Quantitative Assessments of Geoheritage Potential for Siirt Botan Valley (SE Türkiye) and Findings for Sustainable Geotourism

Abstract This study presents the first systematic inventory and quantitative assessment of potential geoheritage resources in Botan Valley, Siirt Province, Southeastern Türkiye. Five representative potential geosites were evaluated using multi-criteria assessment methods distinguishing geosites (scientific value) from geodiversity sites (educational/touristic value), with separate degradation risk analysis. The investigated sites encompass diverse geological features including a deeply carved fluvial valley through Cenozoic carbonates and carbonate platform outcrops, karst cave systems, and geomorphological viewpoints representing Tethyan passive margin evolution and subsequent neotectonic modification. Quantitative assessment yielded Scientific Values of 215–280 points (maximum 400), indicating regional to national significance, while Potential Educational Use (260–320 points) and Potential Touristic Use (255–325 points) demonstrated substantial social application potential. However, all sites exhibit moderate Degradation Risk (230–295 points), with karst features requiring urgent protection intervention. Analysis reveals three principal deficiencies limiting international recognition including insufficient published research in peer-reviewed international journals (Scientific Knowledge scores 1–2/4), absence of designated reference localities (Key Locality scores 1/4), and complete lack of legal geoconservation frameworks (Legal Protection scores 2–3/4). The karst cave system, scoring highest in degradation risk (DR = 295, Moderate Risk classification), faces future threat to cave formations. Based on these findings, this study concludes that Botan Valley represents a regionally significant geoheritage assemblage with demonstrated national importance. This assessment provides the first quantitative evidence base for geoconservation prioritization in southeastern Türkiye and establishes a methodological framework applicable to similar under-documented geoheritage territories globally.