Cemex announced that its El Carmen Conservation Program is celebrating 15 years of continued scientific research, habitat preservation and species restoration. With more than 140,000 hectares, the cross-border private conservation region between Mexico and the United States is one of the most biodiversity rich areas in North America and one of the five great wilderness ecosystems in the world, according to the company.
Located in northern Coahuila, Mexico, and southern Texas, El Carmen represents an extensive key biological corridor for wildlife migration and distribution. The territory is home to more than 1,500 plant species, 289 avian species, 80 types of reptiles and amphibians, and 78 mammal species. Among the highlights of its protection efforts is the reintroduction of extinct species in the region, such as the bighorn and pronghorn sheep, which currently number approximately 400 specimens. Other species with considerably increased populations include the desert mule deer, white-tailed deer and black bear, which is the largest population of this species of bear in Mexico.
“Through our El Carmen Conservation Program, we are able to restore habitats and wildlife in a region that is 8.4 times larger in size than the total sum of the areas impacted by our operations worldwide,” said Fernando A. Gonzalez, CEO of Cemex. “El Carmen’s 15 years of conservation efforts reaffirm the key role that sustainability plays in our company’s strategy.”
Over the past 15 years, the El Carmen ecological reserve has provided research and educational opportunities to more than 900 students and academicians, who monitor the region’s biodiversity and contribute to its conservation. It has also served as the scene for 16 master’s and PhD thesis projects of candidates from universities across Mexico and the United States. Their study of El Carmen has resulted in the publication of 60 scientific and popular papers.
To promote the awareness of and respect for the ecosystems that inhabit El Carmen and Cemex’s protection and restoration efforts in this and other areas, the company enabled the Cemex Nature digital platform at www.cemexnature.com.
