Background Ķemeri National Park was founded in 1997 on an area of 36 000 ha, which makes it the third largest national park in Latvia. It lies on the coast of the Gulf of Riga and includes forests, swamps and mires, shrubs, lakes or lagoons, natural mineral-springs and muds. The present-day landscape has been formed by the joint effects of natural processes and different historical land-uses: from fishing villages in the coastal area to intensive agricultural landscape on the marginal inland area. The park represents a landscape with relatively low anthropogenic and agricultural impact, where natural ecosystems prevail, though in many cases natural habitats historically are considerably affected by negative human impacts such as drainage. More than 900 plant species, a large diversity of moss, lichen and fungus species, 257 bird, 10 amphibian, seven reptile and 47 mammal species are recorded in the park. Many of the species, however, are threatened both nationally and internationally. The international aspect is significant because the territory acts as a bridge in species migrations, which is of particular importance in the intensively modified, agricultural region of the nearby Zemgale Lowland. There are eight bogs covering 30% of the park area, making it the second largest bog complex in Latvia. All three wetland types are found here – fens, transition and raised bogs. The Kemeru tirelis raised bog is an internationally important wetland site. However, drainage systems built in the 1930s and 1970s have caused a reduction of the water table of the raised bogs and black alder swamps within the park. Despite this, the majority are considered capable of regeneration if appropriate management measures are applied. Urgent action is needed to maintain the favourable status of the high quality habitats and to improve the condition of the habitats affected by altered hydrological regimes. Objectives The project’s main objective is to establish a hydrological restoration programme and and to carry out hydrology restoration measures within three different ecosystems: Bog woodland and swamp forest habitats - the peripheral forests at the western edge of the Kemeru tirelis raised bog; Raised bog habitats - the Zalais purvs raised bog; and Floodplain meadows - the floodplain of the river Skudrupite and the Melnragu meadows.Secondary objectives are: Creation of a hydrological restoration programme for priority areas within the national park, serving as an example for hydrological modelling in the region; Implementation of hydrology restoration measures to improve the conservation status of bog woodland and swamp forest habitats, raised bog habitats and riparian meadow habitats; Adaptation of airborne remote sensing data interpretation methods for hydrological modelling, habitat conservation status assessment and hydrology restoration planning, and distribution of know-how to other countries; and Awareness-raising to change the attitude of local people about hydrology restoration measures targeting habitats of EU importance.Expected results: Inventory data on drainage systems and conservation status of the habitats of EU importance within raised bog Zaļais purvs and Skudrupite – Melnragu meadows and forests and the site's Natura 2000 data sheet updated; Creation of a hydrology restoration programme; Implementation of restoration activities on some 1 000 ha of bog woodland and swamp forest, some 550 ha of raised bog habitat and some 85 ha of floodplain meadows (restoring the meandering course of the river); The areas of hydrological restoration will be used as demonstration sites for nature conservation experts and other stakeholders; and Various dissemination activities will be carried out, including project leaflets and reports, exchange trips and a project website.