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A shocking new report published by Global Witness claims that, on average, somewhere in the world an environmental activist is killed every other day.
In total 177 environmental activists are known to have been murdered in 2022. The huge majority of these killings (88%) took place in Latin America, with Colombia, followed by Brazil and Mexico, being by far the most dangerous countries in which to be an environmental activist.
Of the countries listed in the report outside of Latin America, the Philippines, with 11 murders in 2022, has the unenviable title of most dangerous place to be an environmental activist.
Although the overall figures for activists killed worldwide is slightly lower than in 2021 (in that year 200 people were killed) in Colombia the figure has almost doubled from 33 murders in 2021 to 60 in 2022. Worldwide, of the 177 murders committed in 2022, 36 per cent of those killed were Indigenous peoples.
Although the overall number of those murdered was lower in 2022 than 2021, that doesn’t mean that life has become easier for environmental activists. The report states that non-lethal strategies such as harassment, criminalisation and digital attacks are increasingly being used to silence activists.
The authors also make it clear that the true figure of murders, and other victims of harassment, will be much higher than those reported.
The authors of the report say that it can be difficult to identify the exact drivers behind the killings, but that they were able to link ten of the killings to agribusiness, eight to mining and four to logging.
The report highlights that the single most dangerous area of all to be an environmental activist is the Amazon Basin, where 39 people were killed last year including 11 members of Indigenous communities. The report concludes that in many cases the murderers enjoy an element of impunity to launch attacks.
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For some countries – including Colombia and Brazil – there is a glimmer of hope. In 2022 both countries had governments that were generally hostile to environmental protections and institutions. But, in August 2022 a new government was elected in Colombia which is more pro-environment and aims to improve the protection of environmental activists. And, it’s a similar story in Brazil, where a new, left-leaning and more environmentally friendly government took over at the start of 2023.
In both countries, it’s possible that the changes in government might signal a decline in the number of killings of environmental activists.
The full report can be read here.
