Uvs Nuur Basin, Mongolia/Russia

This site is located along the border between Ubsu Province in northwestern Mongolia and the Republic of Tuva in the Russian Federation. The core protection area of the cross-border heritage site covers 8,980 km², and the buffer area covers 10,688 km². The basin is named after Lake Ubudsu, which is a large salt lake. The area is a stopover site for migratory birds, water birds and seabirds. The habitat consists of 12 protected areas, representing the main biomes in eastern Eurasia. The savannah ecosystem supports many species of birds, and the desert is home to large groups of rare animals, such as gerbils, jumping rodents, and cats. The mountainous region is also an important habitat for globally endangered species such as snow leopards, sheep and Asian wild goats.