The «Ile-Balkhash» State Natural Reserve was established on June 27, 2018 by Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 381.

On August 29, 2018, by Order of the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife No. 17.5-6/225, the Balkhash and Karoy complex sanctuaries were transferred to the operational management of the Ile-Balkhash State Natural Reserve.

How it all started:

On the initiative and with the financial support of the GEF/UNDP project KAZ/00/G37 (00013215) «Integrated conservation of priority globally significant wetlands as habitats for migratory birds: demonstration in three project areas» in 2009, the development of a natural science justification (hereinafter referred to as the project) for the creation of the state natural reserve «Ile-Balkhash» in the delta of the Ile River and the southern part of Lake Balkhash. Over the next three years, the project supported research and design work to determine the boundaries and zoning of the territory. Next, the baton for the creation of a reserve and financial and ideological assistance was taken over by the Project of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan/GEF/UNDP  «Improving the sustainability of the system of protected areas in desert ecosystems through the promotion of biodiversity-compatible life support sources inside and around protected areas.»

The purpose of field research in 2009-2010. The aim was to assess the current state of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the Ile River delta and the southern part of Lake Balkhash; reflect their spatial distribution on the map M 1:500,000, as well as identify the uniqueness, significance and representativeness of the natural complexes of the project area for the development of recommendations for the creation of protected areas.

On the basis of the draft resolution, the issue of the possibility of resettlement to the delta was also considered.

Ile of the Amur tiger, DNA tests of which confirmed its similarity to the Turanian tiger that lived here until the 50s of the last century. This initiative came from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and was supported by scientists from Kazakhstan. In this regard, there is a special order from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Massimov on the identification of the possibility of reintroduction of the Amur tiger into the delta. And the creation of state-level protected areas for these purposes.

In addition, the southern coast of Lake Balkash and the Ile delta are a place of concentration of wetland and near-water birds, which is marked by the inclusion of this territory in the list of world key ornithological territories (KOT or IBA), and a proposal has been submitted from WWF and these territories are currently included in wetlands of international importance in accordance with the Ramsar Convention.

The following materials served as the basis for the development of the draft Feasibility Study (hereinafter referred to as the feasibility Study) of the Ile-Balkhash State Natural Reserve:

• Natural science justification for the creation of the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve;
• Letter of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 619 dated 05/06/2011;
• The instruction of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the development of a program for the comprehensive restoration of the region in order to create conditions for the reintroduction of the tiger in the Southern Balkhash region and the Delta in the future. Ile No. 11-26/2726 dated May 31, 2011;
• The results of field research by the design organization of the CDZ and GIS Terra on the territory of the planned reserve in the summer of 2011;
• Materials on the socio-economic conditions of the work area;
• Satellite images specially processed and combined with topographic maps reflecting the current natural and economic situation.

At the stage of development of the feasibility study, it was recommended by the Committee of Forestry and Wildlife of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan to include the lands of the forest fund in the floodplain of the Ile River into the state natural reserve in order to ensure the protection of tugai ecosystems, which are subjected to severe anthropogenic pressure, leading to catastrophic loss of biodiversity and loss of habitats of many rare species.