Identifying potential restoration areas of freshwater wetlands in a river delta

[Display omitted] •An eco-hydrological approach to identify potential restoration areas is established.•Establishment of multi-objective HSI modified areas should be restored.•Hydrological networks and water balance modified areas could be restored.•Potential restoration area of freshwater wetland in a river delta was estimated. Identification of potential restoration areas is significant and important for implementing a sustainable restoration project and maintaining the ecosystem integrity. We established an eco-hydrological approach to identify potential restoration areas of freshwater wetlands that should and can be restored. Our eco-hydrological method identifies potential restoration areas from three dimensions, namely, transverse, longitudinal and vertical directions. Based on transfer matrix analysis between freshwater wetland and other land cover types and bird habitat suitability assessment, we identified the areas that should be restored under the 1989 and 2000 goals were 36,112ha and 37,230ha, respectively. Based on hydrological connectivity and balance between ecological water supply (EWS) and ecological water requirements (EWRs), the area can be restored under the 1989 and 2000 goals were 31,165ha and 33,963ha, respectively. The approach and results of this study can help in future restoration efforts in the Yellow River Delta and other similar coastal wetlands.