Naurzum Lake System. 12/07/09; Kostanay Oblast; 139,714 ha; 51°32'N 064°26'E. World Heritage Site (as part of the Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan).A system of approximately 26 lakes in northern Kazakhstan and a near natural example of an Asian steppes-region wetland with outstanding importance for birds. The Lakes' cyclic hydrologic regime provides seasonal and annual diversity of fresh to saline habitats, including for the Critically Endangered Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) and 23 other threatened species, notably significant percentages of Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) and Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis) populations. It is a site of mass moulting for ducks and swans, nesting for 158 species, and an important stop for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds. It regularly supports more than 1% of 20 species of waterbirds. Flooding on average every 12-15 years, the Lake System is important for sustaining groundwater levels in the region. There is a management plan for the site, and it lies within a protected zone with limited access except for scientific research. Naurzum Reserve is included in the West/Central Asian Site Network for Siberian Cranes and other waterbirds, under the Bonn Convention. Ramsar site no. 1872. Most recent RIS information: 2009.

Kostanay Region