Students and lecturers of landscape architecture from ARDHI University in Dar es Salaam will arrive in Hannover at the end of April
Building on long-standing research collaborations on erosion control along the Mbezi River, a student exchange is taking place for the first time this year. On 28 April, students and faculty from ARDHI University will visit Leibniz Universität Hannover (LUH) for a return exchange, spending nearly two weeks learning about climate-adapted urban landscape architecture in Germany. Their stay follows a visit to Tanzania in March by students from the Institute of Landscape Architecture, led by Prof. Dr. Antje Backhaus and her colleague Adrian Lichnowski from the Green Technologies unit.
Both researchers are investigating nature-based solutions for erosion control along the sandy banks of the Mbezi River in the Ukwamani/Kawe district of Dar es Salaam. Their work examines how landscape-based strategies can mitigate the impacts of recurring flooding during the rainy season in densely built informal settlements. With global warming and ongoing urbanisation processes in the river’s catchment area, the river continues to swell, eroding its banks and causing them to collapse. This transnational and intercultural exchange is supported by the BINGO Umweltstiftung, the Niedersächsische Staatskanzlei, and study quality funds from LUH.
From Hannover to Berlin
The Hannover programme for the Tanzanian guests includes joint studio work, a campus tour of the Faculty of Architecture and Landscape, guided visits through the Eilenriede and the Großer Garten Herrenhausen, as well as a trip to the newly developed residential quarter “Herzkamp” in Hannover. Opportunities for informal exchange will also be provided through a friendly football match and a visit to a student barbecue. The group of 15 will additionally spend two days in Berlin, combining sightseeing with visits to contemporary landscape architecture projects and a planning office.
The connection to Dar es Salaam dates back to 2014, when Simon Onesmo Mpyanga completed his doctoral research under Prof. Dr. Backhaus as part of an international project involving Denmark, Ethiopia, and Tanzania (Water Resilient Green Cities in Africa (WGA), funded by Danida). Mr Mpyanga is now a lecturer at the School of Architecture, Construction Economics and Management (SACEM) at ARDHI University and is among the expected guests. The issue of sand mining—particularly extraction from the Mbezi River during dry seasons for concrete construction, which significantly contributes to bank destabilisation—is currently being further investigated in Adrian Lichnowski’s doctoral research. In the Mbezi case study, he examines the impacts of climate change, considers the social structures and challenges of adjacent settlements, and develops potential awareness-raising strategies for local communities.
