Restoring delta resilience: phased socio-ecological model for coastal recovery in Mediterranean Turkey

Introduction Coastal delta regions experiencing long-term ecological degradation and sudden natural disasters require restoration approaches that are adaptive, process-based, and context-specific. The Samanda & gbreve; coastline in southern Turkey, part of the Mediterranean Asi River Delta, has faced hydrological disruption, habitat fragmentation, and governance complexity, compounded by the 2023 earthquakes.Objectives This study develops a socio-ecological restoration model grounded in the reference ecosystem framework to guide post-disaster recovery. The model integrates historical baselines, local ecological memory, and participatory governance across three nested zones: Milleyha Wetland, the Coastal Dune Belt, and the Settled Coastal Strip.Methods Fieldwork combined geospatial analysis, stakeholder interviews, and archival cartography to reconstruct ecological functions and identify priority interventions. Restoration actions were sequenced into four phases, aligning ecological urgency with institutional feasibility and community legitimacy.Results The model emphasizes process-based recovery; reactivating sediment dynamics, restoring hydrological flow, and enabling species recolonization, while embedding governance as a design parameter. Proposed interventions include debris removal, hydrological reconnection, dune stabilization, negotiable retreat of vulnerable settlements, and scenarios for coastal highway. Although the model has not yet been implemented, the adaptive and consultative process contributed to early governance outcomes, including expanded legal protection of the Milleyha Wetland. An adaptive monitoring framework integrates biophysical indicators with social metrics to support iterative learning and adjustment.Conclusions The Samanda & gbreve; model demonstrates how reference ecosystems can serve as dynamic planning tools in contested deltaic landscapes. By coupling ecological restoration with spatial negotiation and cultural sensitivity, the approach reframes recovery as both ecological engineering and spatial reconciliation, positioning the reference ecosystem as a living framework for governance and adaptive decision-making under uncertainty.