Site: Har Us Nuur National Park

Designation date: 13-04-1999

Coordinates: 47°58'N 092°50'E

Elevation: 1106 m - 1160 m

Area: 321,360 ha

Location: The site is located 30 km east of Hovd City, capital of Hovd province, in northwestern Mongolia.

Criteria: 1 ,2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6 ,7

Importance: The site is a highly representative part of the Great Lakes Basin in western Mongolia. Several plant species occurring here are endemic to the region. The site also harbours five fish species, all of which are endemic to western Mongolia: Thymallus brevirostris, Oreoleuciscus pewzowi, O. humilis, O. potanini and Nemacheilus strauchi. There is also a large number of endangered and rare species of plants, birds and mammals. Plants present which are endangered in Mongolia are Nymphaea candida and Cynomorium songaricum. Globally threatened bird species are Anser cygnoides, Aythya nyroca, Oxyura leucocephala, Limnodromus semipalmatus, Larus relictus and Haliaeetus leucoryphus. The area is a former breeding site of Pelecanus crispus, which disappeared due to hunting, but could possibly still return. An occurring subspecies of the boar, Sus scrofa nigripes, is endangered in Mongolia. The ecological diversity of the site is extremely high. Many waterbird species moult in the area. The area regularly supports more than 20,000 waterbirds, and also 1% of the populations of the waterbird species Podiceps cristatus, Phalacrocorax carbo, Casmerodius albus, Platalea leucorodia, Cygnus olor, Anser anser, A. strepera, Netta rufina and Oxyura leucocephala.

Wetland Types: Tp ,Ss ,Sp ,Q ,O ,M ,L (dominant types shown in bold)

The site is characterised by three large but shallow freshwater lakes and their tributaries, mainly from the Mongolian Altai mountains to the west. The lakes are Har Us Nuur, Har Nuur and Dorgon Nur.

Biological/Ecological notes: Floating vegetation including Nymphaea spp., Nuphar spp. and Potamogeton spp. covers large areas of the lakes. There is also an extensive submerged vegetation and there are vast reed beds.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The area is part of the Hyargas Depression, which is the centre part of the West Mongolian Great Lakes Basin, which in turn forms part of the Central Asian Internal Drainage Basin. To the north of the basin are the Sajan Mountains, to the east the Khangay Mountain range, and to the south the Gobi Altai. The elevation of the basin is between 1,000 and 2,000 m. Precipitation is low throughout the year (average about 120 mm), but the water levels in the lakes vary slightly, with highest levels between August and October, after the summer rains. Between November and April, the lakes are covered with ice. These lakes play an important role in the recharge of ground water.

Human Uses: The wetland and the surrounding area are owned by the state; it belongs to five different somons (settlements), the smallest administrative units in Mongolia. Functional jurisdiction lies with the Nature and Environmental Protection Agency of the Ministry for Nature and the Environment. The general form of land use in and around the site is semi-nomadic animal husbandry. The herdsmen breed sheep, goats, camels, horses and cattle. The traditional annual nomadic migration system, which is still in practice, is very complex. The typical pattern is a routine dispersal to the lakes in spring and autumn, a movement out of the wetland in summer and a concentration of families at the vast reed beds in winter. Hunting and fishing are of little importance. Outside the site, there is also some crop production on 600 ha of cultivated land. There is a little industry in Hovd City. Several different ethnic groups live together here. A number of sacred places and archaeological sites (stone carvings near Telin Gol) are spread throughout the area. The University of Hovd City has recently carried out a botanical survey, a survey of zooplankton, a census of Sus scrofa nigripes and a waterbird census. There are no special research facilities inside the site, but teachers from the surrounding settlements have received conservation education, and community explanatory meetings have been held. There is very little tourism, and there are no facilities, but a small number of guided tours from Ulaanbaatar visit the area in summer for a short stay. A visitor information centre is being established at the national park headquarters in Hvod City.

Conservation Measures: The area was set aside as a National Park in 1997. A general management plan and a public awareness plan are being prepared. Agreements are being reached with the herdsmen about the grazing of the area. Five rangers have been trained in enforcement of the environmental legislation. WWF Mongolia is seeking funds for a comprehensive environmental impact assessment for a hydroelectric power plant that has been planned at Chono Khariakhin Gol, the connection between Har Us Nuur and Har Nuur.

Adverse Factors: The construction of a dam between two of the lakes, which was planned, would have a serious impact on the water level, the aquatic and limnoflora and fauna, and the migration of fish species. This area was already excluded from the national park from the beginning. Livestock numbers have risen dramatically during the last few years, so overgrazing is a problem along the shorelines and in the reedbeds, as well as in the surrounding areas. In 1967, Ondatra zibethicus (muskrat) was introduced to Har Us Nuur for fur production. It has spread widely in the whole area and is destructive to the reedbeds.

Site Management: Har Us Nuur National Park Administration, P.O. Box 151, Hovd Aimag, Mongolia.

External Link:

Based on the 1999 Ramsar Information Sheet.