Lake Sevan and environs (3618)
Armenia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Lake Sevan and environs
Central coordinates: Latitude: 40.3513, Longitude: 45.3378
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1875 to 2419
Area of KBA (km2): 2220.22996
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large lake in east-central Armenia, the country's largest protected area (125,300 ha of lake and 24,800 ha of land).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.
Additional biodiversity: This is an important site for breeding Larus armenicus and large numbers of wintering waterfowl.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | energy production and mining | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 31 | |
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 6 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 63 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The surrounding Lake Sevan basin (339,000 ha) is designated as an External Protective Zone (EPZ).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing |