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The Saiga Conservation Alliance is proud to announce a major conservation achievement on the Ustyurt Plateau of Uzbekistan: the installation of the first-ever solar-powered, fully automatic watering point for Saigas and other steppe wildlife.
This milestone made possible through our colleagues from the Saigachy Wildlife Reserve, with the generous support of WCN, Stephen Gold, and the Wild Solar team marks a turning point for Saiga survival in one of the region’s driest landscapes.
Climate change and habitat degradation have left Saigas struggling to find reliable water sources, especially during scorching summer months. However there is a solution hiding in plain sight. Abandoned wells once dug by nomadic pastellists. Dozens of these old herders’ wells still dot northern Ustyurt, most have been abandoned for decades but are still viable.
This created a unique opportunity: revive these forgotten wells and transform them into lifesaving water points for wildlife at a critical time of year.
For the pilot project, conservationists chose a well positioned on traditional Saiga migration routes with good water quality. Together with staff from the Saigachiy Wildlife Refuge, they installed a robust, low-maintenance solar pumping system featuring a submersible pump, solar panels, sensors and a water flow meter to fill a new man made, 3 m³, concrete scrap or shallow basin. Shallow sloped walls created for safe access for wildlife.
Once installed, the system runs entirely on its own, requiring only two brief visits per year for routine shutdown and restart. This autonomy is crucial in a remote environment where human access is limited.
The first watering hole is already active, and camera traps are now monitoring which species use it. If successful, this pilot will become a model for a network of solar-powered watering holes across the region, a critical adaptation measure as climate pressures intensify each year.
This project demonstrates what’s possible when innovative technology, local expertise, and donor support come together. By bringing water ‘back’ to the steppe, we’re bringing hope to Saiga.
Further project delivery funding will be required for Field research and water testing, Mapping and assessing of well locations, Construction phase the Technical development and monitoring. SCA may seek matched funding for this element of the project.
This is a scalable transboundary project with Expansion to neighbouring regions in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
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