According to a survey by an NGO, over the previous ten years, an environmental activist has been murdered every two days on average. According to research by Global Witness, between 2012 and 2021, hitmen organized crime organizations, and their own governments killed at least 1,733 land and environmental activists.
In 2021 alone, some 200 activists were killed
At a rate of 4 each week, 200 people were killed in just 2021. Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico, Honduras, and other nations made the list of the world’s deadliest nations for activists, accounting for 68% of all murders.
The bulk of those killed belonged to Indigenous tribes that are fighting to stop mining, oil, and hydropower corporations from exploiting their territory. Researchers predicted that in the near future, pressure on these environmental activists would intensify, particularly in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the globe tries to enhance the extraction of fossil fuels to ease the global crude oil crisis.
“There is increasing stress on natural resources globally and this is playing out as a battle, particularly in the Amazon in Brazil,” said Shruti Suresh, from Global Witness. “This is about land inequality, in that defenders are fighting for their land, and in this increasing race to get more land to acquire and exploit resources, the victims are indigenous communities, local communities, whose voices are being suppressed.”
The Report has highlighted some significant victories by environmental campaigners
The NGO study has highlighted some important triumphs for environmental activists. Indigenous communities from the Wild Coast of South Africa’s Eastern Cape prevailed in court last year against Shell, compelling the company to stop oil prospecting in areas where whales reproduce.
Communities on Indonesia’s Sangihe Island won a case in May against a Canadian-backed business that intended to mine gold there after having a prior lawsuit dismissed due to technical issues.
