Alakol Biosphere Reserve is located in the central part of the Alakol valley in the south of Kazakhstan. Its area is 65 672.01 hectares.
The wetlands of the reserve have a global importance for the nesting of unique waterfowl and the preservation of their population.
It occupies a desert area with system of lakes Alakol, Sasykkol, Koshkarkol and Zhalanashkol in its central part. The territory of the reserve is scattered throughout the basin and consists of 6 zones: the northern coast of the Sasykkol lake and the Thousand Lakes system; Delta of the Tentek River; Araltob Islands on Lake Alakol; the delta of the Emel and Suganti rivers; Malaya Alakol Bay; the eastern coast of Lake Zhalanashkol and the Kizilkyan tract.
The biosphere reserve is located on the migration route of birds from Central Asia to India. It is a place of concentration of waterfowl. It is a nesting place for 269 bird species, 22 of them are rare and endangered and listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan. These include the Dalmatian Pelican, Eurasian Spoonbill, Great Flamingo, and others. 678 plant species also grow on its territory, including 25 plant species of aquatic flora.
Currently, about 33,000 people live in the transition zone of the reserve. The local population is mainly involved in agriculture (grain, oilseeds) and cattle breeding.
