 Tobias Mennle
The Tengiz-Korglazhyn wetland system is used by an estimated 2 million waterbirds during migration
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Kazakh IBAs get first natural World Heritage Site status for Central Asia
11-07-2008
Two of central Asia’s most important steppe-wetland Important Bird Areas (IBAs), Tengiz-Korgalzhyn and Naurzum have been recognised as being of the same outstanding natural value as sites such as Yellowstone National Park and the Galapagos Islands.
During its 32nd session in Quebec the UNESCO World Heritage Committee announced this week that they were to include the territory of “Saryaka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan” into the list of UNESCO natural World Heritage Sites. The Tengiz-Korgalzhyn and Naurzum nature reserves, the two sites forming Saryaka, are located in the steppe zone of Kazakhstan and are two of the most important IBAs in Central Asia. Both are crucial migration stop-over sites for several million birds each year on the African-Eurasian flyway. They also hold large breeding populations of many globally threatened species.
“This World Heritage Nomination represents a significant step in the safeguarding of these vitally important sites”, Dr Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife’s Global IBA Coordinator.
Naurzum is particularly important for Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus (Vulnerable), Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis (Endangered) and the Critically Endangered Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus. The Tengiz-Korglazhyn is used by an estimated 2 million waterbirds during migration, and is also a key site for global breeding populations of Dalmatian Pelican Pelacanus crispus (Vulnerable), Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni (Near Threatened) and Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius (Critically Endangered).
Both sites are located in the steppe zone and cover important steppe habitat. This is home not only to birds but for many rare species of mammal such as Saiga Antelope Saiga tatarica and Steppe Marmot Marmota bobak.
 Eva Klebelsberg
The sites are located in the steppe zone and are home not only to birds but for many rare species of mammal such as Saiga Antelope
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“This World Heritage Nomination represents a significant step in the safeguarding of these vitally important sites” —Dr Lincoln Fishpool, BirdLife’s Global IBA Coordinator
“Tengiz Korgalzhyn is under threat because of a need for fresh water for the growing capital city, as well as for waste water dumping. This nomination is a great and important day for conservation in Kazakhstan and will help to protect these globally significant wetlands and threatened steppe habitat”, says Vitaliy Gromov, Director of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), BirdLife’s project partner in Kazakhstan.
The nomination process was initially started by the government of Kazakhstan, NABU (BirdLife in Germany) and WWF International while ACBK together with RSPB (BirdLife in the UK) and also the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan played a crucial role in the phase of the submission of the final nomination dossier.
“NABU is very happy that we can finally see the results of this long process. This will be the first natural Heritage Nomination not only for Kazakhstan but also for Central Asia. These sites have now been given the recognition they deserve”, says Thomas Tennhardt, NABU’s Vice-President.
“We congratulate the government of Kazakhstan on this success. Kazakhstan has taken on major responsibilities to protect these globally important IBAs for the future”, says Dr. Norbert Schaffer, Head of the European Programmes and International Biodiversity Policy Department, RSPB.
IBAs form a worldwide network of sites for the conservation of birds. When complete, this global network is likely to comprise around 15,000 IBAs covering some 10 million km2 (c.7% of the world’s land surface) identified on the basis of about 40% of the world’s bird species. The effective conservation of these sites will contribute substantially to the protection of the world's biological diversity.