Our work
Working with Communities
Finding solutions that work for people and saigas
We work with people living alongside saigas, drawing on local knowledge and experience to develop practical conservation approaches. From alternative livelihoods to participatory monitoring, our community work explores ways to meet local needs while protecting saigas.
Photo: Dmitri GolovtsovThe challenge
Finding solutions that work for people and saigas
Saigas share their landscapes with people whose livelihoods and daily lives are closely tied to the land. Conservation needs to understand those circumstances. In places where economic opportunities are limited, pressures on wildlife can be difficult to address without considering the needs of local communities.
As saiga populations recover, new challenges are also emerging, including concerns about how people and wildlife share land and resources. There is no single solution that works everywhere. The challenge is to draw on local knowledge, understand what matters to communities, and develop approaches that benefit both people and saigas.
Our role
What SCA does
Supporting alternative livelihoods
We have worked with women in Uzbekistan to develop a traditional embroidery enterprise, creating opportunities for income and participation alongside commitments to saiga conservation.
Drawing on local knowledge
We involved local residents in monitoring saigas, using their observations to build a fuller picture of the species and the threats it faced.
Our work in numbers
17 Women
trained as Karakalpak embroidery masters
Explore the work
Projects in action
Looking ahead
Building on experience, responding to new needs
SCA’s embroidery programme and participatory monitoring work have shown how communities can contribute to saiga conservation through their skills, livelihoods, and knowledge of the landscape. They have also provided valuable lessons about designing initiatives around local circumstances and adapting them over time.
As conservation needs change, SCA has opportunities to build on that experience: supporting locally developed ideas, strengthening community participation, and working with partners to understand and address emerging concerns, including human-wildlife conflict. The aim is to find practical ways for people to benefit from, and contribute to, the long-term conservation of saigas.
Support our work
Support this work
Your donation helps SCA protect saigas and support conservation across their range.
Your support helps make saiga conservation possible.