Naurzum National Nature Reserve named a new
World Heritage Site by UNESCO

Naurzum National Nature Reserve, a Siberian Crane Wetland Project site in northern Kazakhstan, was recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List during the July 2008 meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Quebec, Canada. The new site, Saryaka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan, covers over 450,000 hectares and includes the Naurzum Reserve and neighboring Korgalzhyn National Nature Reserve.

The nomination of the new World Heritage Site was, in part, made possible by research supported by the SCWP. To satisfy the nomination requirements of the UNESCO Secretariat, management plans and comprehensive data collection and maps of the ecosystems, soils, vegetation, and other resources within the reserves were necessary. The SCWP supported the development of the Naurzum National Nature Reserve Management Plan and research and development of the ecological maps of the reserve.

Migrating Siberian Crane, Whooper Swans and ducks at
Naurzum National Nature Reserve, Kazakhstan.
Photo by Evgeny Bragin

The new World Heritage Site protects critical wetlands used by migratory waterbirds, including the endangered Siberian Crane, of which only a few remain in Western and Central Asia. In addition, 200,000 hectares of Central Asian steppe protect over half the region’s species of steppe flora, threatened bird species, and the endangered Saiga antelope.

The site was selected as a World Heritage Site based on the following criteria:

• to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

• to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.*

*2008 UNESCO selection criteria. For more information on the Saryaka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan World Heritage Site visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1102/

Press Conference Details Nomination Process for the
Saryaka - Steepe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan World Heritage Site

A press conference organized by the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), which prepared nomination documents jointly with the British Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), was held on 17 July 2008 at the National press center in Astana city. Participants included Nurlan Iskakov, Minister of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK); Igor Koval, the First Vice-chairman of the Forestry and Hunting Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture RK; Madina Dzharbusynova, Acting General Secretary of the National Commission of the RK on UNESCO; Steliana Nedera, Deputy of Permanent UNDP Representative in Kazakhstan; Vitaliy Gromov, Director of the ACBK; representatives of the UNEP/GEF SCWP and UNDP/GEF project on wetland conservation; heads of the reserves; and representatives of various departments that contributed to the promotion of the nomination.

Press conference participants from left to right: Vitaliy Gromov, Director of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan; Steliana Nedera, Deputy of Permanent UNDP Representative in Kazakhstan; Nurlan Iskakov, Minister of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Madina Dzharbusynova, Acting General Secretary of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan on UNESCO; Igor Koval, the First Vice-chairman of Forestry and Hunting Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture RK.

The Minister of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Iskakov, summarized the history of the nomination preparation: In April 1994, Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on the Conservation of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. An important mechanism of fulfillment of the obligations under the Convention and biodiversity conservation is inclusion of especially protected natural territories of the country in the List of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. For this purpose, an Agreement on Joint Activity of the Ministry of Environmental Protection RK and the German Union on Nature Conservation (NABU) was signed in 1998.

A preliminary site list was determined in May 2000. Korgalzhyn and Naurzum reserves, recognized as priority sites, were united in one nomination as the Saryaka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan, since they are located in one geographical zone and waterbird flyway and are among the most important wetlands in Kazakhstan and in Asia. The sites also represent a unique diversity of landscapes, with nothing similar beyond Kazakhstan.

In 2001, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and NABU began preparing nomination documents: WWF for Naurzum and NABU for Korgalzhyn. For the first time, the nomination dossier was submitted to the Secretariat of the National Commission of the RK and the the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for consideration by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture RK in 2002.

In August 2002, experts from the International Union on the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) nominated the territory as a UNESCO World Heritage site. However the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2003 postponed the application, until Kazakhstan fulfilled a number of requirements, including Action Plan development.

In 2005, ACBK and RSPB began providing technical assistance to the partners in development of the management plan for Korgalzhyn Reserve and making the nomination documents in compliance with the requirements of UNESCO.

In January 2006, the Saryaka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan nomination dossier was updated and submitted to UNESCO for the second time. The Kazakhstan application was postponed by UNESCO again, because it did not correspond to technical parameters.

