Background Massive changes have been made to the water and wetland habitats of the Danube-Morava region in the last 200 years. These interventions were designed to improve navigation and flood protection, intensify agriculture and forestry, and reclaim land for development (through drainage, etc). Once-continuous large inundation areas on the region's rivers have been divided by flood protection dykes and reduced. As a consequence, formerly flowing river branches have stagnant water for most of the year, no new branches are being created and, because of natural sedimentation, the number and area of river branches is slowly decreasing. The deterioration of the habitats has also led to a lack of nesting habitats for the sand martin (Riparia riparia) and kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), two birds that favour steep river banks formed and maintained by natural river dynamics. Embankment with heavy stones for water management purposes and overgrowing by vegetation are two of the factors that have led to the destruction of many of these steep natural banks. Nesting sites of the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) and sand martin in suitable man-made structures (e.g. gravel or sand extraction pits) are often destroyed by material extraction during the nesting season. Feeding habitats of target species have been decreasing with alongside the reduction of natural water habitats, abandonment of traditional land use (grazing, mowing), and inappropriate usage of insecticides in farming. One of the most visible consequences has been the absence of nesting colonies of the sand martin over the whole Slovak Danube section. Moreover, the survival of the European bee-eater has been constrained by the problems of the degradation of walls. In addition, kingfisher numbers are observed to have fallen considerably and they are now forced to search for alternate nesting places in less-than-ideal conditions. Objectives The project’s main objective is to improve the conservation status and population characteristics of target bird species by restoring their habitats. The conservation actions, including suitable restoration management, will lead to active nature protection and promotion of natural values in the region. The project actions will be implemented in six Natura 2000 network sites in the Danube-Morava region, five in Slovakia and one in Hungary. Expected results: The project expects to achieve the following: Restoration of steep nesting sites (river banks, terrestrial walls) over at least 1 790 metres; Protection of steep nesting sites (river banks, terrestrial walls) at a minimum of 15 localities through the removal of illegal landfills, fencing, closing of access roads, installation of signs, reduction of human disturbance, camera security control and monitoring, as well as regulation of seasonal sand and gravel); Restoration of water and wetland habitats on a minimum of eight areas (three river branches - 3 600 m in total - and five wetlands over an area of 13.2 ha); Restoration of forest habitats in a minimum of 30 localities (by planting 20 000 native trees and marking for protection from logging of at least, 1 500 old and valuable trees); Restoration of grasslands by the introduction of grazing on at least five localities covering a total area of 95 ha; and Maintenance of restored grasslands as meadows by mowing on at least three localities covering a total of 25 ha.