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

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dc.contributor.authorTomruk, Banu
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-04T18:55:53Z
dc.date.available2026-04-04T18:55:53Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.departmentİstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractIntroduction 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.
dc.description.sponsorshipTrkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arascedil;timath;rma Kurumu [1059B192400280]
dc.description.sponsorshipThis research was conducted at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University with support from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUB & Idot;TAK) through the 2219-International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program. The author gratefully acknowledges the interview participants who generously shared their time, experiences, and perspectives, which were essential for understanding the lived realities of the study site. Valuable support in the visual representation of the project materials was provided by A. Co & scedil;an. The author declares no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/rec.70374
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/rec.70374
dc.identifier.issn1061-2971
dc.identifier.issn1526-100X
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70374
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/11411/10607
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001716980600001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ2
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.ispartofRestoration Ecology
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.snmzKA_WoS_20260402
dc.subjectCoastal Restoration
dc.subjectDelta Restoration
dc.subjectMediterranean Wetland
dc.subjectParticipatory Governance
dc.subjectPhased Restoration
dc.subjectPost-Disaster Recovery
dc.subjectReference Ecosystem Model
dc.subjectSocial-Ecological Systems
dc.titleRestoring delta resilience: phased socio-ecological model for coastal recovery in Mediterranean Turkey
dc.typeArticle

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