Situated along the Russian border in the northern boreal forest, the Site includes the most intact section of the (regulated) Pasvik River, characterized by many bays, lakes and islets. The area includes Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forests and extensive mires. Due to its very early ice break-up, the area is especially important for staging migratory waterbirds. Numerous threatened species breed at the Site, including the bean goose Anser fabalis, the greater scaup Aythya marila and the little bunting Emberiza pusilla. The Site has also a stable breeding population of the nationally threatened brown bear Ursus arctos and the European otter Lutra lutra. The area is important for flood regulation, sediment transport and carbon sequestration. Human activities include nature protection, recreation, fishing and some reindeer husbandry. Archaeological findings document habitation of the area by Saami people up to 8,000 years ago. The greater trilateral Pasvik area was featured as a Ramsar case study on transboundary wetland ecosystems in the 2nd Assessment of Transboundary Rivers and Lakes (UNECE 2011).