KGZ24 Ak-Sai Key Biodiversity Area

Area: 90,000 hectares.
KRB category: B1
Species that initiated the designation of KBA [and other globally threatened species that are present in the KBA but have not been confirmed to meet the global KBA criteria]: Allium semenovii, Taraxacum syrtorum, Anthropoides virgo.
Availability of protected areas: no
Settlements on the territory of the KBA: -
Adjacent to the territory of the KBA: -




General description: The Ak-Sai Valley is a kind of “pole of cold” in Kyrgyzstan. After all, it was here that the lowest air temperature in the country was recorded: -56.3 degrees Celsius. The valley is located at an altitude of over 3000 m above sea level, in the border zone between the At-Bashi ridge and Torugart. There are no large trees or shrubs in the Ak-Sai valley; almost its entire territory is covered with short grass. Marco Polo mountain sheep and ibex are found here.




Aksai (in the upper reaches - Ken-Suu) is a river flowing through the territory of the At-Bashi district of the Naryn region. A tributary of the Kokshaal River. The length of the river is 96 km. The drainage basin area is 7440 km². The average annual water flow is 9.3 m³/s. There are 93 glaciers in the river basin with a total area of 120.9 km². The source of the river is located in glaciers on the slopes of the Atbashy ridge. After merging with the rivers Myudyryum and Kok-Kiya, it forms the Kokshaal River.




The Ak-Sai valley is located in the north of the Kyrgyz Republic, between the At-Bashi and Kokshaal-Too ridges. The Ak-Sai valley lies at an altitude of 3 thousand meters above sea level. It is located in the north, in the Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan. The lowest temperature in the republic was recorded here: -56.3 degrees Celsius. The maximum level of snow that fell in the valley reached 80 cm.
Due to weather conditions, the vegetation here consists of short grass and sparse shrubs; trees do not grow in the valley. The area consists of steppe, in places covered with small but very picturesque lakes and swamps.




Ak-Sai is home to such representatives of the animal world as Marco Polo sheep, snow leopard, wolf, marmot, bear, ibex and a large number of birds. There are several hunting bases in the area.




Attractions: There are several hunting bases in the valley. The settlement of an ancient man from the Neolithic era is also of interest.
In the surrounding area there are several six-thousander peaks that attract climbers. Travel around the valley is carried out mainly by SUVs. Some people organize jeep races. Ak-Sai is also loved by fans of cycling tracks. Settlements and terrain features: The Kyrgyz-Chinese border runs through the valley, so a special pass is required to visit it.