A decision by the United Nations’ cultural arm, UNESCO, reiterates concern about the U.S.-Mexico border wall’s impact on animal habitats along the Arizona-Sonora border.
The wide swath of protected land in northwestern Sonora, known as El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, lies just south of Arizona’s Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
UNESCO named the reserve, which includes vast sand dunes and huge, almost perfectly circular craters, a World Heritage Site more than a decade ago.
Alex Olivera with the Center for Biological Diversity says border wall construction under the first Trump administration has damaged the important Sonoran desert ecosystem.
“Animals cannot cross that used to for millions and thousands of years from the United States to Mexico in order to look for water, for food,” Olivera said.
UNESCO’s decision calls for Mexico to organize a mission of United Nations cultural and conservation officials to El Pinacate to assess the impact of the border wall.
UNESCO asks Mexico to organize that mission after it says the United States “communicated it cannot take part at this time.” The Trump administration announced the United States would withdraw from UNESCO effective at the end of this year.
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