El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve

• Impacts of tourism/visitor/recreation (tourism activities, off-road vehicles as well as potential problems derived from tourism-related water consumption)
• Invasive/alien terrestrial species
• Ground transport infrastructure (proposed roads)
• Necessity to save the Sonoran Pronghorn from possible extinction
• Environmental concerns in security efforts along the international border

N/A

On 31 January 2024, the State Party of Mexico submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1410/documents/ and provides the following information:

• Of the 140 km of border between Mexico and the United States of America (USA) along the northern boundary of the property, the border wall extends 109 km (according to the USA figures) or 128.7 km (according to Mexican figures), with the only gaps remaining in the mountainous areas;
• The border wall consists of a solid metal wall, parallel barbed wire mesh fence, as well as parallel roads. There are small wildlife openings along the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument;
• The Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Plan has been prepared and includes a captive breeding programme, water and forage supply improvement project, pronghorn translocation programme, census and aerial monitoring;
• Pronghorn population estimates show stable to increasing trends since 2000, with a degree of variation. The 2022 survey observed the second highest number of pronghorns ever recorded (80 individuals) in the property;
• Six individual pronghorns (3 males and 3 females) were recently released in the property through the translocation programme;
• Research has been undertaken to assess the potential impacts of human development and environmental characteristics on pronghorn habitat to inform species management, including wildlife crossings and overpasses for wildlife and strategies to improve pronghorn movement;
• The Puerto Peñasco Photovoltaic Power Plant, located 7 km east of the property’s buffer zone, commenced construction in 2022 with a substation located in the buffer zone;
• The transmission network will be built on the existing Puerto Peñasco-Golfo de Santa Clara state highway, which passes through 7.75 km of the property;
• Operational conditions were outlined including measures to minimise negative impacts of the project alongside a monitoring and enforcement programme to ensure that any potential negative impacts of the transmission line are identified and addressed;
• A collaboration agreement was signed between the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to establish joint mechanisms for the compliance with the conditions of operation.

On 31 October 2023, the State Party of Mexico invited the Reactive Monitoring mission to the property. However, on 19 January 2024, the mission was postponed by the State Party due to a number of factors, including capacity constraints, environmental conditions and insecurity in the vicinity of the property, and is to be rescheduled in consultation with the USA authorities.

On 23 February 2024, in a letter to the World Heritage Centre, the State Party of the USA informed that a map of the border barrier will be shared with the World Heritage Centre in the near future with the necessary precautions due to its sensitivity. The letter further informed that the mission is envisioned for late 2024. Updates were provided on the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Plan, which is being implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible, according to relevant experts within the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Park Service has initiated a study to be conducted by scientists from the US Geological Survey and the University of Arizona to assess the impacts of the US-Mexico border barrier on mammal communities in the Sonoran Desert, with initial results expected by 2025 and a final report in early 2026.

On 22 March 2024, a reply was sent to the State Parties of the USA and Mexico requesting a possible window of time when climatic conditions could be considered favourable for the mission, in order to ensure that its report is presented at the 47th session of the Committee in 2025. Further details on the implementation of the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Plan and the study of mammal communities of the Sonoran Desert, including its Terms of Reference, were requested for review and comment by IUCN as appropriate.

It is noted with concern that the border wall, which extends along almost the entire boundary between the property and the adjoining areas of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, has disrupted the ecological connectivity of this transboundary landscape and has blocked the migratory routes of Sonoran Pronghorn, an attribute of the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), restricting their access to critical feeding and breeding areas, with likely consequences for genetic variability.

Mitigation measures are therefore urgently needed to restore the ecological connectivity across the transboundary landscape. Whilst recent surveys indicate that the herd population on the property may be stable or increasing, it is imperative that measures are undertaken to ensure that the negative impacts of the border wall, amongst other factors including climate change, do not result in a long-term decline in the pronghorn population. It remains important to closely and continuously monitor the key species and to take an adaptive management approach in response to any significant changes in the size and the health of these populations, in particular noting the level of variation observed in the herd’s population. The development and implementation of the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Plan is therefore noted with appreciation and it is essential that the activities outlined in the Plan are effectively implemented, including the captive breeding programme, water and forage supply improvement project, pronghorn translocation programme, census and aerial monitoring.

Recalling the request of the Committee, in its Decision 45 COM 7B.2, to develop, resource and implement an urgent action plan to assess and mitigate the impacts of the border wall on the property and to restore ecological connectivity, and to submit it to the World Heritage Centre as soon as possible and no later than 1 February 2024, it is noted with concern that no information has been provided by the States Parties of Mexico and the USA to indicate that the action plan has been developed. This should be urgently developed and implemented in parallel with the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Plan and other measures to safeguard the property’s OUV, including measures to avoid further depletion of scarce water resources.

The mitigation measures and operating conditions for the photovoltaic power plant throughout the construction and operational phases of the project are noted, and the State Party of Mexico should ensure that these conditions are consistent with the management of the property, and adhere to the highest environmental standards, including measures to ensure the conservation of the important biodiversity in the wider landscape, which also supports the OUV of the property.

Noting that the Reactive Monitoring mission to the property has not yet taken place, it is essential that the State Party of Mexico, in close cooperation with the State Party of the USA, reschedule the mission as soon as possible. The mission should assess the impact of the border wall on the OUV of the property and the measures taken to guarantee the ecological connectivity of the property with adjacent wildlife dispersal areas, alongside other factors potentially affecting OUV, recalling the position of the Committee that the property may meet the conditions for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger, in accordance with Paragraph 180 of the Operational Guidelines, if ecological connectivity is not restored to safeguard the viability of key wildlife populations.