UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves: Mongolia’s Khuvsgul Lake National Park added to UNESCO reserve list

Jun 21, 2022, 15:37 IST

World Network of Biosphere Reserves: Khuvsgul Lake National Park of Mongolia has been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO. The Lake is located in the Northern Mongolian Province of Khuvsgul near the Russian border.

Khuvsgul Lake National Park

UNESCO Reserve List 2022: Khuvsgul Lake National Park of Mongolia has been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO, announced the Ministry of Environment and Tourism recently. The decision of adding Khuvsgal Lake National Park to the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves was made during the 34th session of the International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Programme taking place in Paris, France. The primary aim of the Man and Biosphere Programme is to establish a scientific relationship between the people and their environments.

Welcome to the new Khuvsgul Lake #BiosphereReserve in #Mongolia 🇲🇳!

Its landscape is unique to Mongolia, with rich, fragrant wild plants and rare, endangered species. https://t.co/5c1ArgOl7H pic.twitter.com/YXklGYXbJJ
— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳😷 (@UNESCO) June 15, 2022

Khuvsgul Lake National Park: Where it is located?

Khuvsgul Lake National Park is located in the Northern Mongolian Province of Khuvsgul near the Russian border.

Khuvsgul Lake in Mongolia holds nearly 70 per cent of the country’s freshwater or 0.4 percent of the world’s total. Khuvsgul Lake is 1,645 metres above the sea level, 136 km long and 262 metres deep.

Khuvsgul Lake in Mongolia: Key Details

1. Lake Khuvsgul’s watershed is relatively small and it has only small tributaries. The lake is drained at the southern end by the Egiin Gol, which connects to the Selenge and ultimately flows into Lake Baikal.

2. Between the two lakes, its water levels are more than 1,000 km, and fall 1,169 metres, although the line of sight distance is only about 200 km.

3. Lake Khuvsgul’s location in Northern Mongolia forms one part of the Southern border of the great Siberian taiga forest.

4. Khuvsgul Lake is surrounded by several mountain ranges. The highest mountain is the Burenkhaan/Monkh Saridag, whose peak, north of the lake, lies exactly on the Russian-Mongolian border.