The area is a fragment of the Pripyat River valley in its middle course, about 120 km long, from the mouth of the Jasielda to the mouth of the Scviga, and with a width of 4 to 14 km. The surface of the floodplain is flat, sometimes rugged, and the riverbed is strongly meandering. The Pripyat floodplain is one of the largest low-disturbed protected areas of this type in Europe. About 35% of the area is afforested. The grasslands of the reserve, ranging from wet to upland, cover about 30% of its area. Open wetlands make up about 20% of the area, with well-preserved lowland fens of exceptional value, some of which have been transformed as a result of land reclamation and are used as hayfields, pastures and arable land. The numerous and inaccessible overgrown oxbow lakes and floodplain lakes, which occupy about 3% of the area, play a special role in maintaining the biological and landscape diversity of the site. The area is characterised by regular and long spring floods lasting from one to several months. The floodplain along the entire river is then flooded from 1 to 4-5 km wide.

The vegetation cover supports at least 725 plant species; wildlife includes more than 1,000 species of insects, 50 species of fish, 6 – reptiles, 12 – amphibians, and 248 species of birds, including 190 nesting species, as well as at least 55 species of mammals. The territory is of great importance for a number of species. The flora and fauna of the area include about 90 protected species of plants and animals. Over 100 species are included into the Resolution No 6 of the Standing Committee to the Bern Convention.

17 protected species of insects are registered in the Nature Reserve, including the Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus), the Boros Schneideri, the Great Capricorn Beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), the False Ringlet  (Coenonympha oedippus), the Danube Clouded Yellow (Colias myrmidone), the Scarce Large Blue (Maculinea teleius), the Water Beetle (Graphoderus bilineatus),  the Dark Crimson Underwing (Catocala sponsa) and other species.

The territory is the most important habitat of a number of fish species: the White-finned Gudgeon (Gobio albipinnatus), the Asp (Aspius aspius), the Ukrainian brook lamprey (Eudontomyzon mariae), аs well as of reptiles and amphibians: the European Pond Turtle  (Emys orbicularis), the Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus), the Natterjack (Bufo calamita), the Fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina).

Grassland ecosystems are threatened by overgrowing with scrubs due to abandonment of haying and grazing, conversion of floodplains to cropland, cereal cultivation, overgrazing by livestock, as well as spring and autumn burning. Damage to forest habitats and species is caused by clear-cutting, sanitary logging, deadwood removal and forest plantation, while wetland ecosystems suffer from riverbed straightening, dredging and damming. In addition, spring hunting is detrimental to waterfowl and wading birds.