Korgalzhyn, is Kazakhstan’s first biosphere reserve. Situated in the north central part of Kazakhstan, the site is a complex of freshwater and saline lakes embedded in the dry steppe zone of Eurasia. Environmental degradation caused by previously unsustainable management practices are now being addressed with a number of pilot projects.
Declaration date: 2012
Administrative authorities: Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve
Surface area: 1,603,171 ha
Core area(s): 543, 171 ha
Buffer zone(s): 90,000 ha
Transition area(s): 970,000 ha
Location:
Latitude: 49°54’N – 50°59’N
Longitude: 67°53’E – 71°01’E
Central point: 50º05’41″N – 69º12’09″E
Ecological Characteristics
The territory is characterized by elevated plains, hills, lake depressions and marked by an extreme-continental climate.