World Natural Heritage Sites

Sary-Arka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan

Type: National Single

Year of inclusion: 2008

The site includes two state nature reserves, Naurzum and Korgalzhin, with a total area of ​​450,344 hectares. The wetlands that cover most of the site are extremely important for the life of migratory waterfowl, including a number of endangered species. It is enough to mention such as the extremely rare Siberian white crane, the Dalmatian pelican and the Pallas's eagle. This area of ​​Central Asia, where the routes of migratory birds heading from Africa, Europe and South Asia to nesting sites in western and eastern Siberia converge, serves as a mass stopover site. The 200,000 hectares of Central Asian steppe that are also included in the property are home to more than half of the region’s steppe flora species, a number of endangered bird species, and a specially protected species, the saiga antelope, whose once abundant population has been sharply reduced by poaching. The property also includes two groups of lakes, one with fresh and one with salt water. They are located on the watershed separating the rivers that flow north to the Arctic and south to the Aral-Irtysh basin.

Western Tien Shan

Type: serial transnational (shared with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan)

Year of inclusion: 2016

This serial transnational property consists of 13 component parts and is part of the Central Asian Tien Shan mountain system, one of the seven largest mountain ranges in the world. The altitude of different parts of the western Tien Shan varies from 700 to 4503 meters. This area is rich in diverse landscapes, which are characterized by exceptionally rich biodiversity. The western Tien Shan region is of global importance, as it is the origin of a number of fruit tree species and is distinguished by a wide variety of forest types and unique flora. There are seven component parts of the World Heritage property in the Republic of Kazakhstan: (1) Karatau State Nature Reserve, (2) Aksu-Zhabagly State Nature Reserve – Main Part, (3) Aksu-Zhabagly State Nature Reserve – Karabastau Paleontological Site, (4) Aksu-Zhabagly State Nature Reserve – Aulie Paleontological Site, (5) Sairam-Ugam State National Nature Park – Boraldaytau Site, (6) Sairam-Ugam State National Nature Park – Irsu-Daubabin Site, and (7) Sairam-Ugam State National Nature Park – Sairam-Ugam Site.

Turanian Temperate Deserts

Type: serial transnational (shared with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan)

Year of inscription: 2023

This serial transnational property includes 14 component parts located in the arid temperate regions of Central Asia between the Caspian Sea and the Turanian Mountains. It has extreme climatic conditions with very cold winters and hot summers, and supports an exceptional diversity of flora and fauna adapted to the harsh conditions. In addition, the area represents a significant diversity of desert ecosystems, stretching for more than 1,500 km from east to west. Each of the component parts complements the others in terms of biodiversity, desert types and ecological processes.

Five component parts of the World Heritage property are located in the Republic of Kazakhstan: (1)–(3) Altyn Emel - eastern, western and central parts; (4) Barsakelmes Island and (5) Kaskakulan.