Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative
Kazakhstan
Like many grasslands around the world, the vast steppes of Central Asia are in decline due to factors like overgrazing, conversion to arable land and the shifting climate.
In Kazakhstan, the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative has been working since 2005 to restore steppe, semi-desert and desert ecosystems within the historic range of the saiga, a once abundant antelope critically endangered by hunting and habitat loss. As well as reviving and protecting the steppe, the initiative has helped conserve wetlands that are a vital stopover for an estimated 10 million migratory birds each year.
The initiative in numbers
7,000,000
Hectares restored
7,500,000
Hectares to be restored by 2030
350
Green jobs to be created by 2030
"The establishment of nearly 5 million hectares of protected areas has made major strides in restoring and protecting Kazakhstan’s vast steppe ecosystems. These results could only be achieved through strong collaboration."
Aliya Shalabekova, Vice Minister, Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Government of Kazakhstan
Leading organizations
This World Restoration Flagship is coordinated by the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Fauna & Flora International, Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.