Status of Territories composing the Site: State Nature Reserve, National Nature Park
Area: 0.503 million ha
Situation: Included into the World Heritage List in 2016
Criteria: (x)
The Western Tien-Shan is specified by its exclusive diversity and beautiful mosaic landscapes; outstanding evidence of large-scaled geological and evolution processes; unique combination of different ecosystems; rich animal and vegetal life with endemic species and associations and significant number of rare and endangered species.
The Aksu-Jabagly reserve, the Karatausky reserve and the Sairam-Ugam National Nature Park (Kazakhstan), the Sary-Chelek reserve, the Besh-Aralsky reserve, the Padysha-Atinsky reserve (Kyrgyzstan) and Chatkal reserve (Uzbekistan) are nominated by three states and show the most representative and preserved areas of joint unique natural complex - the Western Tien-Shan. Each of these secured areas has its own distinguishing features, however they complete each other in biodiversity, outstanding landscapes and paleontological monuments.