The Seyhan Municipality in Adana, Turkey, has recently launched the Lower Seyhan Restoration Lab, a forward-looking initiative that brings local communities to the center of river ecosystem restoration. Rooted in the objectives of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” and supported by the DANUBE4all project, the lab seeks to address the environmental degradation of the Seyhan River through nature-based solutions (NBS) that are accessible, replicable, and sensitive to local concerns.
The Seyhan River, long subjected to heavy regulation through dam construction and concrete embankments, has lost much of its natural character. Intensive agriculture, urban sprawl, and invasive species have fragmented habitats and altered river dynamics, leaving little room for biodiversity or public access. Despite being part of a region recognized as an Important Bird Area (IBA) and Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), restoration efforts have so far been absent. The Restoration Lab changes this by focusing on a 500-meter stretch of riverbank owned by the municipality, with the goal of transforming it into a floodplain, a recreational space, and a biodiversity hotspot — all co-designed with the local community.
Launched with a series of planning meetings and a participatory Ecosystem Services Living Lab in February, the project emphasizes dialogue with key stakeholders, including farmers, women’s cooperatives, environmental organizations, and urban residents. While there is some skepticism — especially regarding fears of stagnant water or impacts on irrigation — the project is designed to demonstrate that ecological restoration need not compromise livelihoods. In fact, it can strengthen them by enhancing resilience to climate change, reducing pesticide runoff, and opening opportunities for nature-based tourism.
Over the course of 2025, the Restoration Lab will host three major participatory events: a problem-mapping session, the living lab itself, and a trust-building seminar. These events will feed into the creation of a Restoration Roadmap, a technical and community-owned plan that includes simple NBS such as replacing concrete levees with gabions and reintroducing native vegetation. By setting up photo traps to monitor birdlife and making restoration visible and tangible, the project also aims to raise ecological awareness and build local pride in the river.
The Lower Seyhan Restoration Lab aspires to become a replicable model for other regions, showing how degraded riverbanks can be reimagined as shared ecological and social spaces. As one of the first efforts of its kind in the area, it is not only about restoring a piece of the river — it’s about restoring trust, knowledge, and community connection to nature.