Urban recovery patterns after the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake revealed by SDGSAT-1 nighttime light data

The Turkey-Syria earthquake, which struck in February 2023, was the worst earthquake the region had suffered in the last two decades. The post-earthquake reconstruction process remains underway, with local communities continuing to grapple with challenges. In this study, four cities in Turkey (i.e., Antakya, Kirikhan, Samandag, and Nurdagi) were investigated to track the post-disaster recovery process. We employed the power recovery percentage metric, derived from glimmer imagery acquired by the Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1), which records nighttime light (NTL), to track the spatial-temporal dynamics of power restoration over the year following the earthquake. Clustering on time series NTL data was then utilized to identify pixel-scale recovery patterns. Furthermore, urban morphological variables were measured to explore their relationship with urban recovery at the block level. Our findings reveal three diverse dynamic patterns, characterized by ascending, descending, and stable NTL change trajectories. Notably, grids exhibiting rising NTL trends align closely with post-disaster reconstruction efforts (e.g., newly-built accommodation areas). In addition, blocks with low-density buildings, abundant open spaces, and uniform layouts demonstrate greater resilience and faster recovery pace. Overall, this study highlights that the SDGSAT-1 NTL data is powerful in capturing heterogeneous urban recovery processes following the disaster, thereby showing its contribution to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11.