Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan

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Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan: A Biodiversity Haven on the Central Asian Flyway

Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, is a vast expanse of steppe landscapes and interconnected lakes that spans across the northern regions of Kazakhstan. This unique ecosystem serves as a crucial stopover point for millions of migratory birds traveling along the Central Asian flyway, connecting Africa, Europe, and South Asia to their breeding grounds in Western and Eastern Siberia.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan comprises two protected areas: Naurzum State Nature Reserve and Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve totalling 450,344 ha. It features wetlands of outstanding importance for migratory water birds, including globally threatened species, among them the extremely rare Siberian white crane, the Dalmatian pelican, Pallas’s fish eagle, to name but a few. These wetlands are key stopover points and crossroads on the Central Asian flyway of birds from Africa, Europe and South Asia to their breeding places in Western and Eastern Siberia. The 200,000 ha Central Asian steppe areas included in the property provide a valuable refuge for over half the species of the region’s steppe flora, a number of threatened bird species and the critically endangered Saiga antelope, formerly an abundant species much reduced by poaching. The property includes two groups of fresh and salt water lakes situated on a watershed between rivers flowing north to the Arctic and south into the Aral-Irtysh basin.

Encyclopedia Record: Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan

Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan is a part of the Kazakh Uplands which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was inscribed on July 7, 2008. (see List of World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan) The site comprises the Naurzum State Nature Reserve and Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve. The two reserves contain wetlands which serve as important stop-over points for migrating birds from Africa, Europe, and South Asia. It is estimated that 15–16 million birds, including many endangered species, use the site as a feeding ground. The pink flamingos in particular are a major attraction within Korgalzhyn Reserve.

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