Bringing nature conservation to the steppes

This Kazakhstan-based initiative is saving species from extinction

Spotted: Altyn Dala, the “Golden Steppe”, is a vast belt of grassland dotted with wetlands and desert that stretches thousands of miles across Kazakhstan. It is one of the world’s most unique habitats – but it is also threatened with destruction from climate change, intensive agriculture, and industrialisation. How is one initiative working to change this?

In 2006, a group of Kazakh and international conservation partners came together to save Altyn Dala. They formed the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative and set about discovering how to preserve and enhance a prehistoric ecosystem using 21^st-century conservation science. The Initiative is a partnership between the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and the Government of Kazakhstan’s Committee for Forest and Wildlife.

Key to the approach is the use of cutting-edge monitoring and data collection to track the movements of endangered animals such as Saiga, Kulan, and Kertagy (also called Przewalski’s horses) across the steppe. This includes the use of satellite collars, autonomous camera drones, and remote camera traps. The Initiative also provides training and specialised sniffer dogs to help border and customs guards detect caches of saiga horns being smuggled out of Kazakhstan.

This data is analysed and used to make recommendations about where to focus conservation and protection efforts, and to help inform habitat management plans. The Initiative works closely with local communities to establish Protected Areas, and to provide education, employment, and training opportunities.

One of the Initiative’s biggest success stories is the recovery of the Saiga Antelope, which has moved from “critically endangered” to “near threatened” status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The steppe is now home to 2.86 million Saiga, up from a population of just 20,000 as recently as 2003. In June 2024, the Initiative also reintroduced seven Przewalski’s wild horses to the steppe after an absence of 200 years.

The Initiative aims to employ 725 full-time staff by 2030 and plans to collaborate with countries like the USA, Mongolia, Argentina, Uzbekistan, and India to help them achieve their own conservation successes through long-term partnerships and trust. In addition to government funding, the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative is a finalist for the 2024 Earthshot Prize, and the winners will be named later in November.

Written By: Lisa Magloff