Wetland areas are of special value among natural landscapes of Kazakhstan; they serve as nesting, moulting, feeding and resting habitat of migratory waterfowl and water birds. Thanks to wetland abundance and wealth three major largest flyways in the Eurasia - the Siberian-Western-Chinese-South-East-Asian, Central Asian-Indo-Pakistanian and Central Asian ? East African ? converge on Kazakhstan?s wetlands. Kazakhstan is the ?hub? for the most migratory birds? populations that interrupt their flyway from Africa, India and South Europe to nesting places in the arctic zone of the Western and Eastern Siberia. It is estimated that over 50 million birds migrate annually through Kazakhstan, 20% of these nest there (according to the data from GEF Project ?Integrated Conservation of Priority Globally Significant Migratory Bird Wetland Area?). In this way Kazakhstan ?supports? the continent largest waterfowl population ? about 130 species, including 30 species listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan.

At the same time water plays an important role in man?s economic activity since the South Kazakhstan is not rich in natural water reservoirs. All natural lakes, including the Shoshka-Kul system, are under strong anthropogenic impact, which affects flora and fauna of reservoirs and the adjacent territory. The Shoshka- Kul lake system biodiversity is mostly damaged by seasonal flushes from the near Bugun reservoir. As a result of the lakes overflow their area suddenly increases. The flood water brings damage to lakes? shores, earth dykes and cofferdams between them, to birds? nesting places, the Pheasant loses its habitats. In August, when it gets extremely hot lakes dry out, muskrats and fish in shallow water perish as well as nests of water birds are destructed. Fish suffer from winter mass deaths because low water oxygen level. It becomes impossible to guard the territory since solonchaks and swamps are formed, and dry reeds bring danger of fires. Apart from flushes, the Shoshka-Kul lakes ecosystem degrades due to unregulated and uncontrolled cattle grazing by the local population on the lakes during birds? nesting period, causing destruction of birds? clutches, trampling down of plants and soil degradation. Illegal fishing and hunting take place because of poor livelihood of the local population and its low environmental awareness.

The Project Objective is to conserve and restore the Shoshka-Kul lake system biodiversity in the South Kazakhstan as migratory waterfowl and water birds habitats.

Tasks:
1.Development and implementation of the action plan on sustainable management of the Shoshka ?Kul lake system wetlands, i.e. evaluation and monitoring of biodiversity, the lakes condition of the Shoshka-Kul system, improvement of biodiversity legal protection and nature utilization regulation in the lake area, establishment of optimal water regime in the Shoshka-Kul lakes, organization of the established regime of the Shoshka-Kul lakes conservation and utilization of natural resources, putting reproduction and biotechnical measures into effect with the view of improving conditions of habitats and reproduction of the lakes fauna, development of ecological tourism basis on the Shoshka-Kul lakes.
2.Enhancement of information level, of environmental education among the local population and its involvement into the Project activity.

Expected Outcomes:
1.Favorable conditions for moulting, reproduction, feeding and rest of migratory waterfowl, including species listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan, will be created due to improvement of legal protection, nature use regulation, establishment of optimal lake level conditions, protection, carrying out reproduction and biotechnical measures and work with the local population.
2.Hunting and fishing resources of lakes will be increased due to guarding, reproduction and biotechnical measures, threat minimization and enhancement of the population?s level of ecological culture.
3.Existing threats and obstacles for lake biodiversity will be minimized due to nature utilization regulation, allotment of reproduction zones for the game and special zones for the local population cattle grazing and hay making.
4.Nature protection activities on the part of local population will be intensified due to nature protection propaganda, raising of ecological knowledge, satisfaction of the interests of the local population.
5.The level of ecological culture and local community well-being will be raised thanks to methods of rational use of nature and production of income from fishing, cattle breeding and hay making.
6. Project Financial sustainability will be reached thanks to the development of ecological, hunting and fishing tourism, increase of fish catch and hunted animal volume.
7. Natural resources rational utilization on lakes and in the adjacent areas is organized.