The Director of the ACBK, Vitaliy Gromov, in his address, emphasized the importance of cooperation of all partner organizations that took part in preparation of the nomination.

ACBK has done great work, the organization has managed to unite the efforts of experts, state and non-governmental partner organizations, international nature protection organizations, which have contributed to preparation of the nomination dossier for Saryaka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan.

Nurlan Iskakov (center), Minister of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan, thanks all partner organizations, which took part in preparation of the nomination documents.

From left to right: Talgat Kerteshev – Manager of UNDP/GEF project on wetland conservation; Bekniyazov and Bragin - leaders of MEP departments; Vitaliy Gromov – Director of ACBK; Steliana Nedera - Deputy of Permanent UNDP Representative in Kazakhstan; Nurlan Iskakov; Tatiana Bragin - World Wildlife Fund; Madina Dzharbusynova - Acting General Secretary of the National Commission of the Republic Kazakhstan on UNESCO, Igor Koval - the First Vice-chairman of Forestry and Hunting Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture RK, Vera Inyutina - Manager of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project, Bakitzhan Muttakov - Director of the Naurzum Reserve, Deputy Director of the Korgalzhyn Reserve.

The nomination doucument, prepared according to the international standards, was submitted to UNESCO in 2007, and the first visit of IUCN expert to assess the territory was organized. The international expert highly appreciated the work done by Kazakhstan and provided positive conclusion to the the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. As a result of the seven-year work of partner organization and active participation of experts, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee made the decision to include the territory in the List of the World Heritage of UNESCO on July 7 this year.

The main requirement of the UNESCO Secretariat was development of a Management Plan for the reserves and preparation of GIS maps. Within the framework of the UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project and UNDP/GEF project on wetland conservation, comprehensive geo-botanical, hydrological, ornithological, sociological and other scientific studies of the territories of Naurzum and Korgalzhyn reserves were organized. The employees of both reserves were trained in Russia, Byelorussia, China and Kazakhstan and the Management Plans were developed in accordance with international standards by 2007. The maps of ecosystems, soils, vegetation, natural zones, relief, hydrographical network and others were designed for the first time during reserve existence. In November 2007, the Management Plans with photos of nominated territories were submitted to the UNESCO Secretariat.

Igor Koval, the First Vice-chairman, told about the contribution of the Forestry and Hunting Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture RK to the work on inclusion in nomination. For instance, activity on expansion of the steppe area in both Korgalzhyn and Naurzum Reserves was implemented: the territory of the Naurzum National Nature Reserve increased from 97,700 ha to 191,381 ha and included the surrounding steppe meadows and wetland complexes; the territory of Korgalzhyn Reserve will be expanded from 259 thousand hectares to 544 thousand hectares. 

Vice-chairman Koval also emphasized that a crucial role in the work on nomination was completed by the ACBK, jointly with the RSPB, the UNDP/GEF project on wetland conservation and UNEP/GEF Siberian Crane Wetland Project, along with the international organizations, NABU and WWF.

The objects of cultural and natural heritage are unique, to be within the same list with generally recognized world pearls of nature such as, Niagara Falls, Great Barrier Reef, Hawaiian Islands, Grand Canyon, Mt. Kilimanjaro, is honorable and prestigious for any natural territory, but at the same time it implies great responsibility.

Both game reserves included in the List of the World Heritage of UNESCO are important sites for breeding and migration of wild animals. Both reserves are included in the list of important bird areas (IBA). Korgalzhyn is included in the Ramsar List. The Naurzum lake system is certified by the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention in the international network on the conservation of one of the rarest species, the Siberian Crane. The reserve also was nominated to the Ramsar List, and has been internationally recognized already. The status of the world heritage of Kazakhstan natural territories will provide for the necessary protection of the territory and conservation of their unique diversity for future generations.

This article was prepared on the basis of the press conference materials.

For more information please contact:
 
Vera Inyutina, SCWP National Project Manager
Astana city, Kazakhstan
tel/fax.: 8-717-2-34-01-45
E-mail: vera.inyutina@mail.ru
http://www.scwpkaz.kepter.kz/

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Last update: 28 July 2008

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