The Altyn Dala initiative, aimed at protecting the steppe ecosystems of Kazakhstan, has won the prestigious Earthshot Prize 2024 in the category “Nature Conservation and Restoration”. The award recognises outstanding achievements in restoring the saiga population and expanding protected natural areas in Kazakhstan.
Altyn Dala was founded in 2005 as a long-term partnership between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK), Fauna & Flora International, the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The main goal of the partners is to restore the saiga population and preserve the steppes of Kazakhstan.
Since then, large-scale efforts have been made to create and expand protected natural areas, restore populations of rare species and combat poaching. As a result, Kazakhstan’s saiga population, which accounts for over 98% of the world’s saiga population, has increased from 21,000 individuals in 2003 to 2.8 million in 2024, making it one of the most successful mammal restoration efforts in the world.
Daniyar Turgambayev, Chairman of the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said:
“We are pleased that the joint efforts of the Ministry and our partners have been recognized at the global level. This award will strengthen our position in expanding conservation initiatives in Kazakhstan.”
Among other significant achievements of Altyn Dala is the ongoing work to restore populations of rare and endangered species such as the steppe eagle, gyrfalcon, and kulan. This work is actively carried out in the protected areas of Central Kazakhstan. In 2024, a project to reintroduce kulans to this region was successfully completed.
The Earthshot Prize, established by Prince William and Sir David Attenborough in 2020, is one of the world’s most prestigious awards recognising innovations that help restore the planet. The Altyn Dala initiative was recognised for its large-scale achievements in restoring the saiga population, reducing poaching and creating protected areas.
https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ecogeo/press/news/details/878621
