Background
Riparian forests provide ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. The
Pepital River is the main water supply for Alcântara (Brazil) and its forests are disappearing.
This is affecting water volume and distribution in the region. Promoting forest restoration is
imperative. In deprived regions, restoration success depends on the integration of ecology,
livelihoods and traditional knowledge (TEK). In this study, an interdisciplinary research
framework is proposed to design riparian forest restoration strategies based on ecological
data, TEK and social needs