Warming Will Make Undocumented Migration Into US ‘Increasingly Dangerous’

"The already perilous desert crossing from Mexico to the US will become more dangerous as the climate warms, new research says.

The research, published in Science, finds that dehydration is already a leading driver of mortality in people crossing on foot from Nogales in Mexico to Three Points in Arizona.

It explains how extreme heat and water scarcity have claimed the lives of thousands attempting to enter the US from Mexico and quotes undocumented migrants, who confirm that dehydration, disorientation and organ failure are “common elements” of the journey."

Ayesha Tandon reports for Carbon Brief December 16, 2021.