NGO finds 177 environmental activists murdered worldwide in 2022

In its annual review, the Global Witness NGO named 177 land and environmental defenders who had been killed in 2022 – from the Amazon to the Philippines and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Members of the Xukuru people chant a sacred prayer in honor of Brazilian Bruno Pereira during his funeral at the Morada da Paz cemetery in Paulista, Brazil. 24 June, 2022. AFP - BRENDA ALCANTARA

In the environment watchdog's latest report released this week, Latin America again bore the brunt of murders worldwide, including 39 killings across the vast Amazon rainforest, which is a vital carbon sink facing destruction at a time the world is grappling to curb climate change.

According to the NGO, the murders of environmental activists doubled in Colombia last year, making it the most dangerous country in the world for those trying to protect the planet.

On Tuesday, the watchdog said the although the number of those killed has progressively decreased since a record 227 in 2020, "this does not mean that the situation has significantly improved.".

"The worsening climate crisis and the ever-increasing demand for agricultural commodities, fuel and minerals will only intensify the pressure on the environment – and those who risk their lives to defend it," the London-based group warned.

NEW 🔴 In 2022, 177 #Defenders were killed for protecting their land & the planet. But around the 🌎 they remain steadfast in their struggle.

Their voices can’t be silenced. We join them in demanding justice and immediate action. #DefendTheDefendershttps://t.co/X1b1NuDmSe pic.twitter.com/JC3bjnsYxu

— Global Witness (@Global_Witness) September 13, 2023

Colombia 'most dangerous' for eco-activists

In 2021, most killings took place in Mexico, but last year Colombia surged ahead with 60 deaths – more than a third of all the murders globally.

This is almost double the number of killings compared to 2021, when 33 ecological defenders lost their lives. 

Many of those targeted were indigenous people, members of Afro-descendant communities, small-scale farmers and environmental activists.

At least five children, three of them indigenous, were among the fatalities. 

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Mining, logging, farming

According to Global Witness, almost 2,000 land and environmental defenders have been murdered over the past decade – some 70 percent of them in Latin America.

In Brazil, where British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were killed last year in the Amazon, a total of 34 land defenders were killed.

Mexico, Honduras, and the Philippines also had high numbers.

🧵#BrunoPereira, an expert on indigenous issues and journalist #DomPhilips were killed one year ago today.

They were killed near the Javari valley Indigenous territory in the Amazon. pic.twitter.com/HcRbRbYG30

— Frank Conde Tangberg (@frankctangberg) June 5, 2023

While Global Witness says that is "difficult to identify" the precise driving factors for the killings, 10 were found to be linked to agribusiness, eight to mining, and four to the logging industry.

Aside from activists, state officials, demonstrators, park rangers, lawyers, and journalists are also among those who lost their lives.

"All of them shared a commitment to defend their rights and keep the planet healthy. All of them paid for their courage and commitment with their lives," the report says.