The Altyn Dala initiative, aimed at protecting the steppe ecosystems of Kazakhstan, became the winner of the prestigious environmental award The Earthshot Prize 2024 in the nomination "Nature Protection and Restoration". This award recognized outstanding achievements in the restoration of the saiga population and the expansion of 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 Kazakhstan Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ASBK), 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, the saiga population in Kazakhstan, which accounts for more than 98% of the global population, increased from 21,000 individuals in 2003 to 2.8 million in 2024, which is one of the most successful examples of mammal recovery 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, noted:
"We are glad that the joint efforts of the Ministry and our partners have been recognized at the world level. This award will strengthen our position in expanding environmental initiatives in Kazakhstan."
Among other significant achievements of Altyn Dala is the ongoing work on the restoration of populations of rare and endangered species such as the steppe eagle, the gyrfalcon and the kulan. This work is actively carried out in the protected areas of Central Kazakhstan. In 2024, the project for the reintroduction of kulans to this region was successfully completed.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/ecogeo/press/news/details/878621