Established in 2018, advocating for the restoration of urban heritage, such as residential and commercial buildings, historic neighborhoods, nature preserves and gardens in the capital city of Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa and Oromia Region.
The Urgent Need
Heritage Watch Ethiopia was formed in response to a grave need we saw in our capital city, Addis Ababa. This city which is in the middle of a construction boom, continues to expand and along the way, many historical buildings are being demolished. Moreover, these buildings are in deplorable condition due to gross neglect.
“For the last 10 years, in the capital city of Addis Ababa, an estimated one third of all the listed historical buildings have been destroyed. This happens despite an official registry of historical buildings and protection protocols. No one seems to mind that we are destroying irreplaceable part of Ethiopia’s built heritage.”
Opportunity and Oversight
Heritage Watch Ethiopia has stepped forward as a group that provides oversight and fresh ideas for the preservation of urban history and culture. Not only are these places worth preserving for their social significance, they also hold untapped potential for creating economic opportunities for commerce, tourism and global cultural exchanges.
The coalition of advocates across the public and private sectors are ideally positioned to promote opportunities to further invest in the future of Ethiopia, a country experiencing unprecedented growth and social change.
Empowering Local Communities
We create platforms to strengthen public awareness and empower local communities to support the restoration of our precious common heritage through:
