Here is another relevant article.
Protecting Kazakhstan’s Grasslands Steppes in Face of Future Uncertainty
The Kazakh Steppe ecoregion is a vast area of open grassland in Kazakhstan. Home to many unique species, it is also under increasing pressure. A team of staff, including scientists from the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science, visited the region back in June. In today’s blog Dr Rob Field (Senior Conservation Scientist) and Dr Adam Devenish (Conservation Scientist) explain.
Despite being one of the least protected terrestrial habitats on Earth, the Kazakh Steppe is home to millions of migratory birds, which stop to feed and rest, as well as several Critically Endangered species, such as the saiga antelope and sociable lapwing. This unique ecoregion, known for its vast open expanses, is increasingly being threatened by rapid infrastructure development, increasing human wildlife conflicts and climate change.
RSPB is working to preserve this important ecoregion through the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, which aims to establish a network of Protected Areas in Kazakhstan. As part of the Government of Kazakhstan commitment to safeguard the Kazakh Steppe ecoregion it has established a new Protected Area spanning 657,450 hectares in west Kazakhstan called Bokey-Orda State Nature Reserve and Ashiozek Sanctuary.
A team of RSPB scientists recently travelled to west Kazakhstan to support our local partners from the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) in assessing the condition and biodiversity of this incredible understudied region of the world.
Protecting Kazakhstan’s grasslands steppes in face of future uncertainty - Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative
