CREATION OF SPECIAL ROTECTED NATURAL AREAS SYSTEM NEAR LAKE INDER AREA AS THE WAY OF WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN KARST LANDSCAPE PRESERVATION
Lake Inder is located on the territory of the Inderborsk district of the Atyrau oblast of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Sulphate karst is developed on the northern and north-eastern shores of the lake due to the emergence of ancient sedimentary rocks of the Permian age on the surface. The karsting rocks are raised to the surface due to salt tectogenesis and form the upper part of the keprok salt-domed massif. Above them lie kaprok deposits with a thickness of about 60 m, represented by the thickness of eluvial gypsum (elP<sub>2</sub>-Q). In the physico-geographical location the Inder Salt-Dome region is isolated as a separate landscape district in the Ural-Emba plain-flat desert province. The Karst of the Lake Inder region belongs to the Inder-Emba karst region of the Western Caspian littoral province of the Lower Volga-Ural karst region of the East European karst country. The karst field of the Inder mountains is the largest in the Caspian lowland. The total number of karst forms reaches 5000. The density of surface karst forms reaches 200-300 pieces/km<sup>2</sup>. The starting materials for the preparation of the article were the results of a long-term study of karst and caves in the vicinity of Lake Inder by members of the section of speleology and karst studies of the Astrakhan branch of the Russian Geographical Society, received during the expeditionary activity from 2011 to 2017. The materials of field route speleological, karstological, geomorphological and geological studies were used for the characteristics of natural objects Proposals to organize a network of specially protected natural areas of various categories, with the aim of preserving karst landscapes and objects were prepared on the basis of the conducted expedition work, In particular it is proposed to give the status of nature monuments to the caves: The OneEyeed Well, Utemis-Kstau, Ice Fern, Kurposkat, Leaky Bag-1 and Leaky Bag-2 which are the most interesting and valuable as well as the area of the bare sulfate karst located in the area of the Kyzylzhyra tracts and Kizdykara. In addition to natural monuments it is proposed to create a natural reserve "Inder Hills", covering the least disturbed karst landscapes located in the southwestern part of the gypsum field on the eastern shore of Lake Inder. To create different categories of protected areas in Inder around Lake will keep the identity of karst topography historically established in the territory, it will save from destruction many of the most interesting caves, including the largest cave of Inder karst area - Ice fern Cave, to draw public attention to the uniqueness and vulnerability of karst landscapes. The Kazakh side also shows interest in preserving the natural features of this region. For example, on their own initiative it was developed position of scientific substantiation of the organization of the national park "Inder" in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The landscapes of the Inder mountains and Inder lakes are almost ideal for organizing a national park. The proposed nature monuments and the reserve will be able to enter into this nature park.