamics, raising awareness and paving the way for further research and application.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-02078-x

Journal article2025

Planning for transformative change with nature-based solutions: A geodesign application in Stockholm

Adem Esmail B, Cortinovis C, Bast S, Anderson CC, Suleiman L, Arciniegas G, Geneletti D, Mörtberg U,

Blal Adem Esmail

Advancing towards urban futures in which both human communities and ecosystems can thrive requires transformative change (TC). Spatial planning can serve as a backbone for inspiring and fostering the desired transformation of cities. However, to support this transformation, the challenge for spatial planning is to create unconventional plans that account for the complex trade-offs and interactions of different scenarios through participatory procedures. A promising approach for addressing this challenge is geodesign, since it couples spatial co-design with impact simulations. This paper aims to explore how, and with what effects, a geodesign process can support the co-creation of transformative urban plans that enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services while meeting urban development goals. A geodesign process was developed and deployed for a case study neighborhood in Stockholm, Sweden. Two scenario storylines were developed: one that follows the current city plan, and another one where the most transformative elements of the plan are further emphasized. Fourteen planning stakeholders divided into three groups translated the storylines into actual land use changes and explored the impacts of the two scenarios. The study findings indicate that the geodesign process enabled participants to develop transformative plans that address housing needs while also promoting biodiversity and ecosystem services through nature-based solutions. Participants showed high perceived desirability of TC scenarios in Skarpnäck but were mostly sceptical regarding the plausibility and probability of future implementation. Changes in perceived plausibility, desirability and probability comparing before and after the geodesign process were minor, with some inter-group variation. We recommend practical applications of geodesign to strategically involve key stakeholders throughout study conceptualization, scenario development, and model generation for better consideration of context. Enhancing geodesign tools for user-friendliness is also crucial. We suggest geodesign research to focus more on understanding its impacts on participants as well as scaling up for addressing complex challenges in metropolitan and landscape planning.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105303

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Journal article2025

Planning for transformative change with nature-based solutions: A geodesign application in Stockholm

Adem Esmail B, Cortinovis C, Bast S, Anderson CC, Suleiman L, Arciniegas G, Geneletti D, Mörtberg U,

Blal Adem Esmail

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105303

Blal Adem Esmail

About

Scientific Publications

Unpacking the conditions for integrating Nature- Based Solutions in Stockholm’s spatial planning

Boxes of rain: A systematic review on the classes and frameworks of ecosystem disservices

Evaluating trends in the consideration of urban green spaces in strategic spatial planning: Insights from Romania

Geodesign to advance boundary work in urban planning: A study in Stockholm focused on nature-based solutions

Investigating Nature-based Solutions Potential to Mitigate Urban Pluvial Flooding: A Case Study in Bochum, Germany

Mapping and Analyzing Ecosystem Services Hotspots and Coldspots for Sustainable Spatial Planning in the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea

Planning for transformative change with nature-based solutions: A geodesign application in Stockholm

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Scientific Publications

Unpacking the conditions for integrating Nature- Based Solutions in Stockholm’s spatial planning

Boxes of rain: A systematic review on the classes and frameworks of ecosystem disservices

Evaluating trends in the consideration of urban green spaces in strategic spatial planning: Insights from Romania

Geodesign to advance boundary work in urban planning: A study in Stockholm focused on nature-based solutions

Investigating Nature-based Solutions Potential to Mitigate Urban Pluvial Flooding: A Case Study in Bochum, Germany

Mapping and Analyzing Ecosystem Services Hotspots and Coldspots for Sustainable Spatial Planning in the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea

Planning for transformative change with nature-based solutions: A geodesign application in Stockholm